Family comes first for Richie Sambora.
The 61-year-old, who was the lead guitarist for Bon Jovi for 30 years, was “happy” to step away in 2013 and instead, spend more time with his daughter Ava Sambora.
“Richie sacrificed a lot to be there for his daughter when she was still very young and needed him the most, and he’s so proud to see how well she’s doing now,” a source told People magazine on Thursday.
The source added Sambora has “no regrets.”
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Sambora shares Ava Sambora with his ex-wife, Heather Locklear. The couple was married from 1994 until 2007.
Jon Bon Jovi (right) and Richie Sambora of Bon Jovi. (Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic/Getty)
According to the outlet, Ava Sambora turned 23 this week and graduated with honors from Loyola Marymount University in May.
“She just had her birthday, and they had a family celebration,” the insider explained. “It was the right decision to step off the stage to be a full-time father. In the end, he was suffering from being on the road so much. Richie has no regrets about leaving the band.”
The source added the rocker has loved being with Ava Sambora throughout her milestones in her teenage years.
“Richie was happy being there to drive with Ava Samborato her first day of high school and to pool parties with her friends,” said the source. “These last seven years have been the most loving and rewarding in his life. They have traveled the world together and brought friends to truly share the fun. He wouldn’t trade it for anything.”
According to the outlet, Ava Sambora has been splitting her time between her mom and dad’s house. She also began graduate school.
“Especially now that Heather is doing so well and loving life again, they feel like they have a second lease on life,” the source claimed. “Ava and her father spent her 23rd birthday hanging out at home. With Ava’s… online school workload, Richie still enjoys every minute with her.”
The source’s comments come just days after Jon Bon Jovi spoke to Rock Antenne and addressed his former bandmate’s departure.
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“Some things happened that are the catalyst for why other good things happened,” the 58-year-old explained. “There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t wish that Richie had his life together and was still in the band. And yet, in a weird way, it’s because of his inability to get it together anymore that we went on and wrote ‘This House is Not for Sale.’”
The album, released in 2016, was the band's first without Sambora.
“It was a very strong record,” the singer said. “I don’t know where we would have gone, but through all that pain and heartbreak came this.”
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