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Richie Sambora Wants To Return To Bon Jovi For Tonight's New Jersey Show, But Jon Reportedly Won't Let Him

As the gulf between Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora continues to widen, it's the Bon Jovi legacy that's taking a real beating.

As we all know by now, Richie Sambora was unceremoniously booted from the current Bon Jovi tour back in April due to unspecified "personal reasons." Since then, relations between the two longtime buds has been frosty at best, with Sambora imploring JBJ to stop "trash-talking" him in the press.

Ever since Sambora's departure, the band no longer seems to be the hot ticket it once was. The band played to a number of empty seats during a recent Detroit show, and a recent date in Cleveland was even canceled due to lackluster ticket sales. Now, on the eve of a show in the band's home state of New Jersey, Radar Online is reporting that Sambora wanted to return to make an appearance at tonight's concert, but Jon is not returning any of Richie's phone calls.

“Jon won’t allow Richie to come back for that show, and Jon won’t even pick up the phone and talk to Sambora," a source told Radar Online. "Sambora has tried to end this feud but Jon won’t respond."

[caption id="attachment_246396" align="aligncenter" width="500"]Bon Jovi in New Jersey on April 13,1984. Bon Jovi in New Jersey on April 13,1984.[/caption]

The real loser in this feud is not Richie, nor Jon, but the final chapters of the Bon Jovi legacy (not to mention the fans). The band's most recent album, What About Now, has already fallen off the Top 200 album charts, despite only being released a scant four months ago. It's the first album of original material to fail to go gold in the United States, which is prompting headlines like "The Battle of Bon Jovi: The Beginning of the End?" from major outlets like USA Today. The band's status as a titan in rock history is still secure, but at this point, it's becoming more and more clear that some of that old magic they used to possess has gone by the wayside.

So, VH1 Classic fans, we leave it up to you:

What Should Bon Jovi Do Next?

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