SamboraBlog

During the course of one year, Sambora was involved in two nasty breakups, one with wife of ten years Heather Locklear, another with former girlfriend Denise Richards. Then, he was embroiled in a custody dispute over daughter Ava, battled an alcohol addiction and finally, dealt with his father's long-term cancer and finally, death.

During Bon Jovi's participation in the now yearlong concert series for the non-profit Stand Up For A Cure to benefit Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in Manhattan, Richie stated that, ""It was a gang tackle from hell, basically. And crawling out of that wreckage was a very triumphant victory."

With most of his hard times behind him, Sambora looks forward to the future. He works hard to maintain a good relationship with Locklear for the sake of their beloved daughter, and is in a new position as well, as caregiver for his mother.

An only child, Richie checked into Utah's Cirque Lodge in September of 2007 to deal with his addictions. The entire band was behind his decision to get the help he needed, as well as support him, as well as one special woman, "Oh man, my mom, especially," he revealed.