Phil X not too long ago opened up about what it was like stepping in for Richie Sambora as Bon Jovi’s lead guitarist. In an interview with Chris Akin Presents, he admitted that the start was tough—followers at reveals would maintain up indicators asking the place Richie was. However Phil knew he needed to keep targeted and never let it get to him. Getting distracted might result in errors, and he felt that he couldn’t afford that sort of stress on stage.
He recalled his first main gig with Bon Jovi on the 2011 Jazz Fest in entrance of fifty,000 folks. Relatively than letting nerves take over, he instructed himself to simply be a rockstar and deal with it like one other day at work. Having carried out his entire life, he reminded himself it was simply Bon Jovi songs and gave it his all.
Phil formally joined the band throughout a key turning level—after Sambora all of a sudden left in the course of the 2013 As a result of We Can tour. That second was an enormous shift in Bon Jovi’s historical past. Within the Hulu docuseries Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story, Sambora stated he regretted how he left however nonetheless stood by his selection.
Jon Bon Jovi later talked about how a lot he valued the musical bond he had with Sambora, particularly on stage. That made Phil’s job even tougher, entering into a task that followers had been deeply hooked up to.
Regardless of the rocky begin, Phil X proved himself with laborious work and knowledgeable perspective. He finally turned a everlasting member of Bon Jovi, contributed to a number of albums, and performed an enormous position in shaping the band’s subsequent chapter.
