Richie Sambora Prioritized Daughter Ava Over Bon Jovi: 'Family Had To Come First'

Richie Sambora recently got candid about his controversial decision to leave Bon Jovi seven years after his departure.

Sambora, 61, told People via Zoom from his home in Calabasas, California, that he has no regrets over his decision to quit the rock band in 2013 because his family is his priority. He explained that he wanted to be there for his daughter, Ava, now 23.

"It wasn't a popular decision by any means, obviously, but there was really almost no choice about it. I had a lot of conscious work to do around [my personal life]," he said.

"We've been through a lot of things together," he continued. "That was a time of psychological maintenance for the family. You know, I ain't no angel. But I realized, Ava needed me to be around at that point in time. Family had to come first, and that's what happened."

Sambora said he has an "amazing" relationship with his "smart and fun" daughter, whom he shares with ex-wife Heather Locklear, 59. They bonded when he drove her to and from high school every morning, spending 30 minutes together in his car. It was during one of those times when their conversation went down.

The guitarist said they have a "very open, conversational relationship," and he wants to make Ava feel she can tell her anything and that he is on her side.

"I brought a child into this world and I do not take it lightly," he added.

When Sambora was still touring with Bon Jovi, he would routinely fly back home for quick visits instead of staying in one location.

"I love being a dad more than anything," he said about fatherhood. "Luckily I was making enough money to be able to have a private plane, get my ass home and see my kid even if it was only for one day. If it was Halloween, it was boom, home.”

Sambora's efforts to spend as much time as he can with his daughter didn't go unnoticed. Ava said she appreciated how her dad would go the extra mile just to be present at every important event in her life.

"He showed up to every dance recital I performed in and all of my school functions no matter how far he had to travel. He even flew all the way from Australia to surprise me at my father-daughter dance," she shared.

Meanwhile, Bon Jovi had a collaboration with Prince Harry earlier this year. They recorded a military-inspired song titled "To Be of Service" for a documentary about veterans with PTSD and the service dogs that Prince Harry narrated.

"So I sent it to Prince Harry knowing that they had this choir. And after months of getting up and through the changing hymn, he loved the idea," Jon Bon Jovi said.