30-04-2025
EXCLUSIVE Bon Jovi rocker Richie Sambora to auction off signed guitar at Kentucky Derby charity gala
Bon Jovi rocker Richie Sambora will auction off a custom guitar he designed at a charity gala this weekend, can exclusively reveal.
Sambora is set to perform at the Unbridled Derby Eve Gala in Louisville, Kentucky on Friday night and will auction off the instrument afterwards.
The event, which traditionally takes place the night before the Kentucky Derby, is a charity fundraiser that this year will support Blessings in a Backpack – an organization that provides meals to children in need.
Sambora's guitar – which is seen in exclusive photos – was personally designed by the 65-year-old rocker in collaboration with Kantor Guitars.
Not only is he giving away this prized possession, but the former Bon Jovi guitarist is offering private lessons under his tutelage.
The instrument is plum colored with gold accents and the winning bidder will also get a personal music lesson with the star.
Other items set to be sold off in the charity auction include a guitar signed by Taylor Swift as well as tickets to a future gig.
Also on the auction block are luxury trips to Aruba and the Florida Keys, a Los Angeles Lakers VIP package and a Ronaldo Jewelry gold and emerald bracelet.
Sambora has made a habit of appearing at the Unbridled Derby Eve Gala and donated another guitar to last year's charity auction which eventually sold for $35,000.
Other guitars sold by the veteran star over the past decade have gone for as much as $75,000 with all the proceeds donated to good causes.
Sambora shot to fame in 1983 as the lead guitarist in mega-band Bon Jovi and co-wrote monster hits Livin on a Prayer and You Give Love A Bad Name with singer Jon Bon Jovi.
He later became part of a Hollywood power couple when he married Melrose Place star Heather Locklear, 63, in 1994 – a year after her divorce from Motley Crue drummer Tommy Lee.
Although the couple divorced in 2007, the pair had one daughter Ava, now 27, together and remain close friends.
Ava later played a part in Sambora's decision to quit Bon Jovi in 2013 with sources telling he made the decision because 'his daughter needed him'.
That, however, hasn't prevented Sambora from continuing to perform solo – most recently when he made a surprise appearance at the Rock the Responders concert in Los Angeles in February.
The gig, which took place in front of the USS Iowa battleship in Long Beach, was staged by the Kings of Chaos – an international super-group with an evolving line-up that previously included Aerosmith's Steve Tyler and ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons.
Performers on the night included Sambora's Bon Jovi replacement Phil X – real name Theofilos Xenidis – and Deep Purple's Glen Hughes, as well as Sambora who played mega-hit Livin on a Prayer.
The event was designed to raise funds for the LA Disaster Recovery and Resilience Collective – a non-profit that supports disaster recovery efforts in wildfire-ravaged LA.
Although a New Jersey native, Sambora has lived in or around LA for nearly 40 years and currently resides in a lavish $32million mansion in upscale Laguna Beach in neighboring Orange County.
