Richie Sambora Releases New Single 'I Pray' as Source Says He's on a 'Songwriting Tear' (Exclusive)
The former Bon Jovi rocker is featured in 'Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story,' which will premiere on Hulu April 26
Richie Sambora is ready to rock!
The musician, 64, released his first new song in more than a decade on Thursday, April 25, an upbeat anthem called “I Pray.”
“He’s been doing a lot of writing the last couple years. He’s got more singles coming out after this one,” a source close to the star tells PEOPLE. “His hit writing never stopped. He’s got a bag of hits, and he’s on a songwriting tear.”
Indeed, a press release reveals "I Pray" is the first of four songs to be released in the coming weeks, among them by “Livin’ Alone” (May 3), “Songs That Wrote My Life” (May 10), and “Believe (In Miracles)” (May 17).
"I’m at that point in my life where I am truly happy and a big part of that joy comes from writing songs and making music," Sambora said in a statement. "There’s a tremendous freedom with these songs because I don't have to think about charting No. 1 or what’s happening on the radio but I still put the same craftsmanship, care and love into it as I did with 'Slippery When Wet' or 'New Jersey' and I hope they bring a similar happiness to those that choose to listen and push play on streaming services."
Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty
Richie Sambora in Los Angeles in November 2023Sambora’s last solo record, Aftermath of the Lowdown, came out in 2012, and he also put out the LP Radio Free America with Australian guitarist Orianthi in 2018. The rocker teased his new single on Instagram on Tuesday, April 23.
The release of “I Pray” comes as the new documentary series Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story is set to premiere on Hulu on April 26 in conjunction with Bon Jovi’s 40th anniversary.
Jon Bon Jovi recently told PEOPLE that he and Sambora had watched part of the docuseries together, noting “there’s never animosity” with Sambora, who left the group in 2013 after nearly 30 years.
In Thank You, Goodnight, Sambora opens up about his sudden exit from Bon Jovi and its impact on the band.
“I don’t regret leaving the situation, but I regret how I did it, so I want to apologize fully right now to the fans, especially, and also to the guys because my feet and my spirit were just not letting me walk out the door,” he says in the series.
Kevin Mazur/Getty
Richie Sambora performing with Jon Bon Jovi in April 2018.Related: Inside Richie Sambora's 'Unbelievable' Life After Leaving Bon Jovi: Source (Exclusive)
An insider recently told PEOPLE that Sambora had been “feeling demoralized” in the years before he left Bon Jovi amid a slew of personal issues, including his father’s death and his divorce from wife Heather Locklear. Life afterwards was “unbelievable,” as he entered full-time dad mode taking care of daughter Ava, now 26, who “means everything to him and always has.”
The source added that the rocker has been working with musician/producer Bob Rock, with whom he collaborated on Bon Jovi’s 1986 album Slippery When Wet.
“Nowadays, he’s a songwriter, so he’s constantly writing, playing and singing. It’s the life of a musician,” the source said. “He loves what he does. It’s his passion. He’s a musician’s musician.”
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