Richie Sambora To Be Inducted Into Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame With Bon Jovi Following Aus Tour

Following an Australian headline tour next month, Richie Sambora will shoot back to the States to join Bon Jovi as one of the 2018 inductees of the prestigious Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame. 

The iconic US outfit will be inducted at the 33rd induction ceremony in April, alongside a number of fellow legendary acts including Nina Simone, The Cars, Dire Straits and The Moody Blues.

Speaking to Rolling Stone, Sambora, who hasn't played with Bon Jovi since 2013, said he felt "gratitude" after hearing the news.

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"And going, 'Hey, I'm in the queue with Bob Dylan, Mick and Keith and Clapton, all my heroes and all the guys I grew up trying to emulate,'" he said.

"They are my heroes and my teachers. To be in that line is kind of surreal. I don't know if I believe it yet. It's that kind of an honour. It's almost not the institution itself; it's the pedigree of how people got there.

"To be a part of that whole movement and whole energy as things move forward is just tremendous. I have a lot of thanks for that…"

Sambora will kick off his Australian run alongside Adelaide's own Orianthi at new Aussie festival Under The Southern Stars on 6 January; for a look at all of the dates and venues, click on theGuide. 

The 2018 Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame takes place at Cleveland's Public Auditorium on 14 April.