Richie Sambora Says He’s Developing a Series for HBO

If Mick Jagger and Steven Van Zandt can do it, why not Richie Sambora?

The former Bon Jovi guitarist says he's joining a select circle of his peers by moving into the TV development arena — specifically by working on an HBO series that grew out of a script he presented the network after being approached to provide the music for a separate project.

Describing the show as being about "the toil, trials and tribulations" that a young rock band endures on its journey to the big time, Sambora told ABC News Radio that he came up with the idea for the show after being approached to write his autobiography — an idea he rejected out of hand.

"It's like, I don't want to do that clichéd thing about who slept with who, what substance happened here, what was going on there," insisted Sambora. "I'm a Jersey guy, so I keep everything to the chest. I don't want to talk about anybody anyway, right? Plus, I have a daughter ... So I said, 'Why don't I write a teleplay?'"

Adding that he declined the network's offer to star in the show because "I don't like acting that much" and "It wouldn't leave me any time to do anything else," Sambora pointed out that his long and varied history in the music business makes him qualified to spearhead this sort of show. "I went [from being a] record company president [at age 28], and then I had another label," he said. "I was a manager. I'm a mentor. I'm a songwriter for other artists. I produce other artists. ... I have all that life experience."

Sambora isn't quoted as saying when the show might find a home on the network's schedule, but it sounds like fans might be waiting a while. As the report puts it: "ABC Radio asked HBO for more info about the show, but couldn’t find anyone at the network who is aware of its existence."

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