Jon Bon Jovi fires Richie Sambora from tour, report says

NEW YORK, Aug. 23 (UPI) -- Longtime Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora has been fired from the New Jersey rock band and will not be returning to the group's concert tour, RumorFix said.

The celebrity news website cited sources close to the band as saying Sambora wanted more money and front man Jon Bon Jovi declined.

Sambora, a Bon Jovi musician for 30 years, was making $2 million a month and 20 percent of the profits of each concert. In a massive drop in payments, his replacement, Philip "Phil X" Xenidis, is making $10,000 a month.

Sambora is expected to continue getting royalty checks since he co-wrote many of the band's biggest hits and his image appears on merchandise, the report said.

"Richie wants to go back on stage -- that's his first love. He's really upset over the news," an insider told RumorFix.com.