The Kentucky Derby has been held at Churchill Downs since 1875. It only lasts about two minutes, but thousands of people travel from around the world to attend every year. This year’s Derby brought out celebrities, fans, and performers again this May. Many artists performed at events leading up to the big race, including well-known rock guitarist Richie Sambora.
Sambora was scheduled to perform at the Unbridled Eve Derby Gala, one of the major events of the weekend. He showed up and performed as planned, but what fans didn’t know at first was that he had suffered a serious hand injury just days before the show.
Richie Sambora fractured his hand days before his performance at the Kentucky Derby
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One week before his performance at the gala, Richie Sambora broke his hand while playing touch football in New Jersey, where he had been staying to look after his mother. During the game, someone lightly pushed him, but he hit a curb and hurt his hand badly, which made it swell up quickly. Doctors later confirmed that he had two fractures and would need surgery soon.
Even with the injury, Sambora didn’t cancel his appearance. He still went ahead and played four Bon Jovi songs at the gala. People who were there said the crowd was excited, and Sambora gave a strong performance even though he was in a lot of pain. His doctor had warned him not to go, but he decided to perform anyway.
Richie Sambora has a standing tradition of attending the Kentucky Derby
He has been attending the Kentucky Derby for 11 years. He doesn’t just show up; he always finds ways to support charity work during the weekend. At this year’s event, he auctioned a special guitar and music lessons; the items raised $35,000 for charity.
The money went to several causes through the Unbridled Charitable Foundation. One of the main groups supported this year was Blessings in a Backpack, which provides food to school children who need meals on weekends. Over the years, Sambora has raised more than $700,000 during his Derby visits. Even with a broken hand, he kept that tradition going this year.