March 19th 2005 — On St. Patrick’s Day we posted a rather entertaining Rewind interview with former Rainbow/Yngwie Malmsteen/Deep Purple vocalist Joe Lynn Turner. Then just today, we got an e-mail about it from Jack Ponti. Apparently, he wanted to elaborate a bit on one of Joe’s answers.

Just who the hell is Jack Ponti, anyway? Well, we don’t feel like giving a big history lesson here, but Jack Ponti is a guitarist and songwriter who used to play in a band way back in the day called “The Rest” with Jon Bon Jovi. Since then, he’s been in the bands Sturgin and Angry Tears and has worked with everyone from Alice Cooper, Baton Rouge, Shark Island, Grim Reaper, Babylon A.D., and Doro Pesch.

Anyhow, Jack was prompted to write us after reading one of Joe Lynn Turner’s responses to our question “Give us your fondest memory about touring or being in the following cities.” When asked about Philadelphia, Joe replied: “I was at the 4 seasons Hotel at some Bon Jovi party. Some girl stole my leather jacket. Sambora and I looked all over for it all night … we eventually found the girl!”

Here’s what Jack Ponti had to say about that:

Much as I love Joey, and I do, he is absolutely full of shit concerning his recollection of Philadelphia.

Sambora my ass.

Snake Sabo and myself spent the night from Hell looking for Joe’s leather jacket with him.

In fact that night and incident goes down in the legendary column.

Richie was nowhere to be found in this adventure.

JLT never found the coat or the bimbo who snatched it.

Joey was so fucking out of control that it was a nightmare.

It all began innocently, with us at the bar for the after party.

The Jon called for us to come up to his room and Joe was talking to some wench and she said: “Are you coming back?”

Joey said: “Here, hold my coat for me so you know I’ll come back.”

We went upstairs for an hour or so and then when we went back down.

The jacket and bimbo were nowhere to be seen.

At this point all the alcohol (and whatever else Joey indulged in) kicked in and he went ballistic, screaming “where is my coat?” and running from door to door at the hotel knocking on them and screaming for his coat.

He was out of control and we just ran after him.

We finally pulled him into a room (I think Mark Weiss’ room) and tried to chill him out.

At this point he launched into the most amazing speech in history.

Going on about Blackmore, the rape of the Madonna, what the world was coming to, the Mafia, family, Japan, saying over and over again “It’s not about the coat, it’s about the rape of the Madonna.”

Fans and people in the room were like,“What the fuck?”

They looked nervous and scared. Fuck, we were all nervous and scared.

We finally calmed the Reverend down and went downstairs.

It was about 5 am and the sun coming up.

We thought we had him under control but suddenly he sees a huge African American security guard and starts all over again, this time jumping on a table in the lobby and screaming about “What my people did to your people.”

Insanity at the highest level.

Vic Pepe grabbed Joey in a head lock and ran him through the doors into the parking lot and sunlight.

We threw him in the back of the car next to Snake and drove an hour home with Joey going on about “I love you guys, you guys proved to me you’re family.”

Poor Snake was having convulsions.

We got to my house and threw him on the porch to sleep and told him if he woke up anyone I would kick the shit out of him.

Sambora was fast asleep during this nightmare we had to endure.

Best part is Joe’s manager calling Doc the next day saying what a bad influence Snake and I were on JLT.

Fucking mind boggling.

To this day Snake and I refer to the “Night of the Reverend” as one of the most comical yet frightening experiences of our lives.

It was like Sybil meets the Exorcist meets Spinal Tap.

C’mon Joey don’t tell me you have Alzheimer’s.

Love ya though.

Ponti

Now that’s a great fucking story! We’ve actually heard a few tales about “The Rev” Joe Lynn Turner ‘witnessing’ in hotel bars from time to time. Apparently, it’s a sight to behold.

Anyhow, that was nice of Jack Ponti to drop by and say hello. It’s interesting to know he checks out shit at Metal Sludge here and there. You never know… he just might make an entertaining 20 Questions candidate someday down the road!

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