In addition to providing the soundtrack to their special dance, the proud dad helped to make "a deal with the hotel" for the wedding.
Richie Sambora might be a rockstar -- but when it comes to his daughter Ava Sambora's upcoming wedding, he's stepping into regular dad mode.
The former Bon Jovi guitarist, 66, who shares Ava, 28, with ex Heather Locklear, told PEOPLE exclusively that his future son-in-law, Tyler Farrar, is a "shoo-in."
"He's a gentleman, he's honest," Richie said at the 2026 Kentucky Derby of Farrar, whom Ava met in college.
As far as wedding planning goes, Richie said that while his suggestions might not be getting listened to, he and Ava will be sharing a special moment on the dance floor during the festivities later this month.
"We're dancing to a song that I wrote for her, 'I'll Always Walk Beside You.' She picked it," the proud dad revealed, adding, "She was such a great kid, so I lucked out."
The jury is still out about whether or not he'll get up onstage to perform -- "I don't know," Richie said -- but he did help to make a "deal with the hotel" for the wedding.
"That's all I did, really," he added. "It's their [day], they get to do what they want to do. I'm lucky enough to be able to provide it."
Richie appeared on the Kentucky Derby red carpet in Louisville on Saturday, May 2, hours after taking the stage at the annual Unbridled Eve Derby Gala, which raises money for the Unbridled Charitable Foundation.
"We blew the roof off the place," he told PEOPLE of the performance that came a year after breaking his hand. "We just jammed. And then I go, 'Can I play more?' I'm just getting warm, I'm used to playing three hours."
Richie was one of the more than 150,000 people at Churchill Downs watching the 152nd Kentucky Derby race, where Cherie DeVaux made history as the first woman to train a winning horse. DeVaux, jockey Jose Ortiz and Golden Tempo won it all with a time of 2:02.27.
Stars in the stands included Derby regulars Dannielynn and Larry Birkhead, *NSYNC's Lance Bass and Joey Fatone, as well as athletes including NFL star Joe Burrow, Olympian Lolo Jones and former WNBA player Sue Bird.
Also joining in on the festivities were five Verizon customers and their guests, who won an all-expenses-paid trip to the Derby through Verizon Access -- a rewards program that gives customers a chance to win trips to concerts and sporting events, including the upcoming 2026 World Cup.