Alec John Such, former bassist and founding member of US rock band Bon Jovi, has passed away at the age of 70.
Such was with the band between 1983 and 1994, which included the period when the well-known hit ‘Livin’ On A Prayer’ was released and was part of the group when they released their self-titled debut album in 1984.
In a statement posted on Twitter, the group described being “heartbroken to hear the news of the passing” of their “dear friend”.
“He was an original. As a founding member of Bon Jovi, Alec was integral to the formation of the band,” they added
“To be honest, we found our way to each other thru him [sic] – He was a childhood friend of Tico and brought Richie to see us perform. Alec was always wild and full of life.
“Today those special memories bring a smile to my face and a tear to my eye. We’ll miss him dearly.”
Born in New York on 14th November, 1951, Such was a good 10 years or so older than the rest of his bandmates, and had initially been part of another group, The Message. Such gave the age-gap as a reason for his departure of the band in 1994.
“When I was 43, I started to get burned out,” he explained to Asbury Park Press in 2000. “It felt like work and I didn’t want to work. The reason I got into a band to begin with is because I didn’t want to work.”
L-R: Hugh McDonald, Richie Sambora, Jon Bon Jovi, Alec John Such, David Bryan and Tico Torres of Bon Jovi at the Annual Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony in 2018. Photo: Mike Coppola.
After being replaced by Hugh John McDonald, Such would eventually re-join Bon Jovi in 2018 when the group were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
No details have been disclosed of how or exactly when Such passed away. His death, however, adds to an already-sad year for American Rock n’ Roll, which has also included the death of Meat Loaf in January.
