NEWS

Bon Jovi’s original bassist Alec John Such has died

Alec John Such, the original bassist of Bon Jovi, has died, it has been confirmed by the band.

The musician, who was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame with his former bandmates in 2018, was 70 years old. No cause of death has been made public at the time of writing.

“We are heartbroken to hear the news of the passing of our dear friend Alec John Such,” the band wrote in a statement on social media earlier today (June 5). “He was an original. As a founding member of Bon Jovi, Alec was integral to the formation of the band. To be honest, we found our way to each other thru him – He was a childhood friend of Tico [Torres] and brought Richie [Sambora] 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.”

The band’s keyboardist David Bryan added in his own tweet: “RIP my soul brother…. It was an honor and pleasure to share the stage and to share life with you.”

Born in Yonkers, New York in 1951, Such played in a band called Phantom’s Opera before joining Bon Jovi. In that early group, he played alongside Bon Jovi’s future drummer Torres, while he also played in a band called Message with Sambora.

Such joined Bon Jovi in 1983 and played with them until 1994, at which point he was replaced by Hugh McDonald, who is still in the band. Such played on Bon Jovi’s first five albums, including their self-titled debut album, 1985’s ‘7800º Fahrenheit’, the commercial hit record ‘Slippery When Wet’, 1988’s ‘New Jersey’ and 1992’s ‘Keep The Faith’.

He joined his former bandmates on stage at the 2018 Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony. “When Jon Bon Jovi called me up and asked me to be in his band many years ago, I soon realized how serious he was and he had a vision that he wanted to bring us to, and I am too happy to have been a part of that vision,” he said during the induction speech.

“These guys are the best. We had so many great times together and we wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for those guys. Love them to death and always will.”

See more tributes to Such from friends and fans below.