The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2018.
The music world is mourning the loss of Alec John Such, the founding bassist in the American rock band Bon Jovi, who died at age 70.
Jon Bon Jovi took to Instagram to share the sad news, writing, “We are heartbroken to hear the news of the passing of our dear friend Alec John Such,” the frontman said. “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 these special memories bring a smile to my face and a tear to my eye. We will miss him dearly.”
The bassist's cause of death has not been released.
John Such was inducted with his Bon Jovi bandmates into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2018. The bassist lent his talents to Bon Jovi’s first six albums. The band saw massive success with their third album 1986's Slippery When Wet, selling over 12 million copies. Their next album New Jersey, released in 1988, cemented them in the upper echelon of rock bands with even more hits.
In 1994, John Such left Bon Jovi and he was replaced with Hugh McDonald, who remains a member of the band. Years later, John Such explained his motivation for ending his run with the band. “When I was 43, I started to get burned out,” the bassist said 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.”
Following his departure from Bon Jovi, John Such managed the band 7th Heaven. He also is the owner of a motorcycle shop in New York City.
During the 2018 HoF induction, John Such reunited with the other founding members and gave a tribute to the Bon Jovi frontman and the rest of his former colleagues.
“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,” Alec explained. “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.”
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