Alec John Such, Original Bassist For Bon Jovi, Dies At 70

Bassist Alec John Such, who was essential in the formation of the iconic rock band Bon Jovi, has died at the age of 70, according to a post on the band’s Twitter page.

“To be honest, we found our way to each other thru him,” the post reads, explaining how Such was close friends with drummer Tico Torres and guitarist Richie Sambora, both of whom joined the band later thanks to his connections with him.

“Alec was always wild and full of life. Today those special memories bring a smile to my face and a tear to my eye,” the end of the heartfelt post said.

John Such was with Bon Jovi when some of the band’s biggest-ever songs were released, including “You Give Love A Bad Name” and “Livin’ On A Prayer.”

Alexander John Such was born in Perth Amboy, New Jersey on November 14, 1951. He played in a band with  Sambora, The Message, and one of his earliest jobs in music was as the manager of the Hunka Bunka Ballroom in Sayreville, New Jersey.

Such met Jon Bon Jovi when he booked his old band, Jon Bon Jovi & The Wild Ones, for a show at his venue and later joined the band after hearing them play. He remembered being “a good 10 years older than the rest of the band” in an old interview with The Asbury Park Press and said the band’s label would lie about his age.

He dropped out of Bon Jovi amicably in 1994, saying in an interview, “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.”

He remembered his days with the band fondly when he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2018 as part of Bon Jovi.

“These guys are the best,” Such said, “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.”

Bon Jovi also shared a very sweet video tribute to Such. Along with old photos of him with the band, the video played one of his signature songs with the band, “Blood On Blood,” plus clips of Such’s speech at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

If you were intrigued by the song playing in the Twitter tribute, here’s a full clip of an excellent 1988 live performance of “Blood On Blood.”