Alec John Such, with Jon Bon Jovi behind him, at the 2018 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
“Alec, you will be missed,” wrote the band Bon Jovi on its Facebook page and other social media about its original bassist, Alec John Such, who apparently has died.
The band also wrote: “We are heartbroken to hear the news of the passing of our dear friend Alec John Such. 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.”
Such, who was 70, performed in the well-known New Jersey club band Phantom’s Opera and managed the Hunka Bunka Ballroom in Sayreville (now known as the Starland Ballroom) before co-founding Bon Jovi. He left the group in 1994.
The original lineup of Bon Jovi (from left, Richie Sambora, Alec John Such, John Bon Jovi, Tico Torres and David Bryan).
“Of course it hurts,” Jon Bon Jovi has said about Such’s departure. “But I learned to accept and respect it. The fact that I’m a workaholic, studio in, studio out, stage on, stage off, want to be dealing with music day and night, doesn’t mean everyone else has to adjust to that pace. Alec wanted to quit for a while now, so it didn’t come as a complete surprise.”
Such was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2018, along with the rest of the original band and his bass-playing replacement, Hugh McDonald.
“When Jon Bon Jovi called me up and asked me to be in his band, many years ago,” Such said in his acceptance speech, at the Cleveland induction ceremony. “I soon realized how serious he was, and he had a vision that he wanted to bring us to. And I am only too happy to have been a part of that vision. … To be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is such an honor, thank you.”
He said about his bandmates, “We had so many great times together, and I just love ’em to death, always will.”
The band Bon Jovi posted this message and video to Twitter:
❤️ pic.twitter.com/W5guCSgmq9 — Bon Jovi (@BonJovi) June 5, 2022
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