Alec John Such Dies: Bassist And Founding Member In Bon Jovi Was 70

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Alec John Such, a founding member of rock band Bon Jovi, has died at age 70. His death was announced by Jon Bon Jovi on social media, but no cause was given.

“We are heartbroken to hear the news of the passing of our dear friend Alec John Such,” Bon Jovi posted. “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.”

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Born in Yonkers, New York on November 14, 1951, John Such was a veteran performer on the thriving New Jersey rock circuit of the 1970s and early 1980s. He played in Queen tribute Phantom’s Opera and teamed with future bandmate Richie Sambora in The Message before joining with John Bongiovi in the band in the early 1980s. At the time, John Such was the manager of what was then the Hunka Bunka Ballroom in Sayreville, New Jersey, booking an early Bon Jovi band there.

John Such brought fellow Jersey circuit players drummer Tico Torres and Sambora into the Bon Jovi band, while Bon Jovi brought in his childhood friend David Bryan, who had been a part of an earlier band, Atlantic City Expressway.

The band’s third album, Slippery When Wet, was a massive hit, selling 12 million copies. Its follow-up, 1988’s New Jersey, was equally huge, leading the band to a Giants Stadium date that summer in their home territory.

John Such departed Bon Jovi in 1994, citing burnout. He reunited with his bandmates when the group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2018.

 

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