Bon Jovi’s first bassist Alec John Such dies at age 70: Bandmates pay tribute to ‘wild’ rock icon who was ‘integral to the formation of the band’
Bon Jovi’s first bassist and founding member Alec John Such has died at the age of 70.
Former bandmates of the rock icon paid tribute on Twitter to John Such, who departed from the band in 1994. His death was first reported by Variety. No details on when or how he died were immediately available.
‘We are heartbroken to hear the news of the passing of our dear friend Alec John Such,’ Jon Bon Jovi tweeted Sunday.
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The latest: Bon Jovi’s first bassist and founding member Alec John Such has died at the age of 70. He was snapped in 2018 at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
‘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.’
The tweet continued: ‘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.’
Bon Jovi keyboardist David Bryan tweeted: ‘RIP my soul brother…. It was an honor and pleasure to share the stage and to share life with you…..’
John Such was the rock band’s bassist from 1983 to 1994. He had played the bass on the band’s first five records, including 1983’s Bon Jovi, 1985’s 7800° Fahrenheit, 1986’s Slippery When Wet, 1988’s New Jersey and 1992’s Keep the Faith.
The band posted a tweet saying, ‘Alec, you will be missed’
The band’s David Bryan paid tribute to John Such in a memorial tweet
Jon Bon Jovi sends hopeful message ahead of Chicago sing-along
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John Such was snapped in his Colts Neck, New Jersey home in June of 2004
He had played on the band’s trademark hits such as Livin’ on a Prayer, Wanted Dead or Alive, You Give Love a Bad Name, Bad Medicine, I’ll Be There for You and Bed of Roses.
Bon Jovi credited John Such for bringing the band together, noting that he was a childhood friend of drummer Tico Torres and brought guitarist and songwriter Richie Sambora to see the band perform.
The Yonkers, New York-born John Such was a veteran figure in the thriving New Jersey music scene that helped spawn Bon Jovi. As manager of the Hunka Bunka Ballroom in Sayreville, New Jersey, John Such booked Jon Bon Jovi & The Wild Ones before joining the singer-songwriter’s band.
He played with Bon Jovi through the group’s heyday in the 1980s. John Such had also played in a band called the Message with Sambora.
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Bon Jovi credited John Such for bringing the band together, noting that he was a childhood friend of drummer Tico Torres and brought guitarist and songwriter Richie Sambora to see the band perform
Jon Bon Jovi performs for Fairleigh Dickinson University
John Such departed the band in 1994, when he was replaced by bassist Hugh McDonald.
He later rejoined the band for its induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2018.
‘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,’ said John Such at the Hall of Fame induction. ‘And I am only too happy to have been a part of that vision.’
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(L-R) Richie Sambora, Jon Bon Jovi and John Such were seen performing in Japan in 1984
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Sambora, Bon Jovi and John Such were seen in June of 1985 in Detroit
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(L-R) Tico Torres, Bon Jovi, Sambora, David Bryan and Alec John Such were seen in a 1992 shot
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Bryan, Bon Jovi, Torres, John Such and Sambora were snapped at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland in 2018
On Twitter, a number of the band’s fans and industry professionals paid memorial to the late musician and his legacy.
Mitch Lafon said: ‘BON JOVI have shared the news of the passing of bassist, Alec John Such. My heart goes out to his family & friends. Thank you for the music and memories. Rest In Peace.’
SiriusXM personality Eric Alper said that John Such ‘will be missed.’
One user said, ‘Gutted to hear of the passing of Alec John Such, a member of Bon Jovi when I fell in love with the band and played all the early gigs I was at. I’ll treasure catching that [pick] at the keep the faith tour a little bit more now.’
Another user wrote: ‘RIP Alec John Such one of the original members of Bon Jovi. Sending thoughts and prayers to his family and those that knew him personally.’
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On Twitter, a number of the band’s fans and industry professionals paid memorial to the late musician and his legacy
