Alec John Such, a founding member of Bon Jovi who brought drummer Tico Torres and guitarist Richie Sambora into the rock band, has died.
The bassist died on June 5 at the age of 70, Variety reported. A cause of death has not yet been revealed, according to Deadline.
“We are heartbroken to hear the news of the passing of our dear friend Alec John Such,” Bon Jovi posted on Twitter. “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.”
John Such — who is 10 years older than singer Jon Bon Jovi — remained with the band until 1994.
“When I was 43, I started to get burned out,” he told The Asbury Park Press in 2000, per Variety. “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 John Such’s departure from Bon Jovi, Hugh McDonald, a former Park City, Utah, resident, took the bassist’s place — although he didn’t become an official member of the band until 2016.
“Jon and I never spoke about it, and all of a sudden I was a member,” McDonald told the Deseret News in 2018, ahead of the band’s induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. “I have no clue why. Nothing has changed — there’s no different treatment. They’ve always treated me as a member. It’s not like I’ve gotta go on the bus when they fly. Occasionally I was in pictures, and early on I was doing interviews with them, and now, considering I’ve been doing it so long, it’s a strange sensation. I was the ghost in the machine for years, and now I’m not a ghost anymore. I actually show up. If I look in the mirror, my reflection is there.”
John Such reunited with Bon Jovi for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction 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, and I am too happy to have been a part of that vision,” he said at the 2018 ceremony, according to Variety.
“These guys are the best,” he continued. “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.”