VWMusic

Header image courtesy of Bon Jovi Facebook (official)

By Andrew Daly
andrew@vinylwriter.com

As reported by Variety Magazine on June 6th, 2022, founding member, and original bassist of Bon Jovi has passed away at the age of 70. At the time of this writing, the bassist’s cause of death is unknown.

In the wake of the news, the following message was posted via Bon Jovi’s official Twitter:

In a follow-up statement via Instagram, the band’s singer, and namesake holder, Jon Bon Jovi, had the following to say:

“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 these special memories bring a smile to my face and a tear to my eye. We will miss him dearly.”

Dating back to Bon Jovi’s 80s heyday, Such found himself an integral member of the burgeoning rock outfit. As the band’s elder statesman – being as much as ten years older than some of his bandmates – Such was a veteran lynchpin to Bon Jovi’s success, and an able bassist and songwriter to boot.

Before being replaced by Hugh McDonald in 1994, Such featured in Bon Jovi’s first five studio efforts, Bon Jovi (1984), 7800° Fahrenheit (1985), Slippery When Wet (1986), New Jersey (1988), and Keep The Faith (1994). In the wake of his Bon Jovi departure, at the age of forty-three, Such retired from the greater music business, mostly keeping a low profile.

In 2018, prior to the band’s induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Jon Bon Jovi reflected back on Such’s importance to the band’s history:

“Al believed in me when I just had “Runaway” on the radio in 1983 and put this thing together. Y’know, I asked these guys to help me out for a couple of weeks, so I could continue to build my name and take advantage of the success of “Runaway.” And Alec said, ‘Of course.’ And, y’know, he’s the one that introduced me to Richie and ultimately to Tico. He’s the reason Bon Jovi as we knew it existed period.”

Such, alongside his former bandmates, was on hand during the ceremony for Bon Jovi’s 2018 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. At the event, the retired rocker had the following to say:

“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. These guys are the best. 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.”

In the wake of the news, Bon Jovi keyboarded, David Byron, had the following to say:

“RIP my soul brother. It was an honor and pleasure to share the stage and to share life with you.”

While ironically, Such did not play on Bon Jovi’s classic track “Runaway,” (that was his eventual replacement Hugh McDonald), his bass work can be heard on staples such as “You Give Love A Bad Name,” “Livin’ On A Prayer,” “Wanted Dead or Alive,” “Lay Your Hands On Me,” “Bad Medicine,” “Born To Be My Baby,” “I’ll Be There For You,” “Keep The Faith,” and “Bed of Roses” among others.

In this way, through the great music, and the lasting legacy of the band he helped build, Alec John Such will live on.

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