Alec John Such, Founder Of The Band Bon Jovi Dies

Alec John Such ( M. Kathleen Kelly/NJ Advance Media via AP - ANTARA)

JAKARTA - Alec John Such, one of the founders of the band Bon Jovi, has died at the age of 70. The American rock band bass player announced via social media accounts Instagram and Twitter on Sunday, June 5, local time.

"We are deeply saddened to hear the news of the passing of our best friend Alec John Such," wrote Bon Jovi.

Still in the same article, the band said they saw John Such as an important figure in the formation of Bon Jovi.

They also remember Such as a childhood friend of drummer Tico Torres and often bring former guitarist Richie Sambora to see them perform.

“Alec has always been wild and full of life. Today, this particular memory brings a smile to my face and tears to my eyes. We will miss him very much,” continued Bon Jovi.

Quoted from Variety, Monday, until now the cause of John Such's death is still unknown. He was born in Yonkers, New York, USA, on November 14, 1951.

Prior to joining Bon Jovi, he played in a previous band called The Message along with Sambora.

In the early 1980s, John Such was the manager of the Hunka Bunka Ballroom in Sayreville, New Jersey. It was there that he saw the potential of young musician Jon Bon Jovi & The Wild Ones who was performing at that time.

Then John Such brought Torres and Sambora into the band, while Jon Bon Jovi brought his childhood friend David Bryan, who had been part of his previous band, Atlantic City Expressway.

Quoted from ANTARA, Bon Jovi's third album, "Slippery When Wet", sold 12 million copies and his next album "New Jersey" in 1988 scored even more hits.

John Such remained in the band before leaving in 1994. He was replaced by bassist Hugh McDonald, who became an official member of the band in 2016.

In 1994, Bon Jovi compared Such's departure from the band to Bill Wyman's departure from The Rolling Stones.

“They just grew in different directions. That's understandable… just because I want to keep setting records doesn't mean other people have to do it,” Bon Jovi said at the time.

When the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2018, John Such was there to reunite with Bon Jovi and deliver a speech.

In the same post on Instagram and Twitter, the band also shared clips of John Such's speech along with his montage against his signature song, “Blood on Blood”, a song in which he would occasionally take the lead vocal role at live performances.