Controversial Bon Jovi founder Alec John Such has died

At Alec John Such's farewell
Bon Jovi founder and bassist
Official confirmation
'Our Dear Friend Alec John Such'
'Alec was always wild'
The nexus of the original formation
Alec, Tico and Richie
Bon Jovi formed in 1983
The band's composition changed
A controversial departure
Complaints about his live performances
No reply
Did he leak sensitive info?
Family matters
He continued making music with 'Seventh Heaven'
The reunion in New Jersey
His last live perfomance with Bon Jovi
To the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Founder and legend
At Alec John Such's farewell

To speak of Alec John Such is to speak of a music legend and founder of one of the most important rock bands in history: Bon Jovi.

Bon Jovi founder and bassist

Sadly, the man who was Bon Jovi's bassist for over a decade, has passed away at the age of 70. The cause of his death has not been reported.

Official confirmation

TMZ reported the death of Alec John Such first. Then, the band itself confirmed the information with its own statement on social media.

'Our Dear Friend Alec John Such'

"We are heartbroken to hear the news of the passing of our dear friend Alec John Such," the statement begins.

"He was an original"

“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," the statement continues.

'Alec was always wild'

As Bon Jovi says goodbye to its founder, the band remembers that "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," they conclude.

The nexus of the original formation

Indeed, it was a teenage Alec John Such who would shape Bon Jovi's most legendary and successful line-up.

Alec, Tico and Richie

Alec John Such formed his first rock band at the age of 13, called 'Phantom's Opera', which also included drummer Tico Torres. After that, he joined 'The Message', where Richie Sambora was already playing guitar.

Bon Jovi formed in 1983

Finally, the three would become part of Bon Jovi in 1983, the year of its formation.

 

The band's composition changed

Apart from Jon Bon Jovi, only Tico Torres remains active in the band. Richie Sambora (photo, right) left in 2013 and Alec John Such himself quit, somewhat abruptly, in 1994.

A controversial departure

In one of the episodes 'Behind the Music' on VH1, Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora revealed the reasons that led Alec John Such to leave the group in 1994.

Complaints about his live performances

Both maintained that his live performances were not up to the band's standards. They also said that Alec John Such's contribution to the highly successful 'Crossroads' album was of poor quality. All this led to his departure from Bon Jovi, 11 years after founding the band.

No reply

At the time of the show, Alec John Such decided not to give his opinion about his departure, nor to reply to those who, for a decade, had been his groupmates.

Did he leak sensitive info?

Apart from this, the rumor mill suggested that Alec John Such's departure was due to him having leaked information about the band's activities backstage after their concerts.

Family matters

Asked about the matter on 'Behind the Music,' Jon Bon Jovi limited himself to saying: "What happens in the family, stays in the family."

He continued making music with 'Seventh Heaven'

Either way, in 1994, Alec John Such was replaced by Hugh McDonald. The bassist himself would go on to found 'Seventh Heaven' together with James Young, a former member of 'Styx'.

The reunion in New Jersey

Despite the disagreements, Alec John Such appeared by surprise at a Bon Jovi concert in New Jersey during the 'One Wild Night' tour. He performed the legendary 'Wanted Dead or Alive' with his old bandmates.

His last live perfomance with Bon Jovi

That would be his last live performance with Bon Jovi. It was the year 2001.

To the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

We had to wait 17 more years, until 2018, to see the original line-up come together again - without instruments. It was the day Bon Jovi was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Founder and legend

Regardless of how things have turned out, Alec John Such has been, and will always be a founding member of one of the greatest rock bands in history.

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