Alec Such, Original Bon Jovi Bassist And Founder, Dead At 70

NEW YORK — Alec John Such, the original bassist and founding member of the rock band Bon Jovi, has died, the band confirmed in a statement posted to social media Sunday. He was 70.

Such was the New Jersey band's bassist from 1983 to 1994. He played on albums including "Slippery When Wet," "New Jersey," and "Keep The Faith."

No details on when or how Such died were immediately available.

In the statement, Bon Jovi called Such "an original."

"He was integral to the formation of the band. To be honest, we found our way to each other through him. He was a childhood friend of Tico (Torres) and brought Richie (Sambora) to see us perform," the statement read. "Alec was always wild and full of life."

The Yonkers, New York-born 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, 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.

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," Such said at the Hall of Fame induction. “And I am only too happy to have been a part of that vision."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.