Born 75 Years Ago Today in New York, the Hall of Fame Bassist Who Helped Assemble One of the Biggest Rock Bands of the 1980s

On this day (November 14) in 1951, Alec John Such was born in Yonkers, New York. He is best remembered as the bassist for Bon Jovi during the height of their popularity. Such also helped build the band’s original lineup when he brought in Tico Torres and Richie Sambora. He left the band in the early 1990s, but reunited with his former bandmates when they were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2018.

Such played in several New Jersey-based bands early in his career. However, two stand out. One of the first bands he played in was the Queen tribute act Phantom’s Opera, which featured Tico Torres on drums. Then, in the early 1980s, he was in Message with guitarist Richie Sambora. At the same time, Such managed a club called the Hunka Bunka Ballroom in Sayerville, New Jersey, according to Deadline.

Such booked a band called Jon Bon Jovi & the Wild Ones. He was so impressed by them that he invited Sambora to come to the club and see them play. In late 1983, the band invited Such to play bass on a short tour to promote their debut single “Runaway.” He suggested that they add Torres and Sambora to the band as well. With that, the classic Bon Jovi lineup was born.

Alec John Such Experiences Stardom

Bon Jovi released their self-titled debut album in January 1984. Their debut single, “Runaway,” reached No. 39 on the Hot 100. That remained their biggest hit until they released their third album, Slippery When Wet. It went to the top of the albums chart and produced two No. 1 singles with “You Give Love a Bad Name” and “Livin’ on a Prayer.” The album also contained the top 10 hit “Wanted Dead or Alive.”

They continued to release major hits and embark on one massive tour after another throughout the rest of the decade. By the early 1990s, the constant pressure was becoming too much for Alec John Such.

Things came to a head when he did an interview with Raw Magazine in which he revealed he wouldn’t play on the band’s forthcoming album, These Days. He said he refused to play on the sessions because Jon Bon Jovi criticized his playing too often.

Not long after the interview was published, Such was ousted from the band. However, the article had little to nothing to do with the decision. The rockstar lifestyle led to substance abuse issues that greatly impacted his playing.

 “If you can’t carry your weight, it’s not fair to the rest of us,” Jon Bon Jovi said in the band’s episode of Behind the Music. “We couldn’t sacrifice what we sounded like live. We could cover it up in the studio, but we couldn’t take care of it anymore,” he added.

Such Retired After Bon Jovi

Alec John Such’s time as a performing musician ended when he left Bon Jovi. “I don’t miss being in a band,” he told the Home News Tribune. “I don’t think I’ve picked up a guitar since I left the band.” However, he didn’t leave the music business completely. Such managed a handful of smaller bands in the years after he retired from the stage.

[RELATED: Everyone Knows These 3 Bon Jovi Songs, Even Though They Weren’t Big Radio Hits]

He reunited with his former bandmates for a handful of one-off performances over the years. The last time the original Bon Jovi lineup played together was when they were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2018. Such died in June 2022.

Featured Image by Mick Hutson/Redferns