Alec John Such, original member and bassist of Bon Jovi, has passed away at the age of 70

Alec John Such, the founding bassist of Bon Jovi, has passed away at the age of 70, according to the band. Alec joined the band in time for their first album in 1984, and while Bon Jovi’s first two records didn’t sell too well, it was with the release of 1986’s Slippery When Wet that Alec John Such – and Bon Jovi as a whole – experienced massive success.

Few bands can claim to have bridged the gap between hard rock and pop music as much as Bon Jovi. Founding bassist Alec John Such was a major part of the band’s rise to fame, as he appeared on the first five Bon Jovi records (plus the 1994 Greatest Hits compilation, Cross Road) until he left the band in 1994. In fact, he was a major reason the group even got together in the first place, as the band noted on Twitter.

“To be honest, we found our way to each other thru him — He was a childhood friend of Tico and brought Richie to see us perform. Alec was always wild and full of life. Today those special memories bring a smile to my face and a tear to my eye. We’ll miss him dearly.”