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

Alec John Such, born in Yonkers, New York, on 14 November 1951, was Bon Jovi’s bassist during the band’s rise to fame. He also helped assemble its original line-up by bringing drummer Tico Torres and guitarist Richie Sambora into the group, making his role in the band’s beginnings especially significant.

Before joining Bon Jovi, Such played in New Jersey bands including Phantom’s Opera and Message, and managed the Hunka Bunka Ballroom, where he booked Jon Bon Jovi & the Wild Ones. Bon Jovi’s 1984 debut album featured “Runaway”, which reached No. 39 on the US Hot 100; their third album, *Slippery When Wet*, later topped the album chart and produced two US No. 1 singles. Such left in the early 1990s amid personal and musical difficulties, reunited with the band at its 2018 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction, and died in June 2022.