Alec John Such, the founding bassist of Bon Jovi, has died at 70.

Such was born in Yonkers, NY in 1951. When he was a teenager, he was in a band called Phantom’s Opera with future Bon Jovi drummer Tico Torres. He was also in Message with Richie Sambora, another future Bon Jovi band member. In the early ’80s, Such managed the Hunka Bunka Ballroom in Sayreville, NJ (now known as Starland Ballroom), and he booked Jon Bon Jovi & The Wild Ones to play there. After Jon Bon Jovi asked him to join the band, Such recruited Torres and Sambora, while Bon Jovi brought in David Bryan — and so the original Bon Jovi lineup was formed.

Such played bass with Bon Jovi from 1983 through 1994 — that included the band’s commercial peak with 1986’s Slippery When Wet and their #1 singles “You Give Love A Bad Name,” “Livin’ On A Prayer,” Bad Medicine,” and “I’ll Be There For You.” After leaving the band, he was replaced by Hugh McDonald.

Such reunited with the band when Bon Jovi was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2018.

“We are heartbroken to hear the news of the passing of our dear friend Alec John Such,” Bon Jovi wrote in a statement. “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 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.”