Founding Bon Jovi Bassist Alec John Such Dead at 70

Alec John Such, the founding bassist for the iconic ’80s rock band Bon Jovi, died this weekend at the age of 70.

One of the band’s founding members, Such served as Bon Jovi’s bassist from 1983 to 1994, during which they crafted such hits as Living on a Prayer and You Give Love a Bad Name. The group announced Such’s death on Sunday while giving no further details.

“We are heartbroken to hear of the news of our dear friend Alex John Such. He was an original,” Bon Jovi wrote on Twitter. “As a founding member of Bon Jovi, Alec was integral to the formation of the band.”

According to the Associated Press, Such was “a veteran figure in the thriving New Jersey music scene that helped spawn Bon Jovi” and initially helped book the band at the Hunka Bunka Ballroom in Sayreville, New Jersey, before eventually joining it.

Though Such ceased as a full-time member of the band in 1994, he did return to perform with them on sporadic occasions: