AC/DC founding member dies
UNITED STATES: Malcolm Young, the AC/DC co-founder whose brash guitar riffs, tight songwriting and live-wire personality defined an era of rock ‘n’ roll, has died. He was 64.
AC/DC announced his death on its Facebook page Saturday. The time, location and cause of his death were not made public. Young had been diagnosed with dementia in 2014 and did not perform with the group on its recent comeback tour.
‘‘Renowned for his musical prowess, Malcolm was a songwriter, guitarist, performer, producer and visionary who inspired many,’’ the band said. ‘‘From the outset, he knew what he wanted to achieve and, along with his younger brother, took to the world stage giving their all at every show. Nothing less would do for their fans.’’
Over 40 years, AC/DC would sell more than 200 million albums of riffdriven, sometimes juvenile but always anthemic rock, including 1980’s Back in Black, which remains the second-best-selling rock album of all time.
Born in Glasgow, Scotland, in 1953, Young moved with his family to Sydney, Australia, in 1963, and formed AC/DC with his brother Angus in 1973 after watching older brother George find success with his group the Easybeats. Though Angus, with his schoolboy costumes and flamboyant lead guitar work, was the de facto frontman, Young was its musical core and primary writer for most of the group’s hits, which included stadium-rock staples such as Highway to Hell and Back In Black.
His exacting, blues-driven guitar work was the foundation for AC/DC’s sound, and Young was widely considered one of rock’s greatest rhythm guitarists.
After settling in with drummer Phil Rudd and bassist Mark Evans (later replaced by Cliff Williams), the group scored significant hits early on with singer Bon Scott. The act debuted in 1975 with High Voltage, followed by a string of popular records including T.N.T., featuring fan favourite It’s a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock ‘n’ Roll), later that year. Early success continued with 1976’s Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap and 1977’s Let There Be Rock.
The act’s 1979 LP Highway to Hell cracked the Billboard top 25 and went gold in America. But its future was thrown into doubt after Scott died in 1980 after an all-night drinking session. The band soon recovered, bringing on new singer Brian Johnson. AC/DC quickly wrote what would be the defining LP of its career, 1980’s Back in Black.
AC/DC remained one of the world’s biggest rock bands. The band’s hard-drinking lifestyle, which had already claimed Scott’s life, again caught up with the act when Malcolm announced that he needed to temporarily leave the group to get sober. He was briefly replaced by his nephew Stevie Young, who would later again replace Malcolm after his dementia diagnosis.
In 2003, the group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and again topped US charts with its 2008 LP Black Ice. AC/DC won its only Grammy in 2009 for best hard rock performance for War Machine. Malcolm last performed live with the group in 2008. In 2014, after his dementia diagnosis, Young announced he would permanently leave the group. They recorded one final album, 2014’s Rock or Bust, without him.
Young is survived by his wife O’Linda, children Cara and Ross, son-in-law Josh, three grandchildren and his sister and brother. - TNS