AC/DC (band)

***AC/DC*** are an Australian hard rock band, formed in Sydney in 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. A hard rock/blues rock band, they have also been considered a heavy metal band, although they have always dubbed their music simply "rock and roll".

AC/DC underwent several line-up changes before releasing their first album, High Voltage, in 1975. Membership subsequently stabilised until bassist Mark Evans was replaced by Cliff Williams in 1977 for the album Powerage. Within months of recording the album Highway to Hell, lead singer and co-songwriter Bon Scott died on February 19, 1980 after a night of heavy alcohol consumption. The group considered disbanding, but buoyed by support from Scott's parents, decided to continue and set about finding a new vocalist. Ex-Geordie singer Brian Johnson was auditioned and selected to replace Scott. Later that year, the band released the new album, Back in Black, which was made as a tribute to Bon Scott. The album launched them to new heights of success and became their all-time best-seller.

The band's next album, For Those About to Rock We Salute You, was their first album to reach number one in the United States. Drummer Phil Rudd was fired in 1983 and replaced by ex-A II Z drummer Simon Wright, who left to join Dio in 1989. The band experienced a resurgence in the early 1990s with the release of The Razors Edge. Phil Rudd returned in 1994 after Chris Slade, who was with the band from 1989 to 1994, was asked to leave in favour of him, and contributed to the band's 1995 album Ballbreaker.

AC/DC have sold more than 200 million records worldwide, including 71.5 million albums in the United States, adding them to the list of highest-certified music artists in the United States and the list of best-selling music artists. Back in Black has sold an estimated 50 million units worldwide, making it the second-highest-selling album by any artist – and the highest-selling album by any band. The album has sold 22 million units in the US, where it is the sixth-highest-selling album of all time. AC/DC ranked fourth on VH1's list of the "100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock" and were named the seventh "Greatest Heavy Metal Band of All Time" by MTV. In 2003, the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

### Band Members Past and Present

#### Malcolm Young (1973-2014)

***Malcolm Young*** (born January 6, 1953, died November 18, 2017) is a retired Australian musician and songwriter, best known as a co-founder, rhythm guitarist, backing vocalist and songwriter for the hard rock band AC/DC. Except for a brief absence in 1988, he was with the band from its November 1973 beginning until retiring permanently in 2014, to receive treatment for dementia.

Though his younger brother Angus is the more visible of the brothers, Malcolm has been described as the driving force and the leader of the band. He also added that despite his retirement from the band, AC/DC was determined to continue making music with his blessing. As the rhythm guitarist, he was responsible for the broad sweep of the band's sound, developing many of their guitar riffs and co-writing the band's material with Angus.

At the conclusion of the Black Ice World Tour (2008-10), Malcolm was diagnosed with lung cancer. It was treated at an early stage, so surgery was successful and the cancer was removed. He also had an unspecified heart problem and wore a pacemaker.

#### Angus Young (1973-present)

***Angus Young*** (born March 31, 1955) is an Australian guitarist, best known as the co-founder, lead guitarist, songwriter and sole constant original member of the Australian hard rock band AC/DC. He is known for his energetic performances, schoolboy-uniform stage outfits and his own version of Chuck Berry's duckwalk. Young was ranked 24th in Rolling Stone magazine's 100 greatest guitarists of all-time list.

Young has used Gibson SGs in various forms (his original, and the basis for his current signature model, was a 1968 - '70 SG Standard) throughout his career. He also used a modified version of the SG called the Jaydee SG, which was made custom for Young by Jaydee guitars. At least 2 of his SGs (whether modified Gibson product or ground-up construction) circa 1977 and the Paris "Let There Be Rock" tapings featured on-board wireless going to his amplifiers, the circuitry installed in a cavity routed into the back of the body.[16] The Jaydee SG featured signature lightning bolt inlays on the fretboard. Gibson made a custom SG for Young with lightning bolt inlays to replace the Jaydee SG. Young's '68 - '70 SG has T Top pick-ups.

#### Dave Evans (1973-1974)

***Dave Evans*** (born July 20, 1953) is an Australian singer who briefly sang for the hard rock band AC/DC in 1973–1974. Evans recorded one single, a Young/Young composition ("Can I Sit Next To You, Girl"/ "Rocking in the Parlour") which was released in Australia and New Zealand. The song was later re-recorded with Bon Scott.

Follow Dave Evans on Facebook.

#### Bon Scott (1974-1980)

Ronald Belford ***"Bon" Scott*** (July 9, 1946 – February 19, 1980) was an Australian singer and songwriter, best known for being the lead vocalist and lyricist of the Australian hard rock band AC/DC from 1974 until his death in 1980.

Scott was born and raised in Scotland, before moving to Melbourne with his family in 1952 at the age of six. Scott formed his first band, The Spektors, in 1964 and became the band's drummer and occasional lead vocalist. He performed in several other bands before replacing Dave Evans as the lead singer of AC/DC in 1974.

AC/DC's popularity grew throughout the 1970s, initially in Australia, and then internationally. Their 1979 album Highway to Hell reached the top twenty in the United States, and the band seemed on the verge of a commercial breakthrough. However, on February 19, 1980, Scott died after a night out in London. AC/DC briefly considered disbanding, but the group recruited vocalist Brian Johnson of the British glam rock band Geordie. AC/DC's subsequent album, Back in Black, was released only five months later, and was a tribute to Scott. It went on to become the second best-selling album in history.

#### Mark Evans (1975-1977)

***Mark Evans*** (born March 2, 1956) is an Australian bass guitarist for the Australian rock band Rose Tattoo who was an early member of hard rock band AC/DC from March 1975 to June 1977. His playing featured on their albums T.N.T, High Voltage, Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap, Let There Be Rock and '74 Jailbreak.

After his departure from AC/DC, Evans played in a number of bands including hard rockers, Finch (a.k.a. Contraband), from June 1977 to 1979. This was followed by short stints with Cheetah in 1980 and Swanee in 1982. Evans joined heavy metal group, Heaven, briefly in September 1983, on guitar as a replacement for Mick Cocks (ex-Rose Tattoo) but he left by July 1984. The group had some high-profile support slots, including opening for Mötley Crüe on their 'Shout at the Devil' tour, Kiss on their 'Unmasked' tour, as well as the Ian Gillan led Black Sabbath.

#### Phil Rudd (1975-1983, 1994-2015)

***Phil Rudd*** (born Phillip Hugh Norman Witschke Rudzevecuis, May 19, 1954) is an Australian drummer, best known for his membership in Australian hard rock band AC/DC from 1975 through 1983, and again from 1994 to 2015. In 1974 Rudd auditioned and was hired immediately. Rudd's drumming style suited the band's style of music and became an integral part of AC/DC's sound. The band relocated to the United Kingdom in 1976 and followed a heavy schedule of international touring and recording. Upon the 1977 departure of bass guitarist Mark Evans from AC/DC, Rudd became the only Australian-born member of the band.

Rudd took Bon's Scott's death badly, but continued on with AC/DC until he left the band during the recording of the Flick of the Switch album in 1983. Rudd's sacking from AC/DC was partly the result of his own personal problems as well as a conflict with the band's rhythm guitarist and founder Malcolm Young, which allegedly escalated to become physical. Following his firing, Rudd retired to New Zealand where he purchased a helicopter company.

When AC/DC toured New Zealand in 1991 in support of their Razors Edge album, they called Rudd to see if he would be interested in joining them for a casual jam session. Rudd accepted their offer. Though there was no discussion of him rejoining the group at the time, Rudd would be invited to permanently rejoin AC/DC in late 1993 following the recording of the "Big Gun" single for the Last Action Hero movie soundtrack.

AC/DC welcomed Rudd back following Chris Slade's term as the band's drummer. The band praised Slade for his performance and technical ability, but maintained that a certain groove had been missing from AC/DC's music since Rudd's departure in 1983.

#### Cliff Williams (1977-2016)

***Clifford Williams*** (born Romford, Essex, England, on December 14, 1949) is a retired British musician who was a member of the Australian hard rock band AC/DC as their bassist and backing vocalist from 1977 to 2016.

In 1966, Williams became a professional musician and moved back to London, where he worked at a demolition site and in supermarkets, and played in short-lived bands. He started his professional music career in 1967 and was previously in the British groups Home and Bandit. Williams briefly played with the American band Stars before forming Bandit in 1974. Bandit's line-up included vocalist Jim Diamond and drummer Graham Broad (later in Bucks Fizz and Roger Waters' band). The group signed with Arista Records and released a self-titled album in 1977. Bandit also performed as Alexis Korner's backing band on 1977's The Lost Album before disbanding later that year. His first studio album with AC/DC was Powerage in 1978. Williams's playing style is noted for basic bass lines which follow the rhythm guitar.

#### Brian Johnson (1980-2016)

***Brian Johnson*** (born October 5, 1947) is an English singer and songwriter. A native of Tyneside, northeast England, Johnson is known for his strong Geordie accent. In 1980, he became the third lead singer of the Australian rock band AC/DC, after the death of their second lead singer Bon Scott. In March 2016, Johnson stepped down from touring on the Rock or Bust World Tour due to hearing problems.

Johnson was one of the founding members of the rock band Geordie formed in Newcastle in 1971. After a few hit singles, including UK Top 10 "All Because of You" (1973), the band split up in 1978. Following the death of AC/DC lead singer Bon Scott on February 19, 1980, Johnson was asked to audition for the band in London. AC/DC lead guitarist and co-founder Angus Young recalled: "I remember Bon playing me Little Richard, and then telling me the story of when he saw Brian singing [with Geordie]." He says about that night: "There's this guy up there screaming at the top of his lungs and then the next thing you know he hits the deck. He's on the floor, rolling around and screaming. I thought it was great, and then to top it off – you couldn't get a better encore – they came in and wheeled the guy off!'" Johnson was diagnosed with appendicitis later that night, which was the cause of his writhing around on stage. The band agreed immediately that Johnson's performing style fit AC/DC's music. Johnson's first album with AC/DC, Back in Black, became the second all-time best-selling album worldwide according to some estimates.

#### Simon Wright (1983-1989)

***Simon Wright*** (born June 19, 1963) is an English drummer best known for his work with rock bands AC/DC and Dio. He started playing drums at the age of 13 and cites Cozy Powell, Tommy Aldridge and John Bonham as his greatest influences. He was also the drummer for Rhino Bucket. He currently plays in the band Operation: Mindcrime.

Wright, just a month shy of turning twenty years old, joined AC/DC after their drummer, Phil Rudd, left in May 1983. AC/DC recorded three albums with Wright in the mid-late 80s; Fly on the Wall, Who Made Who and Blow Up Your Video. Wright left the group in November 1989 to join Dio, and was replaced by Chris Slade. Simon Wright joined Rhino Bucket when he wasn't working with Dio.

His drumming can be heard on albums by UFO and John Norum.

#### Chris Slade (1989-1994, 2015-present)

***Chris Slade*** (born Christopher Rees, October 30, 1946) is a Welsh rock musician and drummer, best known for playing for the Australian hard rock band AC/DC. He is the current drummer for the group, and previously drummed for the band from 1989 to 1994, performing on their 1990 album The Razors Edge along with their first live album with singer Brian Johnson, AC/DC Live. He returned to the band in February 2015 to replace Phil Rudd for the "Rock or Bust World Tour". Slade has also played with Tom Jones (1965-1969), Toomorrow (1970), Manfred Mann's Earth Band (1972-1978), and The Firm (1985-1986).

Slade played on The Razors Edge album in 1990 and the accompanying world tour, and the "Big Gun" single released in 1993. According to Slade, after working on demos for the following album, Ballbreaker, Malcolm Young called Slade and told him they wanted to try a reunion with former drummer Phil Rudd. Slade replied, "That's me out then, I'm gone." Young said that he wanted to keep Slade on hand if Rudd's return did not work out, but Slade refused. However he made statements that he still got on well with AC/DC and "it was an honour and a privilege to play with those guys".