What’s going on my fellow rock n’ rollers don’t forget to smash bell notification
icon to be notified every time I put out a new video on my channel. AC/DC’s been a
band that’s been no stranger to tragedy They first lost their original singer Bon
Scott in 1980 due to acute alcohol poisoning and by the mid 80’s AC/DC were soon blamed
for inspiring serial killer Richard Ramirez with their song Night Prowler. AC/DC wasn’t
immune from controversy the following decade as In 1991 a concert in Utah would result
in the death of several fans.. For their credit AC/DC’s a band that hasn’t let the harder
parts of life beat them down and they’ve always soldiered on.Thanks in large part to
founding guitarist Angus Young. Fans wouldn't know it yet, but 2010 would be rhythm guitari’s
Malcolm Young’s final live show of his career. The band was in Spain performing in the city
of Bilbao and Spain was the final stop for the band who was on the road for 2 years promoting
their album Black Ice. Even though the public ice didn’t know the extent of his health
issues. This tour was a struggle for Malcolm. He’d have to learn songs he previously knew
by heart and receive medical care during the tour. His brother Angus Young would tell Rolling
Stone magazine in November of 2014 that Malcolm was struggling with concentrating and having
memory issues before they started work on their 2008 album Black Ice. . Malcolm was
still capable of knowing what he wanted to do. I said to him do you want to go through
with what we’re doing and he said ‘shit yeah’.
Following the band’s final show in Spain the group took almost 4 years off releasing
a stop gap record in between which was their 2012 live album from River Plate stadium in
Argentina, that happened in 2009. In 2012 frontman Brian Johnson would give an interview
where he hinted that health problems were hampering production on the group’s next
record revealing ‘One of the boys is a little sick & I can’t say anything, but he’s
getting better. He’s doing wonderful Full recovery fully expected he’d say. And the
band would finally reassemble to record their 2014 follow up Rock or Bust, but in April
of 2014 a few weeks before they were to hit the studio word leaked that Malcolm Young
was done with the band as his health had deteriorated to the point that he wasn’t able to continue.
And Frontman Brian Johnson provided an update without naming names saying one of the boys
has a debilitating illness but i don’t want to say too much about it. He’s very proud
and private, a wonderful chap we’ve been pals for 35 years and I look up to him very
much.
But the same day AC/DC put out their own statement confirming that Malcolm was as they put it
taking a break from the band tjat he helped form 4 decades prior. The statement would
also put to rest rumors that AC/DC was retiring as the statement would read that the group
would move forward and continue to write and record new music. While the band’s latest
record at the time 2014’s Rock or Bust wouldn’t feature Malcolm’s signature guitar playing
he did co-write every song on the album. Filling in for Malcolm was his Nephew Stevie Young
who had previously replaced Malcolm in 1988 while he went into treatment for his alcohol
addiction.
Johnson would later admit that Malcolm's absence was felt in the studio saying We missed Malcolm
obviously Stevie was magnificent in his stead but when you’re recording with this thing
hanging over you and your workmate isn’t well. It’s difficult. I’m sure he was
rooting for us the whole time we were in Canada he’d say
Drummer Phil Rudd would run into his own problems and while he would play on the album Rock
or Bust he wouldn’t tour with the band as he would be replaced by prior drummer Chris
Slade. Rudd would suffer from legal troubles in 2014 when he was arrested for drug possession
and attempting to hire a hitman. By 2016 the band would run into more trouble as with only
22 shows remaining as part of the Rock or Bust tour frontman Brian Johnson would suffer
hearing issues and need to stop touring immediately. The band enlisted the help of Guns N’ Roses
frontman Axl Rose who did an incredible job filling in for Brian. Following the end of
the Rock or Bust tour in late 2016 the AC/DC camp went silent for about a year. Then on
November 18, 2017 the news a lot of fans people were expecting finally happened As Malcolm
Young would die from the effects of Dementia at the young age of 64. The music world would
respond with an outpouring of support with Guns N’ Roses guitarist Slash posting on
social media Monumentally sad day in rock n’ roll and Guns N’ Roses who were on
tour at the time would dedicate ‘Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door’ to Malcolm’s memory
following the news of his passing. While guitarist Eddie Van Halen put out a statement saying
he was the heart and soul of AC/DC.
But perhaps the most touching tribute came from his bandmate Brian Johnson who put out
a statement at the time saying I’m saddened by the passing of my friend Malcolm Young.
I can’t believe he’s gone. We had such great times on the road. I was always aware
he was such a genius on guitar. His riffs have become legends as has he. I send my sympathies
to his wife Linda and his children Cara, Ross and Angus who will all be devastated as we
all are. He never liked the celebrity side of fame. He was too humble for that. He was
the man who created AC/DC because he said there was no rock n’ roll out there. I’m
proud to have known him and call him a friend and I’m going to miss him so much. I salute
you Malcolm Young he’d say.
And by 2018 rumors had circulated that the band was back at work in the studio in Vancouver,
Canada. Photographs of the band at a studio and local hotel only added fuel to the fire
and a recent interview with the band’s longtime engineer only confirmed that the band was
up to something. Jam Magazine would also report that several years ago that AC/DC new material
was using old guitar parts that were recorded by Malcolm With the magazine claiming 5 years
prior to the black ice LP at that time Angus and malcolm were living together where literally
they wrote 100’s of songs and many were been recorded and have stashed away and they
further elaborated saying Angus selected the best tracks for those recordings from those
records and would used them as the songs foundations that the rest of the song would build . And
just last year Dee Snider confirmed the existence of new material posting on Twitter All 4 surviving
members have reunited with tracks recorded by malcolm while he was still alive. Malcolm’s
nephew Stevie Young is replacing him. He’s done this a few times before. It’s as close
as you can get to the original band. And while the AC/DC camp has been silent on the band’s
future plans we can sit here and hope that we can here Malcolm Young one more time. That
does it for today’s video guys. Thanks for watching. Let me know your thoughts in the
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