Bon Scott (pictured far right, smiling, beside lead guitarist, Angus Young, who is sporting horns...
Credit: Billboard.com | ©Billboard.com
Bon Scott, Legendary AC/DC Lead Singer, Would Have Been 62 Today
Growing up in a rural area, listening to music became an escape. Growing up during the 70's, it became a great escape.
One of the band's that led the escape was AC/DC, a hard rocking group out of Australia. Their lead singer was a vocalist whose stylings registered somewhere between nasally gravel and raspy whine, but when mixed with the simple-sounding chords played by Angus Young, quite catchy. You just had to like that sound. It sounded so simple. It sounded so different. And it was.
It still is...
Bon Scott originally was the band's chauffeur, taking over the lead vocals in 1974 (AC/DC formed in 1973) when the original lead singer, Dave Evans, refused to go on stage one night. Scott proved to fit in with the image the band was promoting -- violent, antisocial, crude, rude, and loud. In fact, Scott was rejected by the Australian Army as "socially maladjusted." He was also convicted of several minor criminal offenses. Scott's and the band's lyrics, music, stage shows and off-stage antics would propel AC/DC to the top.
But not with Bon Scott. Scott just missed reaching the top, something he sung about in "It's a Long Way To The Top If You Want To Rock 'n Roll."
Bon Scott recorded six studio albums with AC/DC, beginning with 1974's "High Voltage." It was shortly after the release of the somewhat foreshadowing sixth album, 1979's "Highway to Hell," that Scott died (February 19, 1980). In keeping with his rowdy persona, the official coroner's report stated that Scott had drank himself to death. "Highway to Hell" sold over a million copies during its initial run (it has sold seven million to date) and climbed to place at No. 17 on the Billboard 200 Album Chart.
The band's next album, a tribute to Bon Scott, "Back In Black," with new lead singer Brian Johnson, would go on to sell 22 million copies (U.S. only and ranked fifth in all time sales) but never get higher than No. 126 on the charts. In fact, only a few AC/DC albums have charted higher than "Highway To Hell": 1988's "Blow Up Your Video" (#12), 1990's "The Razor's Edge" (#2), 1995's "Ballbreaker" (#4), and 2000's "Stiff Upper Lip" (#7).
One of the band's that led the escape was AC/DC, a hard rocking group out of Australia. Their lead singer was a vocalist whose stylings registered somewhere between nasally gravel and raspy whine, but when mixed with the simple-sounding chords played by Angus Young, quite catchy. You just had to like that sound. It sounded so simple. It sounded so different. And it was.
It still is...
Bon Scott originally was the band's chauffeur, taking over the lead vocals in 1974 (AC/DC formed in 1973) when the original lead singer, Dave Evans, refused to go on stage one night. Scott proved to fit in with the image the band was promoting -- violent, antisocial, crude, rude, and loud. In fact, Scott was rejected by the Australian Army as "socially maladjusted." He was also convicted of several minor criminal offenses. Scott's and the band's lyrics, music, stage shows and off-stage antics would propel AC/DC to the top.
But not with Bon Scott. Scott just missed reaching the top, something he sung about in "It's a Long Way To The Top If You Want To Rock 'n Roll."
Bon Scott recorded six studio albums with AC/DC, beginning with 1974's "High Voltage." It was shortly after the release of the somewhat foreshadowing sixth album, 1979's "Highway to Hell," that Scott died (February 19, 1980). In keeping with his rowdy persona, the official coroner's report stated that Scott had drank himself to death. "Highway to Hell" sold over a million copies during its initial run (it has sold seven million to date) and climbed to place at No. 17 on the Billboard 200 Album Chart.
The band's next album, a tribute to Bon Scott, "Back In Black," with new lead singer Brian Johnson, would go on to sell 22 million copies (U.S. only and ranked fifth in all time sales) but never get higher than No. 126 on the charts. In fact, only a few AC/DC albums have charted higher than "Highway To Hell": 1988's "Blow Up Your Video" (#12), 1990's "The Razor's Edge" (#2), 1995's "Ballbreaker" (#4), and 2000's "Stiff Upper Lip" (#7).
Comments
who cares
(Guest)
(Guest)
01/16/2010
dude fuck that ac dc is there own thing and it doesnt involve religious crap or amp powering anything. look it up.
TIMOTHY GILL
(Guest)
(Guest)
04/19/2009
I WOULDNT TAKE THE HIGHWAY TO HELL IF I WERE YOU....JESUS CHRIST IS THE ANSWER
No. The AC/DC name come from the alternating current/direct current of electricity for powering amps, not the colloquial slange for bisexuality.
Your name
(Guest)
(Guest)
12/09/2008
Was AC DC a bisexual band or did it contain bi sexual members or experimenting?
Michael Bridges
(Guest)
(Guest)
07/31/2008
Bon Scott was truly an inspiration to those who want to Rock and Roll. It was nice to see that, on AC/DC's website - acdc.com/fromtheband - that there was an homage video and song celebrating his life and spirit called "Women, Whiskey & Rock'n'Roll" by Don Coleman. If AC/DC do tour their new album on Canada's East Coast, it would be great if Don could open for them and keep that spark alive.
I don't think Garcia's longevity was intentional, Tyler, no more than Steven Tyler and Mick Jagger and the rest of Zeppelin. Dying young gives these guys a cult of personalilty they don't keep as they grow older. Just think if David Bowie had died after he recorded "Fame"... Now, he's just a aged legend...but Jim Morrison is a rock god...
As morbid as this may sound I kind off think many of these rowdy rock stars are suppose to die young. It kind of adds to their legend. I always wondered why Jerry Garcia didn't die sooner to be honest.
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