Died On This Date (November 18, 2017) Malcolm Young / AC/DC Founder & Rhythm Guitarist

Malcolm Young
January 6, 1953 – November 18, 2017

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Malcolm Young, the co-founding guitarist for legendary hard rock band, AC/DC passed away with his family by his side after a long battle with dementia.  Born in Glasgow, Scotland, Young moved with his family to Australia when he was 10 years old.  At 20, he formed AC/DC, which would go on to include his brother Angus Young on lead guitar, and Bon Scott on lead vocals. There were several line-up changes through the years, including the hiring of Brian Johnson on lead vocals after Scott passed away in 1980.  With early Bon Scott fronted albums like T.N.T., Powerage, and Highway to Hell, the band began to build a huge following around the world due in large part to the bigger-than-live sound and image largely conceived by Malcolm.  Their first album with Johnson, 1980’s Back in Black, sent the band’s popularity into the stratosphere. That album alone has sold over 50 million copies while their entire catalog sits at over 200 million in sales.  They are one of the highest-selling bands of all time.

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Died On This Date (June 4, 2015) Allan Fryer / Lead Singer of Heaven

Allan Fryer
DOB Unknown – June 4, 2015

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Allan Fryer is perhaps best remembered as the lead singer of popular ’80s Australian heavy metal band, Heaven.  Following the death of Bon Scott in 1980, Fryer auditioned to replace him in AC/DC.  It was believed he secured the role until a surprise announcement (at least to him) that Brian Johnson had in fact been given the job.  Fryer went on to form Heaven whose sound was definitely cut from the same cloth as AC/DC, at least on the early records.  They  eventually grew into a more NWOBHM sound.  Heaven found some success in the US, enough to tour with Dio and Motley Crue in 1982.  Throughout their run, the band released four albums and also toured with Judas Priest, KISS, and Iron Maiden.  On June 4, 2015, Allan Fryer died following a long struggle with cancer.  He was 60.

Thanks to David Plastik for the assist.

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Died On This Date (March 24, 2012) Vince Lovegrove / Australian Singer, Manager & Journalist

Vince Lovegrove
1948 – March 24, 2012

Vince Lovegrove was a famous Australian artist manager, television producer, journalist, and one-time pop star himself.  As a singer, Lovegrove performed with several Perth bands during the early ’60s.  In 1966, he founded the Valentines in which he sang co-lead with future AC/DC front man, Bon Scott.  In fact, it was Lovegrove who ultimately introduced Scott to the other members of AC/DC who of course, went on to become a rock and roll dynasty.  The Valentines scored several Australian hits before disbanding in 1970.  Lovegrove went on to become a pop music journalist, writing for such magazines as Go-Set and Immedia!.  As a manager, Lovegrove, at one point or another, oversaw the careers of AC/DC, Cold Chisel, Jimmy Barnes, and the Divinyls.  During the mid ’80s, Lovegrove’s wife, Suzi Sidewinder, was diagnosed with HIV.  Prior to this knowledge, Suzi passed the virus along to their then-unborn son, Troy Sidewinder, while he was in her womb.  Suzi died of AIDS in 1987, while Troy passed away from it in 1993.  Lovegrove forged on as an HIV awareness activist, educating people that the virus was much more than a “gay disease.”  He made two very personal and critically acclaimed documentaries on the subject, Suzi’s Story, and A Kid Called Troy.  Lovegrove continued writing and performing well into the 2000s.  Vince Lovegrove was killed in an automobile accident on March 24, 2012.  He was 64.

Thanks to Henk de Bruin at 2+ Printing for the assist.

 

Died On This Date (February 19, 1980) Bon Scott / Lead Singer Of AC/DC

Ronald “Bon” Scott
July 9, 1946 – February 19, 1980

bon-scott

Bonn Scott was the second lead singer of hard rock juggernaut, AC/DC.  In 1964, Scott formed his first band, the Spektors as their drummer. They eventually morphed into the Valentines, a pop band who scored a bubblegum hit or two in Australia.  For a good laugh, check out their video for “Build Me Up Buttercup.”  That’s Scott on back-up vocals to the right.  After that band broke up in 1970, Scott joined Fraternity, a moderately successful rock band that took him down a more deserved rock path than he was on with his earlier bands.  When Fraternity went on hiatus in 1973, Scott found work as a driver of up-and-coming hard rock band, AC/DC.  At the time, brothers, Angus Young and Malcolm Young who were looking for someone to replace original lead singer, Dave Evans.  Meanwhile, Scott was pestering them about becoming their drummer, but the Youngs soon decided to hire Scott as their lead singer, his gutteral snarl being a better match for their sonic guitars.  The group released their first album, High Voltage in Australia in September of 1974.  By 1979, the band were building a fan base throughout Europe and North America, so when their sixth album, Highway to Hell came out in July of ’79, AC/DC were well on their way to becoming one of the biggest rock band’s of their generation.  The album became their first to crack the U.S. album charts, eventually peaking at #17.  Sadly however, Scott wouldn’t live to enjoy the fruits of the group’s hard work.  On February 19, 1980, he was placed in a parked automobile to sleep off a night of heavy drinking.  When a friend went to check on him some hours later, he found Scott unresponsive, so he was taken to a local hospital where he was listed as dead on arrival.  Bonn Scott died at the age of 33, having choked on his own vomit.  Official documents indicated that he died of acute alcohol poisoning and suffered “death by misadventure.”

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