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Bon Scott

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Ronald Belford "Bon" Scott (July 9 1946 – February 19 1980) was an Australian rock musician. He was born in Kirriemuir, Scotland, but emigrated to Melbourne, Australia with his family in 1952. Scott is most well-known for being the lead singer and co-lyricist of AC/DC from 1974 until his death in 1980.

Scott formed his first band, The Spektors, in 1964 and became the band's drummer and occasional lead vocalist. In 1966, the Spektors merged with another local band, The Winstons, and formed The Valentines, in which Scott was the co-lead vocalist with Vince Lovegrove. When the Valentines broke up in 1970, Scott joined Fraternity, who gained moderate success with the release of two albums and several singles before going into hiatus in 1973. Later that year, Scott began singing with another group named Mount Lofty Rangers, but left after a motorcycle accident following a rehearsal.

In 1974, Scott replaced Dave Evans as the lead singer of AC/DC. By the release of the international version of High Voltage in 1976, AC/DC had established their international success. Afterwards, AC/DC released the international studio albums Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap, Let There Be Rock and Powerage before releasing their most successful album with Bon Scott, Highway to Hell in 1979. On February 19, 1980, Scott died from alcohol poisoning. Five months after his death, AC/DC recorded Back in Black as a tribute to him with their new lead singer, Brian Johnson.

Biography

Bon Scott was born in Kirriemuir, Scotland on July 9 1946 to Charles and Isabelle Scott. The Scott family emigrated to Australia in 1952 where they initially lived in Sunshine, Melbourne before moving to Fremantle in 1956, where Scott learnt to play the drums in a Scottish bagpipe band.[1] Scott dropped out of school at the age of 15 and spent a short time in Fremantle Prison in the assessment center and nine months at the Riverbank Juvenile Institution relating to charges of; giving a false name and address to the police, having escaped legal custody, having unlawful carnal knowledge and stealing twelve gallons of petrol. He attempted to join the Australian Army but was rejected for being deemed as "socially maladjusted."[2]

Early career (1964—1973)

After working as a postman, bartender and truck packer, Scott joined his first band, The Spektors, in 1964 as drummer and occasional lead singer.[2] Two years later the Spektors merged with another local band, The Winstons, and formed The Valentines, in which Scott was co-lead singer with Vince Lovegrove. The Valentines recorded several songs written by George Young of The Easybeats including "Every Day I Have To Cry" which made the local top 5,[1] but in 1970, after gaining a place on the National Top 30 with their single "Juliette", the Valentines disbanded due to differing opinions within the band concerning musical direction, and also after a much-publicised drugs scandal.[3]

Scott moved to Adelaide in 1970 and joined the progressive rock band, Fraternity. Fraternity released the LPs Livestock and Flaming Galah before touring the U.K. in 1971, where they changed their name to Fang. During this time they played support slots for Status Quo and Geordie (whose front man, Brian Johnson, later replaced Scott as the lead singer of AC/DC).[1]

In 1973, just after returning to Australia from another tour of the UK, Fraternity went on hiatus. In this period, Scott began singing in a band named Mount Lofty Rangers which was formed by other ex-Fraternity members. However, after leaving a rehearsal with Mount Lofty Rangers Scott got into a motorcycle accident, suffered serious injuries and subsequently left the band.[3] Fraternity, however, later reformed and replaced Scott with Jimmy Barnes.

With AC/DC (1974—1980)

Main article: AC/DC § Bon Scott era (1974–1980)

In 1974, while working as a driver in Adelaide, Scott met the members of AC/DC which was formed by the brothers Angus and Malcolm Young, younger brothers of Scott's friend George Young.[4] At that time, AC/DC's lead singer was Dave Evans, but soon the Young brothers decided that Evans was not a suitable frontman for the group as they felt he was more of a glam rocker like Gary Glitter.[5] Scott, who had became the band's driver, expressed an interest in becoming their drummer, but the band kept telling him they didn't need a drummer, they needed a singer.[5]

File:Rudd-Evans-Scott.jpg
Bon Scott (top left) with AC/DC's first stable line-up.

Bon Scott replaced Dave Evans as the lead singer of AC/DC in September 1974.. With the Young brothers as lead and rhythm guitarists, drummer Tony Currenti (see AC/DC lineups) and George Young as a temporary bassist, AC/DC released their first LP, High Voltage, which was only released in Australia. Within a few months, Currenti was replaced by Phil Rudd and Mark Evans was hired as a permanent bassist, and AC/DC began recording their second album, T.N.T., which was released in Australia in December 1975. The first AC/DC album to gain international distribution was a compilation of tracks from the first two albums, also entitled High Voltage, and released in May 1976. Another studio album, Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap was released in the same year, but only in Australia; the international version of the album was released in November 1976 in the U.K. and in March 1981 in the U.S., with a different tracklist (see Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap (international album)).

Template:Sound sample box align right Template:Multi-listen start Template:Multi-listen item Template:Multi-listen end Template:Sample box end In the following years, AC/DC gained further success with their albums Let There Be Rock and Powerage. The 1978 release of Powerage marked the debut of bassist Cliff Williams (who had replaced Mark Evans), and with its harder riffs, followed the blueprint set by Let There Be Rock. The album was the last produced by Harry Vanda and George Young with Bon Scott on vocals and is claimed to be AC/DC's most underrated album;[6] only one single was released for Powerage — "Rock 'n' Roll Damnation" — and gave AC/DC their highest chart position at the time, reaching #24. An appearance at the Apollo Theatre in Glasgow during the Powerage tour was recorded and released as If You Want Blood.[7]

The band's sixth album, Highway To Hell, was produced by Robert "Mutt" Lange and was released in 1979. It became AC/DC's first LP to get into the U.S. top 100, eventually reaching #17, and it propelled AC/DC into the top ranks of hard rock acts.[8][9]

Death (1980)

Bon Scott's grave.

On February 19 1980, Bon Scott passed out after a night of routine partying in London, and was left in a car owned by an acquaintance of his named Alistair Kinnear. The following morning, Kinnear rushed him to King's College Hospital in Camberwell, where Scott was pronounced dead on arrival. Although common folklore claims that pulmonary aspiration of vomit was the cause of Scott's death, the official cause was listed as "acute alcohol poisoning" and "death by misadventure".[10] Scott's family buried him in Fremantle, the area to which they had emigrated when he was a child.[11]

Inconsistencies in the official accounts of Scott's death have been cited in conspiracy theories, which suggest that Scott died of a heroin overdose, or was killed by exhaust fumes redirected into the car, or that Kinnear did not exist.[10] Additionally, Scott was asthmatic and the temperature was below freezing on the morning of his death.[12]

Shortly after his death, Brian Johnson replaced him as the lead singer of AC/DC. Five months after Scott's death, AC/DC recorded Back in Black as a tribute to him. Back in Black is currently the second best-selling album worldwide and the biggest selling album worldwide by any band.

Scott was buried in Fremantle Cemetery and his grave site has become one of Australia's most treasured cultural icons; more than 26 years after Scott's death, the National Trust of Australia has decreed his grave important enough to be included on the list of classified heritage places.[13][14] On July 9, 2006, the plaque was stolen from the site on what would have been his 60th birthday.[15]

Posthumous events

AC/DC released a box set named Bonfire as a tribute to Scott on November 18 1997. It contains four albums; a remastered version of Back in Black; an album with alternate takes, outtakes, and stray live cuts, Volts; and two live albums, Live from the Atlantic Studios and Let There Be Rock: The Movie. Live from the Atlantic Studios was recorded in 1978 at the Atlantic Studios in New York City. Let There Be Rock: The Movie was a double album recorded in 1979 at The Pavillon in Paris, and was the soundtrack of the motion picture, AC/DC: Let There Be Rock.[16]

AC/DC was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003.[17] Members of Scott's family joined the band at the podium to accept the honor in his place.

Scott was rated by the UK magazine Classic Rock, in their July 2004 issue, as the "Greatest Frontman ever", in a list of 100 frontmen.[18] There was a Celebration Concert on February 25, 2007 at the Claremont Showgrounds in Perth, Australia to raise money for a proposed statue of Bon Scott to be placed in Fremantle. Acts included The Angels, Rose Tattoo and The Screaming Jets.[19]

References

Footnotes

  1. ^ a b c "Bon Scott Story". Crabsody in Blue. Retrieved 2006-09-30.
  2. ^ a b (Walker C. & (1994), p. 32-39)
  3. ^ a b Ankeny, J. "Bon Scott Biography". AllMusic Guide. Retrieved 2006-12-26.
  4. ^ "AC/DC Biography". AC/DC Bedlam in Belgium. Retrieved 2006-12-26.
  5. ^ a b (P. Stenning and R. Johnstone & (1994), p. 32-39)
  6. ^ Prato, G. "AC/DC - Powerage". All Music Guide. Retrieved 2007-01-31.
  7. ^ Christopher, M. (2003-06-30). "Epic Records AC/DC Re-issues: Second Wave". PopMatters. Retrieved 2006-12-30. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  8. ^ "Timeline". AC/DC official website. Retrieved 2006-12-16.
  9. ^ Engleheart, M. (1997-11-18). AC/DC - Bonfire. {{cite book}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
  10. ^ a b Jinman, R. (2005-02-19). "25 years on, AC/DC fans recall how wild rocker met his end". The Guardian. Retrieved 2006-12-30. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  11. ^ "Bon's Highway leads to the National Trust". Metropolitan Cemeteries Board. 2006-02-15. Retrieved 2006-12-15. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  12. ^ Stevenson, J. (1997-11-22). "AC/DC lights a Bonfire in tribute". Canoe JAM! music. Retrieved 2006-12-30. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  13. ^ "Bon's Highway leads to the National Trust". Metropolitan Cemeteries Board. 2006-02-15. Retrieved 2006-12-15. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  14. ^ Laurie, T. (2006-02-15). "Grave News is Great News for Scott fans". The West Australian. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  15. ^ "Bon's grave robbed". News Limited. 2006-07-10. Retrieved 2006-10-07. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help) (now inactive)
  16. ^ "Boxsets". AC/DC discography. Retrieved 2007-01-03.
  17. ^ http://www.rockhall.com/inductee/ac-dc
  18. ^ "Archive news - June 2004". Crabsody in Blue. Retrieved 2007-01-15.
  19. ^ "Bon Scott Celebration Concert". Retrieved 2007-01-15.

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bon Scott.
Wikiquote has quotations related to Bon Scott.

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