List of AC/DC members
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AC/DC are an Australian hard rock band from Sydney. Formed in November 1973, the group originally consisted of vocalist Dave Evans, lead guitarist Angus Young, rhythm guitarist Malcolm Young (his older brother), bassist Larry Van Kriedt and drummer Colin Burgess. The band's current lineup features Angus Young, drummer Chris Slade (originally a member from 1989 to 1994, and currently since 2015), rhythm guitarist Stevie Young (nephew of Angus and Malcolm Young, a member since 2014), and vocalist Axl Rose (since 2016). Bassist Cliff Williams retired at the end of the band's most recent tour in 2016, with his replacement currently unconfirmed.
History
1973–1994
AC/DC were formed in November 1973 by brothers Angus (lead guitar) and Malcolm Young (rhythm guitar), with the original lineup also including vocalist Dave Evans, bassist Larry Van Kriedt and drummer Colin Burgess.[1] The band's first single "Can I Sit Next to You, Girl" was released after the departure of Van Kriedt, with a third Young brother, producer George, filling in on bass.[2] AC/DC subsequently went through numerous early personnel changes, including replacing Dave Evans with Bon Scott in time for the recording of their debut Australian album High Voltage, which also featured contributions from George Young and session drummer Tony Currenti.[3] By early 1975, the band had settled on a lineup of Angus and Malcolm Young, Bon Scott, bassist Mark Evans and drummer Phil Rudd.[4]
Shortly after the release of Let There Be Rock in 1977, Evans was fired from AC/DC due to growing tensions with the Young brothers.[5] He was replaced by English bassist Cliff Williams.[6] After two more studio albums, Scott died on 19 February 1980 of acute alcohol poisoning.[7] The band briefly considered breaking up, but later enlisted former Geordie frontman Brian Johnson as Scott's replacement.[8] In 1983, following an altercation with Malcolm Young and ongoing problems with substance abuse, Rudd was fired from AC/DC.[9] He was replaced by Simon Wright, who remained until 1989 before joining Dio.[10] Wright was replaced by Welsh drummer Chris Slade for five years, before Rudd returned in late 1994 during sessions for the group's thirteenth studio album Ballbreaker.[11]
1994 onwards
The lineup of AC/DC remained stable until April 2014, when Malcolm Young retired due to ill health.[12] The group recorded Rock or Bust with Stevie Young, Angus and Malcolm's nephew,[13] who was made an official band member in September.[14] Rudd was later arrested and pleaded guilty to drug charges and threatening to kill a former assistant, with Slade returning to replace him on the Rock or Bust World Tour.[15] In March 2016, several shows were cancelled after Johnson was ordered by doctors to cease touring due to "severe hearing problems".[16] The following month, it was announced that Guns N' Roses frontman Axl Rose would replace Johnson for all future tour dates.[17] Long-term bassist Cliff Williams retired after the tour, with his last show taking place on 20 September 2016.[18]
Following the conclusion of the Rock or Bust World Tour, it was reported that Angus Young, Stevie Young and Rose would continue AC/DC with new musicians once the Guns N' Roses Not in This Lifetime... Tour had concluded, with a new studio album planned.[19] Malcolm and George Young both died in late 2017.[20] In early 2019, reports began to circulate that Johnson, Williams and Rudd had returned to AC/DC to record a new album as a tribute to Malcolm Young, using archived guitar parts that the brothers had recorded earlier; the report also indicated that Johnson would perform live with the band to promote the new album.[21]
Members
Current
| Image | Name | Years active | Instruments | Release contributions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Angus Young | 1973–present |
|
all AC/DC releases | |
| Chris Slade |
|
|
| |
| Stevie Young |
|
|
Rock or Bust (2014). Also replaced Malcolm Young for the US leg of the Blow Up Your Video World Tour while Malcolm was recovering from health problems.[22] | |
| Axl Rose | 2016–present | lead vocals | none to date – live performances only |
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Former
| Image | Name | Years active | Instruments | Release contributions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Malcolm Young | 1973–2014 (died 2017) |
|
all AC/DC releases from "Can I Sit Next to You, Girl" (1974) to Live at River Plate (2012) | |
| Dave Evans |
|
lead vocals | "Can I Sit Next to You, Girl" (1974) | |
| Larry Van Kriedt |
|
none – live performances only[23] | ||
| Colin Burgess | drums | "Can I Sit Next to You, Girl" (1974) | ||
| Neil Smith | 1974 (died 2013) | bass | none – live performances only[24] | |
| Ron Carpenter | 1974 | drums | ||
| Noel Taylor | ||||
| Rob Bailey | 1974–1975 | bass | High Voltage (1975) | |
| Peter Clack | drums | High Voltage (1975) – "Baby, Please Don't Go" only | ||
| Bon Scott | 1974–1980 (until his death) |
|
all AC/DC releases from High Voltage (1975) to Highway to Hell (1979) | |
| Phil Rudd |
|
|
all AC/DC releases from T.N.T. (1975) to Flick of the Switch (1983), and from Ballbreaker (1995) to Rock or Bust (2014) | |
| Paul Matters | 1975 | bass | none – live performances only[25] | |
| Mark Evans | 1975–1977 | all AC/DC releases from T.N.T. (1975) to Let There Be Rock (1977) | ||
| Cliff Williams | 1977–2016 |
|
all AC/DC releases from Powerage (1978) to Rock or Bust (2014) | |
| Brian Johnson | 1980–2016 | lead vocals | all AC/DC releases from Back in Black (1980) to Rock or Bust (2014) | |
| Simon Wright | 1983–1989 |
|
|
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Touring
| Image | Name | Years active | Instruments | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| George Young | 1974–1975 (died 2017) |
|
Young filled in on bass on several occasions during the band's early shows, amid frequent lineup changes.[26] | |
| Dennis Loughlin | 1974 (died 2019) | lead vocals | Loughlin, the band's manager at the time, would occasionally substitute for Dave Evans during early shows.[27] | |
| Bruce Howe | 1975 | bass guitar | Howe, Bon Scott's former bandmate in Fraternity, performed bass a number of times with the group.[26] | |
| Paul Gregg | 1991 | Gregg replaced Cliff Williams for several shows on the US leg of the Razors Edge World Tour due to illness.[28] |
Timeline
Lineups
| Period | Members | Releases |
|---|---|---|
| November 1973 – February 1974 |
|
none |
| February 1974 |
| |
| February 1974 |
|
|
| February – April 1974 |
|
none |
| April – September 1974 |
| |
| September 1974 – January 1975 |
|
|
| January – February 1975 |
|
none |
| February – March 1975 |
| |
| March 1975 |
| |
| March 1975 – May 1977 |
|
|
| May 1977 – February 1980 |
|
|
| March 1980 – April 1983 |
|
|
| May 1983 – November 1989 |
|
|
| November 1989 – August 1994 |
|
|
| August 1994 – April 2014 |
|
|
| April 2014 – February 2015 |
|
|
| February 2015 – April 2016 |
|
none |
| April – September 2016 |
| |
| September 2016 – present |
|
Bibliography
- Masino, Susan (15 May 2009), Let There Be Rock: The Story of AC/DC, London, England: Omnibus Press, ISBN 978-0825634697
- Wall, Mick (1 October 2012), AC/DC: Hell Ain't a Bad Place to Be, London, England: Orion, ISBN 978-1409115342
References
- ^ "AC/DC Lineup Changes: A Complete Guide". Ultimate Classic Rock. 18 April 2016. Retrieved 17 November 2017.
- ^ "Rare AC/DC 7" Single 'Can I Sit Next To You, Girl' Sells for $4,500". Guitar Interactive. 25 July 2014. Retrieved 17 November 2017.
- ^ Rivadavia, Eduardo (17 February 2016). "The Story of AC/DC's Debut Australian Album, 'High Voltage'". Ultimate Classic Rock. Loudwire. Retrieved 17 November 2017.
- ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "AC/DC: Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved 17 November 2017.
- ^ Bosso, Joe (11 October 2011). "Interview: Former AC/DC bassist Mark Evans on life in the band". MusicRadar. Future plc. Retrieved 17 November 2017.
- ^ Blistein, Jon (20 September 2016). "AC/DC Bassist Cliff Williams Confirms Retirement in Heartfelt Video". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 17 November 2017.
- ^ Jinman, Richard (19 February 2005). "25 years on, AC/DC fans recall how wild rocker met his end". The Guardian. Retrieved 17 November 2017.
- ^ Elliott, Paul (5 May 2016). "AC/DC: The epic inside story of Back In Black". Classic Rock. TeamRock. Retrieved 17 November 2017.
- ^ "Phil Rudd: 100 Greatest Drummers of All Time". Rolling Stone. 31 March 2016. Retrieved 17 November 2017.
- ^ Kielty, Martin (29 September 2016). "Dio hologram show was nerve-racking says Simon Wright". Classic Rock. TeamRock. Retrieved 17 November 2017.
- ^ "Drummer Chris Slade: Why I Left AC/DC". Blabbermouth.net. 23 July 2014. Retrieved 17 November 2017.
- ^ Kielty, Martin (16 April 2014). "Brian Johnson: AC/DC not retiring yet". TeamRock. Retrieved 17 November 2017.
- ^ Reed, Bryan (9 July 2014). "AC/DC Finish New Album, Detail Malcolm Young Health Update". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 17 November 2017.
- ^ McCabe, Kathy (24 September 2014). "AC/DC to release new album Rock Or Bust as guitarist Malcolm Young retires from band". news.com.au. News Corp Australia. Retrieved 17 November 2017.
- ^ "AC/DC confirm Chris Slade will replace Phil Rudd on their 2015 tour". The Guardian. 13 February 2015. Retrieved 17 November 2017.
- ^ Young, Alex (7 March 2016). "AC/DC frontman Brian Johnson ordered "to stop touring immediately or risk total hearing loss"". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved 17 November 2017.
- ^ Kreps, Daniel (16 April 2016). "AC/DC Confirm Axl Rose Is New Lead Singer, Joining Band on Tour". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 17 November 2017.
- ^ Kreps, Daniel (21 September 2016). "Watch AC/DC Salute Cliff Williams at Bassist's Final Show". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 17 November 2017.
- ^ "Major Update on AC/DC's Future: What the Band Will Do Now That Cliff's Retired". Ultimate Guitar Archive. 22 September 2016. Retrieved 17 November 2017.
- ^ Colothan, Scott (18 November 2017). "AC/DC legend Malcolm Young dies aged 64". Planet Rock. Retrieved 18 November 2017.
- ^ "AC/DC Reportedly Planning Tour with Brian Johnson". Metal Injection. 15 April 2019. Retrieved 30 April 2019.
- ^ Wall, p.386–88
- ^ Wall 2012, p. 59
- ^ Wall 2012, pp. 62–65
- ^ Wall 2012, pp. 132, 141
- ^ a b Wall 2012
- ^ Ross, Annabel (30 December 2013). "AC/DC's original lead singer, Dave Evans". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 17 November 2017.
- ^ Masino 2009, p. 178
