AC/DC Founding Member Dead at 77
Today is a horrible day for rock and roll fans.
One of the founding members of AC/DC, Colin Burgess, has passed away.
He was 77 years old.
Gone But Not Forgotten
In 1973, Burgess, who played drums, was recruited as an original member of AC/DC. He, along with Malcolm Young, Angus Young, Larry Van Kriedt, and Dave Evans were the original members of the band.
Burgess was actually kicked out of the band a year later for being drunk on stage, but he would rejoin the band again in 1975.
AC/DC announced the death on its social media page, posting, “Very sad to hear of the passing of Colin Burgess. He was our first drummer and a very respected musician. Happy memories, rock in peace Colin.”
The only band member that remains from its original lineup today is Angus Young,
Dave Evans was booted from the band and replaced by Bon Scott in 1974 during a time when the band was changing members almost regularly. Scott, however, died in 1980 from acute alcohol poisoning, which led to Brian Johnson being added to the band as the lead singer.
After the initial success, the band went through a rather turbulent time in the late 1980s, seemingly having lost its direction and losing its appeal, but the group came back strong in 1990 with “The Razor’s Edge,” its 12th studio album.
In 2014, there were rumors the band was going to split because of Malcolm Young’s illness and retirement from the group, but they continued to play. Young died in November 2017.
In 2016, the group also had to deal with a diagnosis for Johnson, as his doctors told him he could no longer sing or risk going completely deaf. Axl Rose from Guns N’ Roses took over singing duties to finish out that tour.
In 2020, the band returned yet again, with a lot of familiar names in the lineup. Founding member Angus Young was the only original member of the group, but Brian Johnson was coming back as lead vocalist, with Phill Rudd, Cliff Williams, and Stevie Young filling out the lineup.
