Ronald Belford Scott

Bon Scott was born on 9 July 1946 in Forfar, Scotland. He moved to Australia with his family in 1952 when he was six years old. He grew up in Melbourne and Fremantle and developed a passion for music and rock and roll. He learned to play the drums and joined his first band, The Spektors, in 1964 as a drummer and occasional singer. He later joined other bands such as The Valentines and Fraternity as a lead singer. He also had a rebellious and adventurous personality and often got into trouble with the law. He was arrested several times for theft, assault, drunkenness, and other offences. He also had a tattoo on his upper arm that read "Bon Scott - 19 years old - $250 fine or 6 months". In 1974, he auditioned for the Australian hard rock band AC,DC as their new lead singer after the departure of Dave Evans. He impressed the band members with his powerful voice and charismatic stage presence. He also became the main lyricist of the band and wrote many of their songs with Angus Young and Malcolm Young. He helped the band achieve international success with albums such as High Voltage (1975), T.N.T. (1975), Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap (1976), Let There Be Rock (1977), Powerage (1978), and Highway to Hell (1979). He also became famous for his energetic and wild performances, his distinctive raspy voice, his humorous and witty lyrics, and his trademark schoolboy outfit that matched Angus Young's. He was regarded as one of the greatest rock singers of all time and influenced many other musicians. ¹ On 19 February 1980, Scott died after a night out in London with Alistair Kinnear, a friend and alleged drug dealer. He had consumed large amounts of alcohol and passed out in Kinnear's car. Kinnear left him in the car overnight and found him unresponsive the next morning. He rushed him to a hospital but Scott was pronounced dead on arrival. The cause of death was acute alcohol poisoning. He was 33 years old. His body was cremated and his ashes were interred at Fremantle Cemetery in Western Australia. His death shocked and saddened his fans and bandmates. AC,DC considered disbanding but decided to continue with a new singer, Brian Johnson, who was chosen by Scott's recommendation. Their next album, Back in Black (1980), was dedicated to Scott's memory and became one of the best-selling albums of all time. ¹