Angus McKinnon Young is a guitarist, songwriter, and co-founder of the Australian hard rock band AC/DC. He was born in Scotland. His family moved to Australia, and he attended Ashfield Boys High School there. At the age of 15, he dropped out of school. He and his brother Malcolm formed AC/DC after playing in the band Kantuckee, which subsequently became Tantrum. As his signature look, he went with the school uniform. “Can I Sit Next To You” was their first single, while “High Voltage” was their debut album. “Highway to Hell,” their studio album, became their best-selling album. The album “Back in Black,” issued as a homage to the band’s lead singer Bon Scott, who died of alcohol intoxication, surpassed it. It went on to become the world’s second best-selling album. The CD “For Those About to Rock, We Salute You” became a huge hit. With the studio album “The Razors Edge,” the band’s glory was restored. After seven nominations, AC/DC finally won a Grammy for the song “War Machine” from the album “Black Ice.” The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inducted AC/DC as well.
Childhood and Adolescence
Angus Young was the youngest of eight children born to William and Margaret Young on March 31, 1955. He and his parents, as well as his siblings Malcolm, George, and Margaret, moved to Sydney, Australia, in 1963.
He began by playing the banjo, then moved on to the guitar, which he learned on a cheap acoustic instrument obtained secondhand by his mother. His first Gibson SG was likewise a used purchase. He dropped out of Ashfield Boys High School at the age of 15. Initially, he was a member of the Kantuckee, a local band. The band disbanded and was renamed Tantrum.
Later Life & Career
With Angus on lead guitar, Malcolm on rhythm guitar, Colin Burgess on drums, Larry Van Kriedt on bass guitar, and Dave Evans on vocals, he and his brother Malcolm founded AC/DC in 1973. “Can I Sit Next To You” was their first single. It was eventually re-recorded as “Can I Sit Next To You Girl” with Bon Scott on vocals.
He finally opted on his signature schoolboy look after trying on a number of theatrical costumes, as suggested by his sister Margaret, who designed the original uniform. He wore his school outfit afterwards. “High Voltage,” AC/debut DC’s album, was released in 1975. Over the next three years, they released “T.N.T.,” “Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap,” “Let There Be Rock,” and “Powerage.”
In 1979, their studio album “Highway to Hell” became their best-selling and catapulted them to new heights of fame. Bon Scott, the group’s lead singer, died of alcohol intoxication not long after. Following the death of Bon Scott, AC/DC enlisted the help of ex-Geordie singer Brian Johnson to finish the record they had begun. “Back in Black,” a homage to Scott, was released in 1980. The album “For Those About to Rock We Salute You” by AC/DC was a huge hit in 1981. The albums “Flick of the Switch,” “Fly on the Wall,” and “Blow Up Your Video” followed, all of which were only moderately successful.
“The Razors Edge,” AC/studio DC’s album from 1990, was a critical and commercial success. In the United States, it went 5x platinum, and between 10 and 12 million copies were sold globally. “Hard as a Rock,” “Boogie Man,” “Cover You in Oil,” “Hail Caesar,” and “Ballbreaker” were among the songs on the 1995 album “Ballbreaker.” Five years later, the album “Stiff Upper Lip” was released.
They published an album in 2010 that included all of the songs from the “Iron Man 2” soundtrack. It was number one in numerous nations, including the United Kingdom, and number four in the United States.
Young collaborated with Gibson Guitar Corporation to create the Angus Young SG, which features a pick-up in the bridge position, a ’57 Classic Humbucker, and “lightning bolt” inlays in the neck.
Major Projects of Angus
“Back in Black” went on to become the second best-selling album in the world, behind only Michael Jackson’s “Thriller.” It became 22x multi-platinum in the United States alone, and 50 million copies were sold globally.
AC/DC released “Black Ice” in 2008, which went to number one in 29 countries and was certified multi-platinum in 14. It went on to become one of their most popular albums worldwide.
Achievements & Awards
In 2010, AC/DC received their first Grammy Award for the song “War Machine” from the album “Black Ice” in the category Best Hard Rock Performance. The record was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rock Album.
AC/DC was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2003. They were ranked 72 on Rolling Stone magazine’s “100 greatest artists of all time” list the following year.
Personal History and Legacy
In 1980, Young married Ellen. They live in Sydney’s Kangaroo Point neighborhood. In addition, they own a house in Aalten, Netherlands. Angus is a strong smoker who does not consume alcohol.
Estimated Net Worth
Angus Young has a net worth of $160 million and is a Scottish-born Australian guitarist and songwriter. Young, a co-founder of the Australian hard rock band AC/DC, is noted for his high-octane shows, schoolboy uniform stage attire, and the (re)popularization of Chuck Berry’s “duck walk.”
Trivia
After discovering the letters “AC/DC” on the back of their sister Margaret’s sewing machine, this skilled musician’s band was named after them. Alternating Current/Direct Current is abbreviated as AC/DC.
While playing the guitar, this well-known musician frequently does the Chuck Berry duck walk and also throws himself to the ground, kicking, shaking, and spinning in circles in a spasm.