Angus Young

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Angus Young was born in 1955 in Glasgow, into a working-class family with eight children. In 1963 the family emigrated to Sydney. Music ran in the family: his brother George played in The Easybeats and his brother Malcolm became a guitarist. Angus had one guitar lesson from an older brother and taught himself the rest. Around 1970 he bought a second-hand Gibson SG, the model that became his trademark.

Music and breakthrough

In 1973 he formed the hard rock band AC/DC with Malcolm. Angus played lead guitar, Malcolm rhythm guitar. At his sister's suggestion he performed in a school uniform, and on stage he did his own version of Chuck Berry's duck walk. With the singer Bon Scott the band made High Voltage (1975), Let There Be Rock and Highway to Hell (1979), among others. After Scott's death Brian Johnson joined, and still in 1980 Back in Black appeared, the band's greatest success. With The Razors Edge (1990), which includes Thunderstruck, AC/DC returned to the spotlight after a leaner period.

Influence

Young plays simple, hard riffs full of energy, rooted in blues and rock 'n' roll. No frills, but a sound you recognise at once. He is the only one to have remained a member of AC/DC without interruption from the start. In 2003 he was inducted with the band into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. His playing shows how a few strong guitar figures can carry an entire band.

Listening

In School of Rock

The chapters, maps and magazine stories of School of Rock are currently available in Dutch only.

• Mixtape 4: When Rock Was Still Pop^NL Reader