Angus Young Thoughts On Brother Malcolms Health
AC/DC rock guitarist Angus Young says that he first noticed something wrong with his brother Malcolm 6 years ago, and his dementia git so bad that he could no longer remember his own songs that he had written. Malcolm Young, 61, who co-founded the veteran Australian band that went to become one of the biggest grossing groups of all time, retired this year and is now believed to be in a Sydney care facility.
Angus Young said he first noticed something was wrong when they were recording their last album, “Black Ice,” in 2008, that shot to the top of the charts in 31 countries. “When we were writing songs together, me and him, it was noticeable,” he told ABC television in an interview Monday. “It was just strange [memory] things, you know? Malcolm was always very organized so it was kind of strange.
“For the first time I’d seen him disorganized, being confused about a lot of things. That’s when it kind of, you know, hit me.” Angus said he spoke to Malcolm, telling him he did not need to keep going if he did not feel up to it. “He said, ‘No I’ll keep going, you know, until I can’t,’” he said, adding that eventually his brother could no longer remember his own songs.
Despite the setback, the high-voltage group decided to stay together, which was Malcolm’s wish, and they have a new album, “Rock or Bust,” out this week and a world tour scheduled for 2015. “He said ‘keep making music,’” lead singer Brian Johnson said of Malcolm Young when he knew he could no longer continue. “Without any of that sympathy stuff, you know. There was none of that stuff around. “He just said to keep doing it. That’s the way he talked – he was a straight shooter. So we did, and it was great.”
The band hired Young’s cousin Stevie as his replacement. Since then they have had to deal with another crisis after drummer Phil Rudd was arrested in New Zealand and charged with threatening to kill and possession of cannabis and methamphetamine. Under New Zealand law, threatening to kill can earn a seven-year sentence and it remains unclear if he can continue with the band. The Young brothers founded AC/DC in Sydney in 1973, and it has gone on to sell more than 200 million albums.