Welcome Database Indexes Copyright/Disclaimer Login  

Angus YOUNG

Angus Young ( born 31 March, 1955) is and Australian guitarist, best known as the co-founder, lead guitarist, songwriter and sole constant member of the hard rock band AC/DC. Young was ranked 24th in Rolling Stone magazine’s greatest guitarists of all time.

Angus was born on 31 March 1955 in Glasgow, Scotland, to William Young and his wife, Margaret nee Young. There were eight children – Stephen (24 June, 1933-1989), Margaret (2 May, 1935), John (17 May 1937), Alex (28 December, 1938-1997), William Jr ( 15 December, 1940), George (6 November, 1946 – 22 October, 2017), Malcolm ( 6 January, 1953- 18 November, 2017) and Angus (31 March, 1955).

In 1963, 15 members of the Young family came to Australia. John had migrated separately and Alex stayed in the UK. Initially housed at the Migrant Hostel at Villawood, the Young family moved into a semi detached house at 4 Burleigh Street, Burwood. The family had a musical background passed down from one to the other. George had met his life long musical partner, Harry Vanda, at the Migrant Hostel. They would form The Easy Beats and enjoy world wide success. After the group disbanded, they would continue to enjoy enormous success as composers.

Angus was educated at Ashfield Boys High School but dropped out at age 15 to follow in George’s footsteps. Angus was 18 when, in 1973, he and older brother Malcolm formed AC/DC. They decided on the name after seeing the letters on the back of their sister Margaret’s sewing machine. Young tried a number of stage costumes before using his school uniform from Ashfield Boys High School which became his signature.

Over the next three years, AC/DC were to become the most popular hard rock act in Australia with albums produced by George Young and Harry Vanda in partnership. Despite various set backs, world fame followed. Back in Black became the second highest-selling album worldwide, behind only Michael Jackson’s Thriller. In 2003, AC/DC were inducted into the Rock and roll hall of fame and, in 2004, thet were ranked number 72 on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the’100 greatest artists of all time’. They were also named the 7th ‘Greatest heavy metal band of all time’ by MTV.

In 2014, Malcolm Young retired from the band due to ill-health. He died on 18 November, 2017 . His funeral was conducted at St Mary’s Catholic Cathedral, Sydney. George Young died a month before his brother on 22 October, 2017.

Angus Young and his wife Ellen have homes in Australia, the UK and the Netherlands where Mrs. Young is from. Their Australian home is in Kangaroo Point in the Sutherland Shire.

Although a heavy smoker, Angus Young is a teetotaler and has been so all his life.

References