An announcement on AC/DC’s social media sites confirmed the death of founding drummer Colin Burgess. The artist, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame, was 77 years old.
On Friday, December 15th, the band AC/DC posted the statement to their Facebook page. “Deeply saddened to learn of Colin Burgess’s demise. A highly esteemed musician, he served as our initial drummer.
Very sad to hear of the passing of Colin Burgess. He was our first drummer and a very respected musician. Happy memories, rock in peace Colin. pic.twitter.com/8jWLXq8TPJ
— AC/DC (@acdc) December 16, 2023
“Happy memories, rock in peace Colin.” In their memorial post, the band did not reveal the musician’s condition. Those who loved the hard rock band from Australia, who had a big hit with “Highway to Hell” in 1979, paid tribute to Burgess, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame of the Australian Recording Industry Association in 1998.
“Very sad news, as I love rock music especially from Australia, and he was a part of a generation of great musicians that kicked off the music industry in Australia,” one person wrote. “Condolences to his family and friends.”
“What a fantastic guy – there’s going to be no one else like him,” read another comment. “Sad so many talented artist [sic] from my youth are passing. We are all getting older,” a third fan comment read.
In addition to guitarists, singer Dave Evans, brothers Angus and Malcolm Young, bassist Larry Van Kriedt, and Burgess, who was born in Sydney on November 16, 1946, the original lineup of the band also included guitarists. They made their debut at Chequers, the hottest nightclub in Sydney in the ’60s.
After performing with AC/DC from November 1973 until February 1974, Burgess was let go due to intoxication on stage. Even though the drummer maintained that his drink had been contaminated, his teammates were adamant about continuing with their decision, which resulted in Burgess’s abrupt departure.
When he was let go, the band went through a succession of drummers until 1975, when Phil Rudd took over as permanent drummer for Burgess’s place band. But Rudd needed Burgess to step in for a few weeks after he hurt his hand in a brawl in Melbourne in September 1975.
For four years, from 1968 to 1972, Burgess played drums for the Australian rock band The Masters Apprentices before joining AC/DC. It wasn’t until 1988 that the band received their ARIA Hall of Fame induction.
Along with Young and Rudd, the current lineup of AC/DC has bassist Cliff Williams, lead singer Brian Johnson (who replaced Bon Scott following his death in 1980), and guitarist Stevie Young. “Highway to Hell” peaked at number eight in the UK charts, contributing to the band’s 200 million record sales worldwide.
Visit our website, lakecountyfloridanews.com, for more information, obituaries, autopsy reports, and specifics about the causes of death of other people.
The following information refers to the causes of death of other notable people:
- Andrea Evans Cause of Death: A Look Back at Her Storied Career!
- Pedro Henrique Cause of Death: How did the Gospel Star Die?
