Guitarists Mourn Malcolm Young
Malcolm Young—the co-founder of AC/DC, and one of the greatest rhythm guitarists of all time—died on Saturday, November 18, at the age of 64. He had been battling dementia since 2014, when he was forced to leave the band.
Young's rhythm parts were the backbone of AC/DC, one of the most commercially successful and influential rock bands of all time. His rock-solid playing inspired untold thousands to pick up a guitar themselves, and it's difficult to imagine a hard-rock landscape without the lasting influence of his tone and style.
Unsurprisingly, guitarists around the world mourned his untimely passing over the weekend, paying tribute to him and his influence on social media.
- Below, you can see a selection of these tributes, beginning with one from his longtime bandmate and brother, Angus Young, who said "As his brother it is hard to express in words what he has meant to me during my life, the bond we had was unique and very special. He leaves behind an enormous legacy that will live on forever. Malcolm, job well done."
Get The Pick Newsletter
All the latest guitar news, interviews, lessons, reviews, deals and more, direct to your inbox!
Thank you for reading 5 articles this month**
Join now for unlimited access
US pricing $3.99 per month or $39.00 per year
UK pricing £2.99 per month or £29.00 per year
Europe pricing €3.49 per month or €34.00 per year
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Jackson is an Associate Editor at GuitarWorld.com. He’s been writing and editing stories about new gear, technique and guitar-driven music both old and new since 2014, and has also written extensively on the same topics for Guitar Player. Elsewhere, his album reviews and essays have appeared in Louder and Unrecorded. Though open to music of all kinds, his greatest love has always been indie, and everything that falls under its massive umbrella. To that end, you can find him on Twitter crowing about whatever great new guitar band you need to drop everything to hear right now.
“When he saw the guitars, he goes, ‘John’s going back to the Chili Peppers.’ I said, ‘No way is he ever going back’”: John Frusciante’s former guitar tech on the moment he realized the guitarist could be rejoining the Red Hot Chili Peppers
“Day two, Dave Grohl says, ‘You’re going to need more guitars.’ We walk into the shop and he’s going, ‘Get whatever you want.’ I was so freaked out”: Chris Shiflett on his guitar shopping spree when he first joined the Foo Fighters