Malcolm Young

Musician

Birthday January 6, 1953

Birth Sign Capricorn

Birthplace Glasgow, Scotland

DEATH DATE 2017-11-18, Elizabeth Bay, New South Wales, Australia (64 years old)

Nationality United Kingdom

Height 160 cm

#4695 Most Popular

1911

Young's father, William Young (1911–1985), lived with his family at 6 Skerryvore Road in the Cranhill district of Glasgow.

William worked first as a wheel boy in a rope works and then as a machine and saw operator in an asbestos and cement business.

1913

He married Margaret (1913–1988; maiden name also Young), who was a housewife.

1933

Also in tow were his eldest brother Stephen (1933–1989), his only sister Margaret Horsburgh (1935–2019) and brother William Jr (b. 1940).

1937

Another brother, John (b. 1937), had migrated to Australia separately.

Malcolm later detailed the family's musical background: "All the males in our family played, Stevie, the oldest played accordion, Alex and John were the first couple to play guitar, and being older it was sort of passed down to George, then myself, then Angus."

Initially staying at Villawood Migrant Hostel (a site later turned into Villawood Immigration Detention Centre) in Nissen huts, George met and became friends with another migrant, Harry Vanda.

The Young family then moved into a semi-detached house at 4 Burleigh Street in the Sydney suburb of Burwood.

Both Angus and Malcolm Young were in a band with their brother George and his music partner Harry Vanda called Marcus Hook Roll Band.

The project released an album in Australia called Tales of Old Grand Daddy.

1938

Rolling Stone named Young as the 38th best guitarist of all time along with his brother, Angus.

Though his younger brother Angus was the more visible of the brothers, Malcolm was described as the driving force and the leader of the band.

Another elder brother, Alex (1938–1997), who was a member of Tony Sheridan's backup group The Bobby Patrick Big Six, stayed in Europe and was later a member of London-based group Grapefruit.

1940

In 1940, he joined the Royal Air Force and served in World War II as a flight engine mechanic.

After the war, he worked as a yard man for a builder and then as a postman.

1953

Malcolm Mitchell Young (6 January 1953 – 18 November 2017) was an Australian musician who was the co-founder, rhythm guitarist, backing vocalist and songwriter of the hard rock band AC/DC.

1960

Malcolm Young was in a short lived Newcastle-based band The Velvet Underground (not the well-known 1960s band).

1963

The "big freeze" of 1963 was one of the worst winters on record in Scotland, with snow 8 ft deep.

A TV advertisement shown in Scotland at that time offered assisted travel for families to start a different life in Australia.

Fifteen members of the Young family left Scotland in late June 1963, including fifth son George (1946–2017) and younger brothers Malcolm and Angus (b. 1955).

1973

Malcolm Young was 20 when he and younger brother Angus formed AC/DC in 1973.

Angus was on lead guitar, Malcolm on rhythm guitar, Colin Burgess on drums, Larry Van Kriedt on bass guitar and Dave Evans on vocals.

"Can I Sit Next To You Girl," their first single, was later re-recorded with Bon Scott as their vocalist.

They decided upon the name AC/DC after seeing the letters "AC/DC" on the back of their sister Margaret's sewing machine.

1974

Malcolm Young played guitar on the 1974 release "Evie" by Stevie Wright, written and produced by Harry Vanda and George Young.

The song is 11 minutes long and has three parts.

Young played the guitar solo in Part One of the song.

1975

In 1975 AC/DC had moved to Melbourne.

1977

In early 1977 they returned to Britain and began a European tour with Black Sabbath.

While Bon Scott and Ozzy Osbourne quickly became friends, some other members of the two bands did not get on so well.

In one incident, Young alleged that Geezer Butler pulled a knife on him, although Butler has since refuted that.

Towards the end of 1977, bassist Mark Evans was fired; Evans cited disagreement with Angus and Malcolm as a contributing factor.

He was replaced by Cliff Williams.

1988

Except for a brief absence in 1988, he was a member of AC/DC from its inception in 1973 until retiring in 2014 due to health reasons.

In 1988, Young missed the majority of AC/DC's Blow Up Your Video World Tour to address alcohol abuse issues.

2003

As a member of AC/DC, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003.

2014

In 2014, Young stated that despite his retirement from the band, AC/DC was determined to continue making music with his blessing.

Young left AC/DC in mid-2014 to receive treatment for dementia.

In September 2014, the band's management announced that he would be retiring permanently.

2017

He died from the effects of dementia on 18 November 2017.