AC/DC mainman Malcolm Young faced heart and lung surgery on top of his dementia.
His brother Angus says the health issues hit “all at once” – but that the retired musician is in good physical shape.
Malcolm ended his career earlier this year and didn’t appear on latest AC/DC album Rock Or Bust. The symptoms of dementia began to appear before the band’s three-year Black Ice world tour in 2008, and he was forced to re-learn some of his own riffs – while bandmates held themselves back from showing too much sympathy. He hasn’t heard the band’s 17th record.
Angus tells KISW 99.9: “He had a lung operation, he had a heart operation. He seemed to get everything hit him at once.
“So he had quite a lot of things going on. But the physical side of him is great, because he got the best treatment for his lungs and for his heart. And he’s also in good care. He’s happy himself, because he’s being well looked after.”
Nephew Stevie Young played on Rock Or Bust in Malcolm’s place and will join the band on their upcoming tour. But drummer Phil Rudd’s status remains uncertain after he pled not guilty to charges of threatening to kill. He’ll appear in court in New Zealand in February.
Angus says: “The thing that happened is something he got himself into. Phil’s got to sort his life out. When he got behind his drumkit he’s a great drummer. Over the years, I think he’s let himself go – I’m talking away from the drumkit.”
Meanwhile, AC/DC have released a short video showing the band’s logo being blown out of a rock with dynamite, to mark the launch of their latest record.
