Lots of news today made by my friend Jim Breuer and his podcast stating that Brian Johnson was pushed out of AC/DC. Notable that the podcast has since come down and Jim has softened some of his story. Read into that what you will. In light of all of this I’ve been asked about my thoughts by many. I’ll say this; it does seem strange that a hearing issue could come on so quick that it would end a tour. It does seem strange that something like this couldn’t be managed in some way. I am no sound engineer but there must be some protection that can be taken I would think? As I’ve said all along what direction AC/DC goes next will tell you a lot about all of this. If they go get a younger guy Angus (who is youngest in the band) may keep this band going 10 more years. If they get a few celeb singers and do a sort of Farewell then Brian’s situation may be very real and they bow out gracefully.
I know Brian. I am not going to tell you I know him well and hang with him. But we have spoken from time to time and he has done my radio show several times as well as TMS. He is one of my favorite people. A real guy for sure. I had never heard of him having hearing issues or needing to raise my voice around him as was the case with others. I can also tell you he always at times almost talked about AC/DC like he wasn’t in the band. “Whatever Mal and Ang say..” was a familiar line. He is a good guy, was great in the gig, and will be hugely missed if this did not happen on his terms. In the last week it has been STUNNING to me to see how many fans are already talking about who the next singer is without asking questions and worrying about Brian. This is BRIAN JOHNSON! 36 years in AC/DC! Singer in one of the biggest bands and on one of the biggest albums EVER! It’s not like another drummer change (and I say that with all respect to drummers, but you get it).
I also know Brian was getting tired out there. In his late 60’s that is understandable. This is a high energy show and tough stuff to sing. I know the band were only able to play no more than 3 times a week max because he needed rest. This is not uncommon for older singers. Same goes with Steve Tyler these days. But it is expensive for a band to sit around in hotels off that many days. All of this plays in to the equation I think. It could be that Brian had some hearing issues and there was other stuff brewing. Angus saw it as a chance to do a third AC/DC and do another 10 years of more activity by using this as the vehicle to make a change. We have seen the very familiar move in music these days where bands are selling a logo and maybe one original member. The name AC/DC is one of the biggest on the planet. With that logo, those songs, and Angus, if they find the right guy they will find an audience. But it’s tricky and these are huge shoes to fill. So I think there are a combination of things at work here. And what AC/DC do and say going forward will be telling. They have always been a very close knit quiet camp. So until there is something real to announce everything is speculation for sure. But it will be interesting to watch. Most importantly if Brian is having any issue I hope he is well. I left him a voice mail today with my regards. He is a class act all the way and it would be greatly disappointing if this did not happen on his terms given how much he has put into this band over the decades.
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With the tight knit history of this band, I have to believe that Brian does have the health problems that were originally reported. If there is infighting, they’d at least finish the tour before they went their seperate ways. I’ve also spent a little time with Brian, and he was the nicest guy in the world. I couldn’t see him screwing the fans and leaving a tour early, as well as leaving all that money on the table. The same goes for Angus. This band has been around way too long to postpone a tour like this because of fighting. Either way, this sucks!
Either way the fans will decide if AC DC moves forward , by buying tickets …. With them never doing interviews and never hearing anything from Angus , I don’t see the tour moving forward … Angus can hire any singer he wants , but if the fans don’t show up … ITS OVER ,
I read the statement from Brian Johnson saying he blew out his left ear drum from the noise in one of his race cars. He had forgotten to put his ear plugs in. That is why it was sudden, according to him.
Breuer said that Brian told the band he was having some problems, but not that he was done. The band then cancelled everything with not much more talking between them. Weird. Even if they are looking for a new singer you’d think they’d at least finish the tour. Rock Or Bust is classic AC/DC with Brian sounding as good as ever. Youtube clips also show that Brian live still had the chops. If this is true about just trying to get a younger singer then Angus will have to deal with a lot of backlash. This just shows that they’ve been “too long at the top” to appreciate their own rock n roll.
Well spoken Eddie. I fell victim to joining the conversation myself about discussing a possible replacement. I wish Angus would make a proper statement about the future of the band moving forward. In any event I wish Brian the best for a speedy recovery and good health. I’ve never met the man but wish I could some day. He seems like an absolute class act and the exact opposite of what a lot of rock stars act like. Any aspiring musician should look no further than Brian Johnson for how to conduct yourself fronting one of the biggest bands in the world. God bless Brian and here’s hoping for a speedy recovery.
He appeared in that magazine about racing cars, forgot the name, it was so fun to watch because, as you said, he is a real guy, witty, down-to-earth, authentic, polite, modest, a rare thing in an industry that is all about show and showing off.