The Australian rock band AC/DC has influenced the way of rock. The lead guitarist Angus Young is without a doubt a very defining guitarist. Only a few bands have represented heavy rock as AC/DC. The tenacious spirit of the founding brothers Malcolm and Angus Young totally changed the way of rock.
The guitarist Angus Young, has been a guitar icon for so long. The brothers surely took inspiration from rock bands like Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath. Being the legend he is, Chuck Berry was recently named his ‘Rock God’.
Before all this in 2001, when he was asked what music gets his “toes tapping”. He said, “I plug into a lot of old rock and roll,” he replied. “Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly, Little Richard, and Jerry Lee Lewis. I love all that stuff. In fact, if I get a chance and I’m on my way to a gig, I’ll put one of their tapes on. Because they’re good vibe meters, and I still get off on them.”
Speaking on The Rock Show with Johnnie Walker during the ‘Rock God’ segment. He said, “Chuck Berry was probably one of the great guitar people for rock and roll. He combined a lot of elements — he combined blues, a bit of jazz, and his own unique style,”
“He melded all these kinds of different genres of music, but he seemed to bring it together and bring it out and it [came] out in that rock and roll style — so plain and simple, but it was so effective.”
He revealed his past and said when he was a kid he was not much of a guitar player. Not until about 12 years of age. Angus said, “I could play guitar a little bit, but I really got focused on it around the years when I was about 12 into my teenage years, I started to focus more on it. And around when I was about 13 or 14, that’s when Jimi Hendrix appeared on the horizon.”
In the early days of the band, the original vocalist of AC/DC died from acute alcohol poisoning. That’s when the band got hold of English singer Brian Johnson and replaced him. Scott also said that he sounded like his hero Little Richard.
“I remember the first time I had ever heard Brian’s name was from Bon,” guitarist Angus remembered in an interview with BraveWords. “Bon had mentioned that he had been in England once touring with a band, and he had mentioned that Brian had been in a band called Geordie and Bon had said ‘Brian Johnson, he was a great rock and roll singer in the style of Little Richard.’ And that was Bon’s big idol, Little Richard”.
“I think when he saw Brian at that time, to Bon, it was, ‘Well, he’s a guy that knows what rock and roll are all about.’ He mentioned that to us in Australia. I suppose when we decided to continue, Brian was the first name that Malcolm and myself came up with, so we said we should see if we can find him.”
Angus has always been Chuck Berry’s fan. He has a very soft spot for his icon. Also, he imitated his famous ‘Duckwalk’ and it is something that people recognize besides his schoolboy attire.
Be sure to watch his ‘Duckwalk’ down below
