Angus Young Explains How Bon Scott Reacted To Brian Johnson’s Performance When He First Listened To Him

AC/DC lead guitarist Angus Young opened up about the first time late lead vocalist Bon Scott listened to his future replacement after his passing, Brian Johnson, and apparently, Scott thought Johnson was the best singer he had seen in a long time, as he revealed to Young.

As many of you know, after the passing of lead singer Bon Scott, the band started to look for another frontman and following a few auditions in which Brian Johnson performed ‘Whole Lotta Rosie’ from Let There Be Rock and Ike & Tina Turner’s ‘Nutbush City Limits,’ he was officially announced as the new lead singer of AC/DC on 1 April 1980.

The main reason because Angus and Malcolm Young came up with the name of Brian Johnson is because Bon Scott saw Johnson performing long before other members of AC/DC had. Apparently, Scott was impressed with Johnson’s performance and saw a similarity between him and Little Richard who is Bon’s big idol, therefore, band members felt comfortable working with Johnson.

During a recent interview with 95.5 KLOS’s ‘New & Approved’ series, Angus Young opened up about the story of how Bon Scott felt about Brian Johnson when he first saw him perform. Apparently, while Scott was touring with a band, he came across Johnson while he was also a band named ‘Geordie,’ thus, got the opportunity to see his performance.

Bon Scott was impressed by Brian Johnson’s performance and revealed to his friend that it was the best act and a singer he has seen in a long time after seeing he was screaming on the floor during the performance, however, the reality was quite different as Johnson was experiencing an attack of appendicitis, yet managed to keep on performing.

Here is what Johnson said:

“Bon had been in a band that had toured in Britain, and they were opening for the band Brian was in, which was a band called Geordie. Anyhow, they were gigging away, and as Bon told the story, he was saying he was listening to Geordie performing and listening to Brian, and then he heard this screaming. He said it sounded great — he said it sounded like Little Richard was on the stage. He said this guy howling and yelling. And then he said then he saw the guy on the floor. Bon thought it was great — it was the best act he had seen, and a singer, in a long time. But what he didn’t know, afterward he found out, Brian had an attack of appendicitis. But Bon thought it was part of the act. He thought, ‘This guy is incredible.’ ‘And he was still hittin’ these high notes.'”

You can see the source right here.