Saxon’s singer Biff Byford recently spoke about AC/DC vocalist Brian Johnson and him replacing Bon Scott after his death. The singer chose a favorite song from the band, a song from the Johnson era when he was new to the group, to replace Scott.
AC/DC went through a difficult time when their beloved singer Bon Scott passed away in 1980 from acute alcohol poisoning. It was during the recording sessions of the band’s album ‘Who Made Who,’ and the singer was re-recording the song ‘Ride On,’ which became his last recording ever.
The band considered quitting altogether as losing such a massive contributor to the group and their friend was difficult. However, Scott’s parents gave them their blessing to continue and stated that Scott would want them to continue. They began looking for a new vocalist.
The band went through a few singers before remembering that Scott had seen and liked Johnson’s style when he was still alive. They filled Bon Scott’s spot with Brian Johnson, yet it was a challenging task. It was one of the rare examples of a suitable replacement after the death of an iconic lead singer.
Recently, Biff Byford stated that although he was a big fan of AC/DC in the Bon Scott era, it was a brilliant comeback with Brian Johnson in their new album ‘Back in Black.’ Byford also picked ‘Hells Bells’ from the band’s first record after Scott to be on the list of his favorite songs.
Here is what he said about the song and Brian’s comeback:
“I chose ‘Hells Bells’ because that was on Brian’s first album. We did that a few days about touring America, and I was a big fan of AC/DC before Brian. But I think he nailed it on that album and that particular song. I think it’s a brilliant song to come back with after Bon’s death.“
You can watch the interview below.
