Joe Elliott Says He Never Had The Chance To Pay Bon Scott Back

Def Leppard’s Joe Elliott recalled when they were touring with AC/DC and stated that even though they didn’t socialize much with them, Bon Scott was really friendly, bought them beers, and Def Leppard never got the chance to pay him back.

AC/DC was on their grand ‘Highway to Hell’ tour between 1979 and 1980 when two-year-old Def Leppard joined them as a supporting act on stage. With this record and tour, AC/DC was on its way to worldwide fame and success, and Def Leppard witnessed their rise first hand.

The tour kept the band very busy, and AC/DC couldn’t socialize with Def Leppard, but they still left some great memories in Joe Elliott’s mind. In an interview with Classic Rock, he stated that they didn’t see the band much, but the vibe of both of them playing together was amazing. He recalled that Bon Scott was the most friendly one since he even gave Def Leppard some money to get beers, after hearing that they were sharing a pint.

Here is how Elliott told the story:

“They looked after us. We had good lights and sound, and we went down well with their audience. There wasn’t much socializing, but the overall vibe of the two bands together was pretty damn good. It wasn’t that AC/DC wasn’t friendly; we just never saw much of them.

But the one guy who was really personable was Bon Scott. I remember we happened to be in the same hotel as them one night, we had four straws in one pint, and Bon threw a tenner down and said: ‘Here you are, lads! Go buy yourselves a round.’ Sadly I never had the chance to pay him back.”

Sadly, Bon Scott died of alcohol poisoning in 1980, not long after their ‘Highway to Hell’ tour. The band wanted to quit music after his passing but, after a break, they hired Brian Johnson as their lead vocalist and continued to rock the world with Scott’s family’s blessing. However, Elliott and the rest of Def Leppard’s members never got to pay Scott back for those beers.