Every year, wherever he was, Bon Scott called his mother on her birthday. So when the phone rang that fateful day, Isa Scott thought‘Oh, it’s Ron (his real name) calling to congratulate me.’ But it wasn’t his son. It was Malcolm Young. He just said, ‘Ron is dead.’ On February 19, 1980on a freezing London morning, found deadinside a Renault 5, to the singer of AC DC. She had only 33 years. The official cause of death: alcohol poisoning and accidental death due to asphyxiation on his own vomit. It was the end of what is considered one of the great rock vocalists of all time.
Iconic and charismatic figure, Bon Scott had a short life marked by debauchery, always on the limit. His excessive consumption of alcohol and drugs was the trigger for his tragic end. Nice and friendly man, that everyone liked himhis death at the age of 33, It was not a surprise to those who knew him.. She had already been on the edge of the precipice on more than one occasion. He himself said that he would not live to be 40 years old..
Bon Scott posing for the press at the WEA offices / Dick Barnatt
Born in a small town in Scotland, Ronald Belford Scott He was a peculiar guy. At the age of 6 he emigrated, along with his family, to Melbourne (Australia) and went through different rock groups – The Spektors, The Valentines or Fraternity – before becoming, 1974, lead vocalist of AC/DC. In the band of brothers Malcolm and Angus Young, played a fundamental role. He not only had a powerful and unique voice, which became the group’s signature sound; his stage presence was electrifying. Angus himself recalled on ABC: “from the moment he walked out on stage… he filled it.” Bon Scott embodied the essence of rock and roll..
AC/DC backstage at a 1980 concert / Michael Putland
In 1979, Bon had already fulfilled his dream: be an international rock star. He participated in AC/DC’s first six albums and the sixth, ‘Highway to hell’, had taken them to the top. They reached unimaginable positions and figures. They toured tirelessly: United Kingdom, Europe, America… On January 27, 1980the Australians offered the final concert of the tour at the Gaumont Theatre, in Southampton, UK It would become Scott’s last show, to the like ‘Highway to hell’ was the last album in which he participated. In fact He co-wrote the title song with the Young brothers.
At that time, the band had started working on the songs for the next album (‘Back in black’). Already in London, in the recording studio, Angus and Malcolm were preparing the songs. They told Bon they wouldn’t need him for a few days.. That meant that the singer had to face His greatest weakness: boredom. For him it was unbearable. As his friend (and former Fraternity teammate) reveals on the ABC show ‘Australian Story’: “When he got bored, heand it didn’t matter if I lived or died the next day. I tried everything – marijuana, alcohol, magic mushrooms – and endangered his life by doing wild things. In the days of boredom, there was no future, only the present.” Also his brother, Derek Scott, in his first interview on the same program, assured: “He got bored very quickly. That was the biggest problem. When he got bored, he drank. He never cared about tomorrow. Tomorrow was another day.”
Bon Scott from AC/DC / Fin Costello
On the night of February 18, he called some friends and suggested they go out for a drink. Apparently they drank too much. One of those friends, Alistair Kinnear, took him home. But Bon fainted on the way. Then, he drove to his own house. Over there He was unable to lift him up. He put a blanket over him, reclined the seat so he was lying down, and went to bed.. The next day, Alistair discovered Bon Scott’s lifeless body inside his Renault 5. The official autopsy report ruled that he had suffered a alcohol poisoning (which caused him to drown in his own vomit). It was classified as “accidental death.” He was 33 years old.
Bon had always called his mother on her birthday, February 18th. But this time when the phone rang, It was Malcolm Young. Derek Scott, Bon’s brother, recalled: “Mom thought, ‘Oh, Ron is calling me to congratulate me’, something he usually did the next day because of the time difference. Malcolm didn’t have time to explain it to him because the news was already coming out on the radio and he didn’t want us to find out through that medium. He just said, ‘Ron’s dead.'”
PERTH, AUSTRALIA – FEBRUARY 19: Tributes adorn the memorial of Bon Scott on the 30th anniversary of AC/DC’s former frontman’s death, at Fremantle cemetery on February 19, 2010 in Perth, Australia. Scott died at the age of 33 in London from alcohol poisoning and was found in his car, where he initially fell asleep. AC/DC are currently touring Australia with their “Black Ice” tour, their first tour here since 2001. (Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images) / Paul Kane
What really happened that night of February 18 to 19, 1980 has always been the subject of debate and speculation. Some believe something else happened. Questions and hypotheses persist. Jesse Finkthe writer and author of the book ‘Bon: The Last Highway’ biographer of Scott, was investigating and talking to the people who had been with the vocalist that night. You have no doubt that Bon Scott died of a heroin overdose. Alistair Kinnearthe last person who saw him alive and who discovered his bodywas his drug supplier. Colin Burgess, original drummer of AC/DC, was also with him that night and says in UCR: ““I can assure you that when we left, he was not drunk.”
Stevie Young, Brian Johnson, Matt Laug, Angus Young and Cliff Williams in 2023 / Kevin Mazur
Angus Young expressed his pain after Scott’s departure: “For us it was like losing a member of our family. It’s very difficult to overcome something like that. Not only is he your friend, he’s someone you’ve been working with all this time.” By April 1980, they had already surpassed it. They hired Brian Johnson as a new vocalist and finished the songs for ‘Back to Black’which became a tribute to the deceased vocalist. On VH1, Young stated: “We wanted a black cover. “We couldn’t have done justice with words alone.” Published in the summer of 1980, ‘Back to Black’ today remains one of the best-selling albums of all time.
