AC/DC Members Past, Present Honor Malcolm Young at Funeral Service
AC/DC‘s past and present members attended the funeral for guitarist Malcolm Young at St. Mary’s Cathedral in Sydney, Australia on Tuesday, according to News.com.au. Young died earlier this month at age 64; he suffered from dementia.
Malcolm’s brother Angus, who co-founded AC/DC, Brian Johnson, who sang in the band until 2016, Cliff Williams and Mark Evans (both former bassists) and Phil Rudd (former drumer) were all present at the funeral, though none spoke during the public portion of the ceremony. Young’s famous guitar, “The Beast,” perched on top of his coffin during the proceedings; after the funeral, Angus carried the instrument to the hearse.
Young’s ability to make fans from a wide variety of backgrounds was proven by Monsignor Tony Doherty, who ran the service. The priest told those in attendance that he had been listening intently to AC/DC’s catalog in recent weeks. “Once in a while and only once in a while, someone comes along who truly understands, who has a gift to transfer all those needs and emotions into music,” Doherty said. “This genius of music and song had been cruelly struck silent.”
Young’s nephew, Bradley Horsburgh, remembered a side of the guitarist less well-known to the
public. “He was famous for rhythm but
infamous for boating skills,” Horsburgh told the crowd. “We could almost
blame him personally for rising sea levels caused by too many anchors
lost at sea.”
Young died Saturday, November 18th, after a three year-battle with dementia. “With enormous dedication and commitment he was the driving force behind the band,” AC/DC wrote in a statement. “As a guitarist, songwriter and visionary he was a perfectionist and a unique man. He always stuck to his guns and did and said exactly what he wanted. He took great pride in all that he endeavored.”