Far Right: George Young (Gunter Zint/K & K Ulf Kruger OHG/Redferns)
Far Right: George Young (Gunter Zint/K & K Ulf Kruger OHG/Redferns)George Young, brother of Malcolm Young and Angus Young of AC/DC, has died, according to a statement on the band’s website. He was 70.
Young was a member of the group The Easybeats, who scored with “Friday on My Mind,” and then went on to co-produce AC/DC’s early albums, including Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap, Let There Be Rock, T.N.T., Powerage, and High Voltage. He produced the band’s 2000 album Stiff Upper Lip, and for a short time, also played bass.
The band said in a statement, “It is with pain in our heart that we have to announce the passing of our beloved brother and mentor George Young. Without his help and guidance there would not have been an AC/DC. As a musician, songwriter, producer, advisor and much, much more, you could not ask for a more dedicated and professional man.”
The statement went on to say, “As a brother, you could not ask for a finer brother. For all he did and gave to us throughout his life, we will always remember him with gratitude and hold him close to our hearts.”
The Easybeats’ “Friday on My Mind,” co-written by George, reached the top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1967, and topped the charts and reached the top 10 in numerous other countries. In 2001, it was voted the “Best Australian Song of All Time” by the Australasian Performing Rights Association.
Copyright © 2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.