AC/DC guitarist and co-founder Malcolm Young dead at 64
Malcolm Young, whose crunching guitar provided the rhythmic backbone of AC/DC for more than 40 years, died on Saturday at the age of 64.
Young, who co-founded the Australian hard rock band with his younger brother Angus in 1973, stuck with the band -- and, by most accounts, served as its leader -- until he retired in 2014. His retirement was prompted by the onset of dementia.
The band confirmed Young's passing in a statement posted to its Facebook page. The post also includes a second, more personal statement from Angus himself.
"As his brother, it is hard to express in words what he has meant to me during my life, the bond we had was unique and very special," Angus wrote. "He leaves behind an enormous legacy that will live on forever."
"Malcolm, job well done."
A separate statement from the Young family, shared by Australia's SBS, confirms that Malcolm died peacefully on Saturday with his family at his side.
"Renowned for his musical prowess, Malcolm was a songwriter, guitarist, performer, producer and visionary who inspired many," the statement read. "From the outset, he knew what he wanted to achieve and, along with his younger brother, took to the world stage giving their all at every show. Nothing less would do for their fans."
The music world reacted to the news with an outpouring of grief, support for Young's friends and family, and expressions of thanks for the AC/DC rock god's lasting contributions to music.
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Topics Music
Adam Rosenberg is a Senior Games Reporter for Mashable, where he plays all the games. Every single one. From AAA blockbusters to indie darlings to mobile favorites and browser-based oddities, he consumes as much as he can, whenever he can.Adam brings more than a decade of experience working in the space to the Mashable Games team. He previously headed up all games coverage at Digital Trends, and prior to that was a long-time, full-time freelancer, writing for a diverse lineup of outlets that includes Rolling Stone, MTV, G4, Joystiq, IGN, Official Xbox Magazine, EGM, 1UP, UGO and others.Born and raised in the beautiful suburbs of New York, Adam has spent his life in and around the city. He's a New York University graduate with a double major in Journalism and Cinema Studios. He's also a certified audio engineer. Currently, Adam resides in Crown Heights with his dog and his partner's two cats. He's a lover of fine food, adorable animals, video games, all things geeky and shiny gadgets.
