View source for Bon Scott

{{Short description|Australian singer (1946–1980)}}
{{Use Australian English|date=February 2023}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name              = Bon Scott
| image             = Grenoble79 01 (cropped).jpg
| landscape         = yes
| caption           = Scott performing with AC/DC in December 1979
| birth_name        = Ronald Belford Scott
| birth_date        = {{birth date|df=yes|1946|7|9}}
| birth_place       = [[Forfar]], [[Angus, Scotland|Angus]], Scotland
| death_date       = {{death date and age|df=yes|1980|2|19|1946|7|9}}
| death_place      = [[East Dulwich]], London, England
| origin            = [[Fremantle]], Western Australia
| genre             = {{flatlist|
* [[Rock and roll]]
* [[blues rock]]
* [[hard rock]]
}}
| spouse            = {{marriage|Irene Thornton|1972|1977|reason=divorced}}
| occupation        = {{flatlist|
* Singer
* songwriter<!--do not change without discussion at talk -->
}}
| years_active      = 1964–1980
| past_member_of    = {{flatlist|
* [[AC/DC]]
* [[Fraternity (band)|Fraternity]]
* [[The Valentines (rock band)|The Valentines]]
* [[The Spektors]]
}}
| website           = {{URL|bonscottofficial.com}}
}}

'''Ronald Belford''' '''"Bon"''' '''Scott''' (9 July 1946&nbsp;– 19 February 1980) was an Australian singer who was the second lead vocalist and lyricist of the [[hard rock]] band [[AC/DC]] from 1974 until his death in 1980.<ref name="hell_aint">{{cite book|first=Mick |last=Wall |title=AC/DC: Hell Ain't a Bad Place to Be |publisher=Orion Publishing group |location=London |year=2012 |isbn=9781409115359}}</ref> In the July 2004 issue of ''[[Classic Rock (magazine)|Classic Rock]]'', Scott was ranked number one in a list of the "100 Greatest Frontmen of All Time".<ref name="Classic Rock 2004">"The 100 Greatest Frontmen". ''[[Classic Rock (magazine)|Classic Rock]]'' (July 2004).</ref>'' [[Hit Parader]]'' ranked Scott as fifth on their 2006 list of the 100 Greatest Heavy Metal Vocalists of all time.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.upthedownstair.net/2006/12/heavy-metals-all-time-top-100.html |title=Heavy Metal's All-Time Top 100 Vocalists |publisher=Up the Downstair |date=2 December 2006 |access-date=11 August 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120324012620/http://www.upthedownstair.net/2006/12/heavy-metals-all-time-top-100.html |archive-date=24 March 2012 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

Born in [[Forfar]] in [[Angus, Scotland|Angus]], Scotland, Scott spent his early years in [[Kirriemuir]]. He moved to Australia with his family in 1952 at the age of six, living in [[Melbourne]] for four years before settling in [[Fremantle]], [[Western Australia]],<ref name="hell_aint"/> then [[Adelaide, South Australia]] in his later years. Scott formed his first band, [[the Spektors]], in 1964 and became the band's drummer and occasional lead vocalist. He performed in several other bands, including [[The Valentines (rock band)|the Valentines]] and [[Fraternity (band)|Fraternity]], before replacing original AC/DC lead singer [[Dave Evans (singer)|Dave Evans]] in 1974.<ref name="hell_aint"/>

With AC/DC Scott performed on the band's first seven albums: ''[[High Voltage (1975 album)|High Voltage]]'' (1975, Oceania only release), ''[[T.N.T. (album)|T.N.T.]]'' (1975, Oceania only release), ''[[High Voltage (1976 album)|High Voltage]]'' (1976, first international release), ''[[Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap]]'' (1976, not released until 1981 in the United States), ''[[Let There Be Rock]]'' (1977), ''[[Powerage]]'' (1978) and ''[[Highway to Hell]]'' (1979). AC/DC's popularity grew throughout the 1970s, initially in Australia, and then internationally. Their 1979 album ''Highway to Hell'' reached the top 20 in the United States, and was their commercial breakthrough. However, on 19 February 1980, Scott died after a night out in London with former musician and alleged drug dealer Alistair Kinnear. AC/DC briefly considered disbanding, but the group recruited vocalist [[Brian Johnson]] of the British [[glam rock]] band [[Geordie (band)|Geordie]]. AC/DC's subsequent album, ''[[Back in Black]]'', was released only five months later, and was a tribute to Scott. It is currently the [[List of best-selling albums|second-best-selling album]] of all time.<ref name="hell_aint"/>

==Biography==

=== 1946–1964: Early years ===
Ronald Belford Scott was born on 9 July 1946 at Fyfe Jamieson Maternity Hospital in [[Forfar]], Scotland, to Charles Belford "Chick" Scott (1917–1999) and Isabelle Cunningham "Isa" Mitchell (1917–2011). He grew up in [[Kirriemuir]] and was the Scotts' second child; their first was a boy born in 1943, Sandy, who died shortly after birth.<ref name="hell_aint"/> A third child, Derek, was born in 1949.<ref name="hell_aint"/> Chick and Isa ran the family bakery in Kirriemuir's Bank Street.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/past-times/1294129/forget-the-hearse-cause-ill-never-die-bon-scotts-death-rocks-kirriemuir-40-years-on/|title="Forget the hearse, cause I'll never die": Bon Scott's death rocks Kirriemuir 40 years on|first=Gayle|last=Ritchie|date=May 2020 }}</ref> The family emigrated from Scotland to Australia in 1952.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.scotsman.com/arts-and-culture/acdc-back-plan-bon-scott-statue-kirriemuir-1575162|title=AC/DC back plan for Bon Scott statue in Kirriemuir|website=www.scotsman.com|date=15 May 2013 }}</ref>

The Scotts lived in the Melbourne suburb of [[Sunshine, Victoria]], and Scott attended the nearby Sunshine Primary School.<ref name="hell_aint"/> He received the nickname "Bon" shortly after starting school; because there was another Ronald in the class, his classmates played on the phrase "Bonnie Scotland".<ref>{{Cite web|last=Staff|first=Legacy|date=19 February 2012|title=Bon Scott: Bonnie Prince of Hard Rock|url=https://www.legacy.com/news/celebrity-deaths/bon-scott-bonnie-prince-of-hard-rock/|access-date=26 March 2021|website=Legacy.com|language=en-US}}</ref> A fourth child, Graeme, was born in 1953.<ref name="hell_aint"/>

In 1956, the family moved to [[Fremantle]], Western Australia. Scott joined the associated Fremantle Scots [[Pipe Band]], learning the drums.<ref name="hell_aint"/> He attended North Fremantle Primary School and later [[John Curtin College of the Arts|John Curtin Senior High School]] until he dropped out at the age of 15. He subsequently worked as a farmhand and a crayfisherman, and was later a trainee weighing-machine mechanic.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Browne |first=Geoff |title=Cultural Advice |chapter=Scott, Ronald Belford (Bon) (1946–1980) |chapter-url=https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/scott-ronald-belford-bon-27533 |place=Canberra |publisher=National Centre of Biography, Australian National University |access-date=26 March 2021}}</ref> In 1963 he spent a short time in [[Fremantle Prison]]'s assessment centre and nine months at the Riverbank Juvenile Institution, relating to charges of giving a false name and address to the police, having escaped legal custody, having unlawful [[carnal knowledge]], and stealing {{convert|12|impgal|L}} of petrol.<ref name="hell_aint"/> He attempted to join the [[Australian Army]], but was rejected and deemed "socially maladjusted".{{sfn|Walker|1994|p=39}}

===1964–1970: The Spektors and the Valentines===
Scott's vocals were inspired by his idol, [[Little Richard]].<ref>{{cite web |author=bravewords.com |url=http://www.bravewords.com/news/132727 |title=AC/DC Guitarist Angus Young Remembers Bon Scott – "When I Think Back In Hindsight, He Was A Guy That I Always Knew Was Full Of Life" |publisher=Bravewords.com |access-date=16 September 2012 |archive-date=8 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110708091937/http://www.bravewords.com/news/132727 |url-status=dead }}</ref> After working as a postman,<ref name="bonscott.com.au">{{cite web|url=http://www.bonscott.com.au/bonsstory.htm|title=Bon's story|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160919082626/http://www.bonscott.com.au/bonsstory.htm|archive-date=19 September 2016}}</ref> bartender<ref name="bonscott.com.au"/> and truck packer,<ref name="bonscott.com.au"/> Scott started his first band, [[the Spektors]], in 1964 as drummer and occasional lead singer.{{sfn|Walker|1994|p=32}} In 1966, they merged with another local band, the Winstons, and formed [[The Valentines (rock band)|the Valentines]], in which Scott was co-lead singer with [[Vince Lovegrove]].<ref name="bonscott.com.au"/> The Valentines recorded several songs written by [[George Young (rock musician)|George Young]] of [[the Easybeats]]. "[[Every Day I Have to Cry (song)|Every Day I Have to Cry]]" (a song originally written and sung by [[Arthur Alexander]]) made the local [[record chart]].<ref name="hell_aint"/> In 1970, after gaining a place on the [[ARIA Charts|National Top 30]] with their single "Juliette", The Valentines disbanded due to artistic differences after a much-publicised drug scandal.<ref name="amg">{{cite web | url={{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p36405/biography | pure_url=yes}} | last = Ankeny |first = Jason | title = Bon Scott Biography |publisher=Allmusic |access-date =7 August 2008}}</ref>

===1970–1973: Fraternity and the Mount Lofty Rangers===
Scott relocated to [[Adelaide]] in November 1970 after he joined the Sydney-formed [[progressive rock]] group [[Fraternity (band)|Fraternity]] on lead vocals.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Organisation |first=Grape |title=Bon Scott |url=https://fraternitybandofficial.com.au/bon-scott/ |access-date=2 July 2022 |website=Fraternity |language=en-AU}}</ref><ref name="bonscott.com.au"/> They had local chart success with their version of [[Blackfeather]]'s "[[Seasons of Change]]" (March 1971). Scott had previously played recorder on Blackfeather's version. Fraternity released the [[Gramophone record|LP]]s ''[[Livestock (Fraternity album)|Livestock]]'' and ''[[Flaming Galah]]'' before touring the UK in 1973, where they changed their name to Fang. During this time they played support slots for [[Status Quo (band)|Status Quo]] and [[Geordie (band)|Geordie]], whose front man [[Brian Johnson]] would eventually succeed Scott as the lead singer of AC/DC after his death.<ref name="hell_aint"/> During this time, on 24 January 1972, Scott married Irene Thornton.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bonscott.com.au/bon/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=34&|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130403204308/http://www.bonscott.com.au/bon/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=34&|url-status=dead|archive-date=3 April 2013|title=Bon's Story|publisher=Bon Scott fans|access-date=20 July 2014}}</ref>

In 1973, just after returning to Australia from the tour of the UK, Fraternity went on hiatus. Scott took a day job at the Wallaroo fertiliser plant and began singing with the Mount Lofty Rangers, a loose collective of musicians helmed by [[Peter Head]] (né Beagley) from [[Headband (band)|Headband]], who explained, "Headband and Fraternity were in the same management stable and we both split about the same time so the logical thing was to take members from both bands and create a new one&nbsp;... the purpose of the band was for songwriters to relate to each other and experiment with songs, so it was a hotbed of creativity".<ref>Smith, Michael 'A Little Bit Of Head Music' Drum Media, 28 January 1997</ref> Other ex-Fraternity members also played with the band as did [[Glenn Shorrock]] pre [[Little River Band]]. During this time, Head also helped Scott with his original compositions.

Vince Lovegrove said, "Bon would go to Peter's home after a day of (literally) shovelling shit, and show him musical ideas he had had during his day's work. Bon's knowledge of the guitar was limited, so Peter began teaching him how to bridge chords and construct a song. One of the songs from these sessions was a ballad called 'Clarissa', about a local Adelaide girl. Another was the country-tinged 'Bin Up in the Hills Too Long', which for me was a sign of things to come with Bon's lyrics; simple, clever, sardonic, tongue-in-cheek&nbsp;..."<ref name="ReferenceA">{{cite web|url=http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,,24677235-5006343,00.html|title=AC/DC's Vince Lovegrove recalls how he took on Bon Scott|last=Lovegrove|first=Vincent|date=22 November 2008|website=Adelaide Now|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081205112025/http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0%2C%2C24677235-5006343%2C00.html|archive-date=5 December 2008|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In return, Scott recorded vocals for Mount Lofty Rangers songs "Round & Round" and "Carey Gully".<ref>Coupe, Stuart, Bon Comes Round Again. In Press Magazine, 16 October 1996</ref> Head released these original recordings in 1996, also teaming up with producer Ted Yanni, another old friend of Scott's, to create an entirely new backing for ''[[Peter Head#Bon Scott and 'Round and Round and Round' EP|Round & Round & Round]]'' that more accurately reflected the original intentions Head had. Long out of print, and massively bootlegged, this EP finally got an official digital release in June 2010. Unrecorded original compositions of Scott's, "Been Up in the Hills Too Long" and "Clarissa" have been recorded by Head on his Peter Head & the Mount Lofty Rangers ''Lofty'' album, also released in digital format only in 2011.

About 11&nbsp;pm on 3 May 1974, at the [[Old Lion Hotel]] in [[North Adelaide]], during a rehearsal with the Mount Lofty Rangers, a very drunk, distressed and belligerent Scott had a raging argument with a member of the band. Scott stormed out of the venue, threw a bottle of [[Jack Daniel's]] to the ground, then sped off on his [[Suzuki GT550]] motorbike.<ref name="ReferenceA"/> Scott suffered serious injuries from the ensuing motorcycle accident, spending three days in a coma and a further 18 days in hospital. During his recovery Vince Lovegrove and his wife gave Scott odd jobs, such as putting up posters and painting the office for their nascent booking/management agency. Shortly afterward, Lovegrove introduced him to AC/DC, who had been on the lookout for a new lead singer.<ref name="amg"/>

"There was a young, dinky little glam band from Sydney that we both loved called AC/DC&nbsp;... Before another AC/DC visit, George Young phoned me and said the band was looking for a new singer. I immediately told him that the best guy for the job was Bon. George responded by saying Bon's accident would not allow him to perform, and that maybe he was too old (9 years older than Angus at the time). Nevertheless, I had a meeting with Malcolm and Angus, and suggested Bon as their new singer. They asked me to bring him out to the Pooraka Hotel that night, and to come backstage after the show. When he watched the band, Bon was impressed, and he immediately wanted to join them, but thought they may be a bit too inexperienced and too young. After the show, backstage, Bon expressed his doubts about them being "able to rock". The two Young brothers told Bon he was "too old to rock". The upshot was that they had a jam session that night in the home of Bon's former mentor, Bruce Howe, and at the end of the session, at dawn, it was obvious that AC/DC had found a new singer. And Bon had found a new band."<ref name="ReferenceA"/>

Fraternity later reformed and replaced Scott with [[Jimmy Barnes]].

===1974–1980: AC/DC===
{{Main|AC/DC#Bon Scott era (1974–1980)}}
[[File:ACDC-Hughes-long ago.jpg|thumb|Bon Scott (centre), performing with AC/DC at the [[Ulster Hall]] in 1979]]
Scott's wife, Irene Thornton, later wrote, "The first time Bon saw AC/DC was in August 1974. They came through Adelaide with the [[Lou Reed]] and [[Stevie Wright]] tour, and played their own show at the Pooraka Hotel{{nbsp}}... The first time I saw AC/DC was at the Pooraka Hotel in September. 'Get up there, Bon,' Vince kept saying. The band didn't have a singer that night; they were playing instrumental versions of old rock 'n' roll standards. The boys ripped through all these classic numbers and then finally, with enough pressure from Vince, Bon climbed onto the stage. I didn't realise that AC/DC had just sacked Dave Evans and they wanted Bon to replace him. Like Bon, the Youngs were Scottish, so there was an instant bond."<ref name=marriage>{{Cite web|url=https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/lifestyle/sa-weekend/my-marriage-to-acdc-frontman-bon-scott-and-why-we-split-by-irene-thornton/news-story/c0bab9ac2132231ebfb4cd07495fe161|title="My marriage to AC/DC frontman Bon Scott and why we split, by Irene Thornton" adelaidenow.com.au 20 September 2014|work=adelaidenow }}</ref>

Scott replaced Dave Evans as the lead singer of AC/DC on 24 October 1974,<ref name="bonscott.com.au"/> when it became obvious the band and Evans were heading in different directions, with Evans having personal clashes with band members and management.{{sfn|Stenning|2005|p=34}} Scott's appointment coincided with him working as a chauffeur for the band at the time until an audition promoted him to lead singer.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRT4AqM4f-Y&t=21ss |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/CRT4AqM4f-Y| archive-date=12 December 2021 |url-status=live|title=Bon Scott Interview Paris 1979 |website=YouTube |date=16 June 2015 |access-date=20 November 2017}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

With the Young brothers as lead and rhythm guitarists, session drummer [[Tony Currenti]] (see [[AC/DC line-ups]]) and George Young as a temporary bassist, AC/DC released ''[[High Voltage (1975 album)|High Voltage]]'', their first LP in Australia, in February 1975.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.acdc.com/us/music/high-voltage-0 |title=High Voltage |publisher=acdc.com |access-date=27 February 2014 |archive-date=8 February 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150208160609/http://www.acdc.com/us/music/high-voltage-0 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Within a few months Currenti was replaced by [[Phil Rudd]] and [[Mark Evans (musician)|Mark Evans]] was hired as a permanent bassist, and AC/DC began recording their second album ''[[T.N.T. (album)|T.N.T.]]'', which was released in Australia in December 1975. The first AC/DC album to gain international distribution however was a compilation of tracks from the first two albums, also titled ''[[High Voltage (1976 album)|High Voltage]]'', which was released in May 1976. Another studio album, ''[[Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap]]'', was released in September of the same year, but only in Australia; the international version of the album was released in December with a different track listing. The album was not released in the US until March 1981.

In the following years, AC/DC gained further success with their albums ''[[Let There Be Rock]]'' and ''[[Powerage]]''. The 1978 release of ''Powerage'' marked the debut of bassist [[Cliff Williams]] (who had replaced Mark Evans), and with its harder [[riffs]], followed the blueprint set by ''Let There Be Rock''. Only one single was released from ''Powerage''—"[[Rock 'n' Roll Damnation]]"—which gave AC/DC their highest chart position at the time, reaching #24. An appearance at [[The Apollo, Glasgow]], during the ''Powerage'' tour was recorded and released as ''[[If You Want Blood You've Got It]]''.<ref name="popmatters">{{cite web |url = http://www.popmatters.com/music/reviews/a/acdc-reissues2.shtml |title = Epic Records AC/DC Re-issues: Second Wave |access-date =7 August 2008 |last = Christopher |first = Michael |date = 30 June 2003 |website=[[PopMatters]] }}</ref>

The band's sixth album, ''[[Highway to Hell]]'', was produced by [[Robert John "Mutt" Lange]] and was released in 1979. It became AC/DC's first LP to break the US top 100, eventually reaching #17, and it propelled AC/DC into the top ranks of hard-rock acts.<ref name="timeline">{{cite web |url = http://www.acdcrocks.com/us/music/releases/albums/highway_to_hell/ |title = Timeline |website = AC/DC official website |access-date = 7 May 2010 |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090326004533/http://www.acdcrocks.com/us/music/releases/albums/highway_to_hell/ |archive-date = 26 March 2009 |df = dmy-all }}</ref><ref name="Bonfire">{{cite book |first = Murray |last = Engleheart |title = AC/DC: Bonfire |publisher=Eastwest Records America |location=New York |year=1997 |oclc=38208634}}</ref>

On 9 February 1980, AC/DC appeared on ''Aplauso TV'' (Spain) where they played "Beating Around the Bush", "[[Girls Got Rhythm]]", and "[[Highway to Hell (song)|Highway to Hell]]"; this would be Bon Scott's last appearance with AC/DC before his death.<ref>{{Citation |title=Tesoros de la tele – Aplauso |date=29 March 2023 |url=https://www.rtve.es/play/videos/tesoros-de-la-tele/aplauso/6841473/ |access-date=14 May 2023 |at=min. 34:00 |language=es}}</ref>

==Personal life==
Scott met Irene Thornton, from Adelaide, in 1971 while he was the lead singer for Fraternity. They married in 1972.<ref name=amazon>[https://www.amazon.com/Bon-Scott-Have-drink-me/dp/1911346709 "Bon Scott Have a Drink On Me: The Inside Story of Ac/DC's Troubled Frontman" Irene Thornton]</ref> The couple separated after two years of marriage and divorced in 1977, but remained friends until Scott's death.<ref name = bookt>{{Cite book|url=https://www.booktopia.com.au/my-bon-scott-irene-thornton/book/9781743517703.html|title=My Bon Scott|via=www.booktopia.com.au}}</ref> After Thornton, Scott had a significant ongoing relationship with Margaret "Silver" Smith, whom he had met in Adelaide in the early 1970s. Scott and Smith broke up in 1977 but were in touch until his death.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Fink |first1=Jesse |title=Bon: The Last Highway |date=2022 |publisher=ECW Press |location=Toronto |isbn=9781770414969 |page=329}}</ref>

Michael Browning, who managed AC/DC in their early years, stated in his book on managing AC/DC, ''Dog Eat Dog'', that he visited Scott in hospital in Melbourne in 1975 after Scott had overdosed on drugs. Browning claimed "Bon was bragging to me the last time he was in that hospital he was visiting two separate girls, both unknown to each other, who were both giving birth to his kids at the same time. So there's at least two of Bon Scott's children out there, or at least two I can vouch for."<ref name=news>{{Cite web|url=https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/books-magazines/books/acdcs-bon-scott-went-to-maternity-ward-where-two-women-were-having-his-children/news-story/bdd4ea0df945dcd584aa34634a0fd1bd|title=AC/DC's Bon Scott went to maternity ward where two women were having his children|website=news.com.au|date=10 October 2014}}</ref>

==Death==
[[File:Grave of Bon Scott, Fremantle Cemetery, Western Australia - 20060218.jpg|thumb|Bon Scott's grave]]
[[File:67 Overhill Road East Dulwich.JPG|thumb|67 Overhill Road, East Dulwich, London, the site of Bon Scott's death]]
On 15 February 1980, Scott attended a session where Malcolm and Angus Young were working on the beginnings of two songs that would later be recorded on the ''[[Back in Black]]'' album: "Have a Drink on Me" and "Let Me Put My Love into You", with Scott accompanying on drums rather than singing or writing lyrics.<ref name="hell_aint"/> Young has also claimed Scott played drums on "Hells Bells"<ref>{{cite news |last1=Lanham |first1=Tom |title=AC/DC's Angus Young: Striking Another Chord |url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/music/ac-dc/acdc-angus-young-interview |work=Paste|date=22 February 2021}}</ref> while AC/DC drummer Simon Wright has claimed Angus Young played him a demo of Scott playing drums on "Back in Black".<ref>{{cite news |last1=Mascord |first1=Steve |title=Bon Scott demoed 'Back in Black' – the song later dedicated to him – according to Simon Wright |url=https://hotmetalmag.com/bon-scott-demoed-back-in-black-the-song-later-dedicated-to-him-according-to-simon-wright/ |work=Hot Metal |date=1 May 2023}}</ref>

Days earlier, Scott had gone with [[Mick Cocks]] to visit their friends the French group [[Trust (French band)|Trust]] in the Scorpio Sound studio in London, where they recorded the album ''[[Répression]]''; Scott was working on the English adaptation of texts by [[Bernie Bonvoisin]] for the English version of the album. During this visit, the musicians did a jam session of "[[Ride On (AC/DC song)|Ride On]]". This improvised session was Scott's last recording.<ref>{{Cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GGi1DgAAQBAJ&q=Peter+Mensch+%2B+trust+%2B+bon+scott&pg=PT352 | title=Bon: The Last Highway: The Untold Story of Bon Scott and AC/DC's Back in Black<!-- bad Unicode on Google Books; comment to prevent bot from changing AC/DC's to AC/DCÕs -->| isbn=9781773051130|last=Fink|first=Jesse|author-link=Jesse Fink|date=2017|publisher=ECW Press}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.parismatch.com/People/Musique/Bernie-Bonvoisin-Le-jour-ou-mon-ami-Bon-Scott-est-mort-805812|title=Bernie Bonvoisin – 'Le jour où mon ami Bon Scott est mort'|language=fr|author1=Sophie de Villenoisy|author2=Julien Jouanneau|author3=William Smith|magazine=[[Paris Match]]|date=19 February 2020 }}</ref>

Sometime during the late evening of 18 February and early morning of Tuesday, 19 February 1980, Scott passed out and died at the age of 33. He had just visited a London club called the Music Machine (known as [[KOKO (music venue)|KOKO]] since 2004). He was allegedly left to sleep in a [[Renault 5]] owned by his friend Alistair Kinnear, at 67 Overhill Road in [[East Dulwich]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bonscott.com.au/kinnear.htm |title=Weather report |website=Bonscott.com.au |access-date=11 August 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161128215102/http://www.bonscott.com.au/kinnear.htm |archive-date=28 November 2016 }}</ref> Later that day, Kinnear found Scott unconscious and alerted the authorities. Scott was taken to [[King's College Hospital]] in [[Camberwell]], where he was pronounced [[dead on arrival]]. The official report of the coroner concluded that Scott had died of "acute [[alcohol poisoning]]" and classified it as "[[death by misadventure]]".<ref name="BScottDeath">{{cite news|first = Richard |last = Jinman |title = 25 years on, AC/DC fans recall how wild rocker met his end |url = https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2005/feb/19/arts.artsnews |newspaper=[[The Guardian]]|location=UK |date = 19 February 2005 |access-date =7 August 2008 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3129/2917476789_502c0e29c2.jpg?v=0 |format=JPG |title=Photographic image of Bon Scott's death certificate |website=Farm4.static.flickr.com |access-date=11 August 2016}}</ref>

As part of the funeral arrangements, Scott's body was embalmed by [[Desmond Henley]];<ref>{{cite web|url=https://christopherhenleylimited.com/inmemoriam|title=In Memoriam – Desmond C. Henley, OBE|website=christopherhenleylimited.com}}</ref> it was later cremated, and Scott's ashes were interred by his family at [[Fremantle Cemetery]] in Fremantle.<ref name="bonshighway">{{cite web |title=Bon's Highway leads to the National Trust |date=15 February 2006 |access-date=7 August 2008 |website=Metropolitan Cemeteries Board |url=http://www.mcb.wa.gov.au/MCBNews/mediaRel.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071116103758/http://www.mcb.wa.gov.au/MCBNews/mediaRel.html |archive-date=16 November 2007 }}</ref>

Shortly after Scott's death, the remaining members of AC/DC briefly considered disbanding. However, it was eventually decided that Scott would have wanted them to continue, and with the Scott family's encouragement, the band hired [[Brian Johnson]] as their new vocalist.<ref name="maximum">{{cite book |first1=Murray |last1=Engleheart |first2=Arnaud |last2=Durieux |title=AC/DC: Maximum Rock & Roll: The Ultimate Story of the World's Greatest Rock & Roll Band |publisher=Harper Collins |location=New York |year=2006 |isbn=9780061133916 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/acdcmaximumrockr00murr }}</ref> Before his death, Scott had praised Johnson and the performer's group [[Geordie (band)|Geordie]] to his friends, comparing the other vocalist to [[Little Richard]] and remarking (according to Angus Young) along the lines that Scott had found "a guy that knows what rock and roll is all about".<ref>{{cite web | url=https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/bon-scott-recommended-brian-johnson-to-ac-dc/ | title=How Bon Scott recommended Brian Johnson to AC/DC | date=26 July 2023 }}</ref>

In [[Jesse Fink]]'s 2017 book, ''[[Jesse Fink#Bon: The Last Highway (2017)|Bon: The Last Highway]]'', Fink explores the death of Scott and the surrounding circumstances, presenting alternate theories to the official account. Based on his research, he claims other factors might have played a role in Scott's death; alleging that heroin use could have been involved. He also contends that "the police investigation and the coroner’s inquest were substandard."<ref>{{cite web |last1=Adams |first1=Cameron |title=A new book claims Bon Scott may have died of a heroin overdose |url=https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/music/a-new-book-claims-bon-scott-may-have-died-of-a-heroin-overdose/news-story/81e449c7467604be0ed24c6d852d9f7d |website=[[news.com.au]] |date=30 October 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Munro |first1=Scott |title=AC/DC's Bon Scott died from drug overdose, claims new book |url=https://www.loudersound.com/news/exclusive-ac-dcs-bon-scott-died-from-drug-overdose-claims-new-book |website=[[Louder Sound]] |date=1 November 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/books/survivors-and-victims-of-rock-n-roll-excess-from-ac-dc-to-iron-maiden-and-queen-1.3315210 |last1=McGreevy |first1=Ronan |title=Survivors and victims of rock'n'roll excess from AC/DC to Iron Maiden and Queen |work=[[The Irish Times]] |date=16 December 2017 |page=29}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book | chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GGi1DgAAQBAJ&pg=PT353 |chapter=Rocker | title=Bon: The Last Highway: The Untold Story of Bon Scott and AC/DC's Back in Black<!-- bad Unicode on Google Books; comment to prevent bot from changing AC/DC's to AC/DCÕs --> |pages=353–362| isbn=9781773051130|last=Fink|first=Jesse|author-link=Jesse Fink|date=2017|publisher=ECW Press}}</ref>

==Lyrics controversy==
{{main|Back in Black#Lyrics controversy}}

Five months after Scott's death, AC/DC finished the work they had begun with Scott; they released ''Back in Black'' as a tribute to him, but his name did not appear in the writing credits.  The issue of whether Scott's lyrics were used, uncredited, on the album is an enduring topic of debate.

==Legacy==
===Landmarks===
====Australia====
[[File:BonScottStatue2 gobeirne.jpg|thumb|right|Statue of Bon Scott, [[Fremantle]], Western Australia]]
Scott's grave site in [[Palmyra, Western Australia|Palmyra]] has become a cultural landmark. More than 28 years after his death, the [[National Trust of Australia]] declared his grave important enough to be included on the list of classified heritage places.<ref name="bonshighway"/><ref>{{cite news |first = Tiffany |last = Laurie |title = Grave News is Great News for Scott fans |work=[[The West Australian]] |date = 15 February 2006 }}</ref> It is reportedly the most visited grave in Australia.<ref>{{cite news |url = http://www.smh.com.au/news/arts/acdc-agnostic-celebrates-the-ultimate-live-wire/2008/05/13/1210444428317.html |title = AC/DC agnostic celebrates the ultimate live wire |date = 14 May 2008 |work=Sydney Morning Herald |access-date =14 May 2008}}</ref> On 7 July 2006, to mark his 60th birthday, the Metropolitan Cemeteries Board completed refurbishments on the Bon Scott Grave Area. This consisted of a Bon Scott Arch and Memorial Entrance gate off Carrington Street in the north-west corner of Fremantle Cemetery.<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.bonscott.com.au/bon/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=34& |archive-url = https://archive.today/20130403204308/http://www.bonscott.com.au/bon/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=34& |url-status = dead |archive-date = 3 April 2013 |title = Bon's Story |access-date = 10 February 2013 }}</ref> On 9 July 2006, sixty years to the day from Scott's birth, the bronze plaque was stolen from the site.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fasterlouder.com.au/news/local/5237/Bon-Scotts-Grave-Plaque-Stolen |title=Bon Scott's Grave Plaque Stolen |date=10 July 2006 |website=fasterlouder.com |access-date=17 January 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130425213408/http://www.fasterlouder.com.au/news/local/5237/Bon-Scotts-Grave-Plaque-Stolen |archive-date=25 April 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

A bronze statue of Scott was unveiled at [[Fremantle Fishing Boat Harbour]] in Western Australia on 24 February 2008.<ref>{{cite web |title = Bon Scott statue to be unveiled in Perth |website = [[news.com.au]] |date = 22 February 2008 |url = http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=87008 |access-date = 22 February 2011 |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110706111437/http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=87008 |archive-date = 6 July 2011 |df = dmy-all }}</ref> The statue portrays Scott atop a [[Marshall Amplification|Marshall amplifier]].

[[ACDC Lane]] is a street in the [[Melbourne central business district]]. It was renamed on 1 October 2004 as a tribute to AC/DC. The trademark lightning bolt or slash ("/") used to separate the AC and the DC in the band's name contravened the naming policy of the Office of the Registrar of Geographic Names, so the punctuation was omitted on the street sign. Melbourne's Lord Mayor [[John So]] launched ACDC Lane with the words, "As the song says, there is a highway to hell, but this is a laneway to heaven. Let us rock". [[Great Highland bagpipe|Bagpipers]] then played ''[[It's a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll)]]''. Those were all songs from Bon Scott era. The lane contains a rock 'n' roll nightclub called the Cherry Bar.

====Scotland====
On 6 May 2006, the town of Kirriemuir in Scotland held a service and unveiled a [[Caithness]] stone slab commemorating the singer.<ref>{{cite news | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/tayside_and_central/4976606.stm | work=BBC News | title= Town's tribute to AC/DC front man | date = 7 May 2006 |access-date =7 August 2008}}</ref> A message was read from a long-time friend and fellow member of the Valentines, Vince Lovegrove, in which he said:

{{blockquote|The thing I loved most about Bon Scott, was his almost unique self honesty. What you saw was what you got, he was a real person and as honest as the day is long. To my mind he was the street poet of my generations and of the generations that followed.<ref>{{cite web |title = Kirriemuir salutes rock star legend |website = [[The Courier (Dundee)|The Courier]] |date = 8 May 2006 |url = http://www.thecourier.co.uk/output/2006/05/08/newsstory8312327t0.asp |access-date = 7 August 2008 |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080719073755/http://www.thecourier.co.uk/output/2006/05/08/newsstory8312327t0.asp |archive-date = 19 July 2008 |df = dmy-all }}</ref>}}

A life-sized bronze statue of Scott was unveiled by former AC/DC bass player Mark Evans in Bellies Brae Car Park in Kirriemuir on 30 April 2016, during the 10th anniversary of the Bonfest music festival. Kirriemuir hosts an annual festival known as "Bonfest" as a tribute to Bon Scott and AC/DC. It was originally held in July on the weekend closest to his birthday but moved to May because of other events in the local area during July. The statue was commissioned by local community group DD8 Music and created by [[John McKenna (sculptor)|John McKenna]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-tayside-central-36162037|title=AC/DC singer's statue unveiled|work=BBC News |date=1 May 2016}}</ref>

===Posthumous releases===
AC/DC released a [[box set]] entitled ''[[Bonfire (album)|Bonfire]]'' as a tribute to Scott on 18 November 1997. It contains four albums; a [[remaster]]ed version of ''Back in Black''; a "rarities" album with alternate takes, outtakes, and stray live cuts, ''[[Volts (album)|Volts]]''; and two live albums, ''[[Live from the Atlantic Studios]]'' and ''[[Let There Be Rock: The Movie]]''. ''Live from the Atlantic Studios'' was recorded on 7 December 1977 at the [[Atlantic Studios]] in New York City. ''Let There Be Rock: The Movie'' is a double album which was recorded on 9 December 1979 at the [[Pavillon de Paris]] in Paris, and was the soundtrack of the motion picture, ''[[AC/DC: Let There Be Rock]]''.<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.acdc-discography.com/CDBoxSets.html |title = Boxsets |access-date = 7 August 2008 |website = AC/DC discography |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080728070955/http://www.acdc-discography.com/CDBoxSets.html |archive-date = 28 July 2008 |df = dmy-all }}</ref>

===Accolades, awards and tributes===
[[AC/DC]]'s seventh studio album ''[[Back in Black]]'' was released as a dedication and tribute to Scott. In 2003, Scott was posthumously inducted into the [[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]] as a member of AC/DC<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.rockhall.com/inductee/ac-dc |title = AC/DC |website = [[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]] |access-date = 7 August 2008 |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100117052005/http://www.rockhall.com/inductee/ac-dc |archive-date = 17 January 2010 |df = dmy-all }}</ref> with his nephews present to accept the honour in his place.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZzvNpp8pA8 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/uZzvNpp8pA8| archive-date=12 December 2021 |url-status=live|title=AC DC accepts award Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductions 2003 |publisher=YouTube |date=28 October 2010 |access-date=11 August 2016}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

In 2003, Scott's final studio album with AC/DC, 1979's ''Highway to Hell'' ranked 199 on ''[[Rolling Stone]]''{{'}}s "[[Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time|The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time]]".<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/500-greatest-albums-of-all-time-19691231/highway-to-hell-ac-dc-19691231 |title=199 Highway to Hell |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |access-date=24 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110902081102/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/500-greatest-albums-of-all-time-19691231/highway-to-hell-ac-dc-19691231 |archive-date=2 September 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2004, the song "Highway to Hell" that Scott co-wrote with [[Malcolm Young|Malcolm]] and Angus Young ranked 254 on ''Rolling Stone''{{'}}s [[The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time]].<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/the-500-greatest-songs-of-all-time-20110407/ac-dc-highway-to-hell-19691231 |title=500 Greatest Songs of All Time{{snd}}Highway to Hell |magazine=Rolling Stone |access-date=24 June 2022}}</ref>

In the July 2004 issue of UK magazine ''[[Classic Rock (magazine)|Classic Rock]]'', Scott was rated as number one in a list of the "100 Greatest Frontmen", ahead of [[Freddie Mercury]] and [[Robert Plant]].<ref name="Classic Rock 2004"/>{{page needed|date=May 2018}}

The French rock band Trust wrote their hit song "Ton dernier acte" ("Your Last Act") in memory of Scott in 1980. German hard rock band [[Kingdom Come (German band)|Kingdom Come]] wrote and recorded a song titled "Bon Scott" for their album, ''Ain't Crying for the Moon'', as a tribute to the former AC/DC frontman. Romanian hard rock group [[Iris (Romanian band)|Iris]] recorded the song "Ultimul mic dejun al lui Bon" ("Bon's Last Breakfast") as a tribute to Scott, released on their 1997 album ''[[Lună plină]]''.

Many artists perform live covers of songs that Scott wrote with AC/DC as a tribute to him. On 19 February 2005, the 25th anniversary of Scott's death, [[thrash metal]] band [[Megadeth]] performed a cover of "Problem Child" as a tribute. Singer and guitarist [[Dave Mustaine]] talked about how much Scott had influenced him. Hard rock band [[Guns N' Roses]] frequently perform "[[Whole Lotta Rosie]]" in concert and covered it in 1987. AC/DC performed their song "Ride On" only one time in 2001 as a tribute to Scott.<ref>{{YouTube|kk7aJxagVPA|AC/DC – "Ride On" (Stade de France, Paris, June 2001)}}</ref>

===Literature===
Scott is the subject of several books including two biographies by [[Jesse Fink]] - ''Bon: The Last Highway'' (2017, updated in 2018 and 2022) and ''Bon: Notes from the Highway'' (2024) - and [[Clinton Walker]]'s ''Highway to Hell'' (1994 and updated in 2015 and 2023). Fink's books claim that Scott died from a lethal combination of alcohol and heroin, while Walker backs the coroner's finding of alcohol poisoning. The controversial point that he and Walker both agree on is that many of Scott's lyrics were co-opted, uncredited, into ''Back in Black''. Other books about Scott include Irene Thornton's memoir ''My Bon Scott'' (2014, retitled outside Australia as ''Have a Drink on Me''), Mary Renshaw's ''Live Wire'' (2015) and Victor Marshall's ''Fraternity: Pub Rock Pioneers'' (2021).{{sfn|Marshall|2021}}

===Film===

In 2024 it was reported a feature film called ''The Kid from Harvest Road'' was being made of Scott's time in Western Australia before he became a musician.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Colothan |first1=Scott |title=Movie about AC/DC legend Bon Scott announced and lead actor revealed |url=https://planetradio.co.uk/planet-rock/news/rock-news/ac-dc-bon-scott-movie/ |website=Planet Rock |access-date=10 June 2024}}</ref>

== Discography ==
{{main|AC/DC discography|List of songs recorded by AC/DC}}

=== With AC/DC ===
'''Studio albums'''

* ''[[High Voltage (1975 album)|High Voltage]]'' (1975) ([[Australasia]] only)
* ''[[T.N.T. (album)|T.N.T.]]'' (1975) (Australasia only)
* ''[[High Voltage (1976 album)|High Voltage]]'' (1976) (international version)
* ''[[Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap]]'' (1976) (Australasia, UK, international except US)
* ''[[Let There Be Rock]]'' (1977)
* ''[[Powerage]]'' (1978)
* ''[[Highway to Hell]]'' (1979)
* ''[[Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap]]'' (1981) (US only)

'''Live albums'''

* ''[[If You Want Blood You've Got It]]'' (1978)

=== With Fraternity ===
'''Studio albums'''

* ''[[Livestock (Fraternity album)|Livestock]]'' (1971)
* ''[[Flaming Galah]]'' (1972)

==Awards==

{{awards table}}
|-
| 2005 || Bon Scott || Hall of Fame || {{yes2|inductee}}
|-
{{end}}

==Further reading==
* {{Cite book | last = Fink | first = Jesse|author-link=Jesse Fink| year = 2024 | title = Bon: Notes from the Highway | publisher = Shaking Dog Books | isbn = 979-8-33507-806-1}}
* {{Cite book | last = Fink | first = Jesse|author-link=Jesse Fink| year = 2022 | title = Bon: The Last Highway, The Untold Story of Bon Scott and AC/DC's Back In Black | publisher = ECW Press | isbn = 978-1-77041-496-9 | edition = updated|ref=none}}
* {{Cite book | last = Marshall | first = Victor | year = 2021 | title = Fraternity: Pub Rock Pioneers | publisher = Brolga Publishing | location = Melbourne, Australia | isbn = 978-1920785109}}
* {{Cite book | last = Prato | first = Greg | year = 2020 | title = A Rockin' Rollin' Man: Bon Scott Remembered | publisher = self-published | isbn = 978-1-65198-063-7|ref=none}}
* {{Cite book | last = Stenning | first = Paul | year = 2005 | title = AC/DC – Two Sides to Every Glory | publisher = Chrome Dreams | isbn = 978-1-84240-308-2}}
* {{Cite book | last = Walker | first = Clinton | author-link = Clinton Walker | year = 1994 | title = Highway to Hell: The Life and Times of AC/DC Legend Bon Scott | publisher = Verse Chorus Press | isbn = 978-0-283-06263-6}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{wikiquote|Bon Scott}}
* {{commons category-inline|Bon Scott}}
* {{official website|bonscottofficial.com}}

{{AC/DC}}
{{2003 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame}}
{{Portal bar|Biography|Rock music}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Scott, Bon}}
[[Category:1946 births]]
[[Category:1980 deaths]]
[[Category:AC/DC members]]
[[Category:Accidental deaths in London]]
[[Category:Alcohol-related deaths in England]]
[[Category:APRA Award winners]]
[[Category:Australian rock singers]]
[[Category:Australian male songwriters]]
[[Category:Australian people of Scottish descent]]
[[Category:Burials at Fremantle Cemetery]]
[[Category:Drug-related deaths in London]]
[[Category:Musicians from Western Australia]]
[[Category:Naturalised citizens of Australia]]
[[Category:People educated at John Curtin College of the Arts]]
[[Category:People from Fremantle]]
[[Category:People from Kirriemuir]]
[[Category:Scottish emigrants to Australia]]
[[Category:20th-century Australian male singers]]
[[Category:Australian blues rock musicians]]