Brian Johnson Denies AC/DC Retirement Imminent

UPDATE 7:30 a.m. PT: AC/DC has posted the following on Facebook, “After forty years of life dedicated to AC/DC, guitarist and founding member Malcolm Young is taking a break from the band due to ill health. Malcolm would like to thank the group’s diehard legions of fans worldwide for their never-ending love and support. In light of this news, AC/DC asks that Malcolm and his family’s privacy be respected during this time. The band will continue to make music.” We hope Malcolm overcomes his illness and is able to rejoin his mates.

Yesterday, we posted about reports coming from Australia that AC/DC was on the verge of announcing their retirement. As we mentioned on Tuesday the band itself had been quiet about the state of the band, but now AC/DC lead singer Brian Johnson has told The Telegraph the group isn’t retiring -at least not right now.

Though Johnson confirmed one member of the band was suffering from ill health, he told the paper, “We are definitely getting together in May in Vancouver. We’re going to pick up some guitars, have a plonk, and see if anybody has got any tunes or ideas. If anything happens, we’ll record it.”

However the singer wasn’t quick to announce the band will be performing anytime soon or that the recording sessions in May will definitely lead to a new album, “I wouldn’t like to say anything either way about the future, I’m not ruling anything out. One of the boys has a debilitating illness, but I don’t want to say too much about it. He is very proud and private, a wonderful chap. We’ve been pals for 35 years and I look up to him very much.”

Johnson would certainly like to return to the road. When asked about the possibility of a 40th anniversary tour, he told The Telegraph “That would be a wonderful way to say bye bye. We would love to do it. But it’s all up in the air at the moment.” We’ll see what happens, but it would appear from Brian Johnson’s quotes that a retirement announcement won’t be coming this week as some Australian outlets had reported.

[via The Telegraph / Hat Tip –Consequence of Sound]