Malcolm Mitchell Young was a Scottish-born Australian musician, songwriter, and rhythm guitarist, renowned worldwide as a founding member of the hard rock band AC/DC.
Born on January 6, 1953, in Glasgow, Scotland, Young grew up in a family with deep musical roots that profoundly influenced his path.
He passed away on November 18, 2017, at the age of 64.
Siblings
Malcolm was the son of William Young, a machine and saw operator who had served in the Royal Air Force during World War II, and Margaret Young, a dedicated housewife.
The family emigrated from Scotland to Australia in 1963 amid a harsh winter known as the big freeze, seeking better opportunities.
Among his siblings were his older brother George Young, born in 1946, who became a prominent musician and producer with The Easybeats; his younger brother Angus Young, born in 1955, who would join him in co-founding AC/DC as the band’s lead guitarist; and an older brother named Alex Young, born in 1938, who remained in Europe, playing with Tony Sheridan’s backup group and later the band Grapefruit.
Career
Young’s musical journey began in earnest in 1969 and spanned over four decades until his retirement in 2014 due to health issues.
Before co-founding AC/DC, he collaborated with his brother George and producer Harry Vanda in the band Marcus Hook Roll Band, releasing the album Tales of Old Grand-Daddy in Australia.
He also contributed guitar to Stevie Wright’s 1974 hit Evie, penned and produced by Vanda and George Young, and had a brief stint in a Newcastle-based group called The Velvet Underground.
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At the age of 20 in 1973, Malcolm established AC/DC alongside Angus Young on lead guitar, Colin Burgess on drums, Larry Van Kriedt on bass, and Dave Evans on vocals.
As AC/DC’s rhythm guitarist, primary songwriter, and backing vocalist, he shaped the band’s raw, high-energy style.
The group’s debut single, Can I Sit Next to You Girl, was re-recorded with Bon Scott as vocalist after Evans departed.
In 1975, AC/DC relocated to Melbourne, Australia, and by 1977, they toured Europe supporting Black Sabbath, with bassist Mark Evans replaced by Cliff Williams.
Young’s technique relied on open chords played through Marshall amplifiers at low volume without excessive gain, using heavy-gauge Gibson strings (.012-.058) for a tight, driving rhythm.
Personal struggles with alcohol led him to miss much of the 1988 Blow Up Your Video World Tour, during which his nephew Stevie Young filled in; Malcolm returned sober and recommitted to the band.
He remained active with AC/DC until June 2010, continuing to contribute to songwriting through 2014.
Even in retirement, his influence persisted, with tracks he recorded as early as 2003 incorporated into the 2020 album Power Up, and Stevie Young assuming his role full-time starting with the 2015 Rock or Bust World Tour.
Accolades
In 2003, Young was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame alongside his bandmates.
In 2023, Rolling Stone magazine ranked him and Angus Young jointly as the 38th greatest guitarists of all time.
Through the Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) Awards, he and Angus received the Big Gun accolade in 1995 for Most Played Australian Work Overseas.
Their collaboration on Highway to Hell with Bon Scott won the same honor in 2009 and 2011, while Rock ‘n’ Roll Train claimed it in 2010.
In 2010, the brothers were named Songwriters of the Year.
More recently, Shot in the Dark earned Most Performed Rock Work in 2022, and tracks like Play Ball, Rock or Bust, and Realize were shortlisted for Song of the Year in 2015 and 2022.
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