Colin Burgess Cause of Death: AC/DC announced the death of founding drummer Colin Burgess on their social media sites. He was 77 years old when he was inducted into the Hall of Fame.
This statement was posted on AC/DC’s Facebook page on Friday, December 15th. “Deeply saddened to learn of Colin Burgess’s demise. A highly esteemed musician, he served as our initial drummer.
“Happy memories, rock in peace Colin.” In their memorial post, the band did not reveal the musician’s condition. The fans of the Australian hard rock band Burgess, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame of the Australian Recording Industry Association in 1998, paid tribute to Burgess.
Very sad to hear of the passing of Colin Burgess. He was our first drummer and a very respected musician. Happy memories, rock in peace Colin. pic.twitter.com/8jWLXq8TPJ
— AC/DC (@acdc) December 16, 2023
“Very sad news, as I love rock music especially from Australia, and he was a part of a generation of great musicians that kicked off the music industry in Australia,” one person wrote. “Condolences to his family and friends.”
“What a fantastic guy – there’s going to be no one else like him,” read another comment. “Sad so many talented artist [sic] from my youth are passing. We are all getting older,” a third fan comment read.
The original lineup of the band included guitarists, singer Dave Evans, brothers Angus and Malcolm Young, bassist Larry Van Kriedt, and Burgess, who was born in Sydney on November 16, 1946. In the 1960s, they made their debut at Chequers, one of Sydney’s most popular nightclubs.
Burgess was let go from AC/DC after performing on stage intoxicated from November 1973 to February 1974. In spite of Burgess’s assertion that his drink had been contaminated, his teammates were adamant about continuing with their decision, which resulted in Burgess’s abrupt departure.
As a result of his departure, Burgess’s place band went through a succession of drummers until 1975, when Phil Rudd took over as permanent drummer. As a result of a brawl in Melbourne in September 1975, Rudd needed Burgess to step in for a few weeks.
Burgess played drums for The Masters Apprentices from 1968 to 1972 before joining AC/DC. The band was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in 1988.
In addition to Young and Rudd, AC/DC’s current lineup includes Cliff Williams, Brian Johnson (who replaced Bon Scott following his death in 1980), and Stevie Young. With 200 million records sold worldwide, “Highway to Hell” peaked at number eight in the UK charts.