Yesterday, several Australian media sources reported that AC/DC would soon announce its retirement from music. Rumors purported that guitarist Malcom Young was suffering from a serious illness that prevented him from recording or touring with the band as part of its 40th anniversary celebration.
However, according to Billboard, those reports are inaccurate, citing sources close to the band. What’s more, The Australian reports that AC/DC recently booked six weeks of studio time in order to work on the follow-up to 2008’s Black Ice.
Update: 4/16 – 8:00am: AC/DC frontman Brian Johnston has confirmed the band is not breaking up despite one of its band members suffering from a “debilitating illness”.
Update – 4/15, 7:00pm: Mark Evans, the son of original drummer Dave Evans, disputed the report from Billboard. On Twitter (via Blabbermouth), he said Young was “very sick”… [Malcolm’s son] Ross Young spoke to my father this morning because the cat got out…. But yes, the band will be finished…. No new shows or music.”
(Read: The Five Best and Worst Replacement Singers)
It appears rumors of the band’s retirement manifested from an anonymous tipster, who contacted Australian radio station 6PR. According to The Guardian, entertainment reporter Peter Ford later told 6PR that he believed the tipster to be correct. “It may be that … they don’t actually retire as such, they just never perform together again or record again.”
Back in February, AC/DC singer Brian Johnston told a Florida radio station that the band would return to the studio in May and were also planning a 40-date tour. As of now, it appears those plans remain intact.
Watch AC/DC perform “Hells Bells” in 2009:
