Bon Scott

Ronald Belford Scott was born on July 9, 1946 in Kirriemuir, Scotland, UK.

In 1952, the Scott family relocated to Australia. Bon's strong distaste for authority led him to quit his studies at the age of 15. Bon's earliest musical efforts were both on vocals and drums. His first "real" job in the music business was in a pop band called The Valentines, whose single "Every Day I Have To Cry" reached the top five of the local charts.

On September 1969, however, The Valentines were arrested for dope possession which shattered their clean-cut image beyond repair, and the band officially called it quits a few months later. Within six months of The Valentine's dissolution, Bon joined a new blues-rock band called Fraternity; the efforts of the band to achieve some success in Europe were largely fruitless and they returned to Australia slightly disillusioned. After returning home, Bon was involved in a motorbike accident that left him in a coma for three days and in the hospital for several months, ending his association with Fraternity. Now based in Adelaide, Bon was reduced to taking on casual work until the day he was offered the chance to drive the bus for this new and really young rock band called AC/DC around. But Bon harboured ambitions to front the band. He persuaded the Young brothers that the band needed a better frontman and he suggested himself as the ideal replacement. And when former singer Dave Evans failed to turn up for a show, Bon seized his chance. With Bon Scott as a frontman, AC/DC got into sharp focus and the next five and a half years saw them getting more popular with each passing year, ultimately achieving world-wide success with their million-selling "Highway To Hell". The band's legendary status is believed to be largely due to the period spent with Bon Scott as the band's lead singer. Yet Bon Scott was also an excessive drinker and this would ultimately lead to tragedy.

The seventh studio album "Back in Black" (1980) by AC/DC was released as a dedication and a tribute to Scott. The album is currently the second best selling album in history.

Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (as a member of AC/DC) on March 10, 2003.

On February 24, 2008, a bronze statue of Bon Scott was unveiled at Fremantle Fishing Boat Harbour in Western Australia. The statue portrays Scott singing atop a Marshall amplifier.

On April 30, 2016, a life-sized bronze statue of Bon Scott was unveiled in Bellies Brae Car Park in Kirriemuir, during the 10th anniversary of the Bonfest music festival. The statue was commissioned by the local community group DD8 Music and created by John McKenna. The statue was completely funded from AC/DC fans across the world.