Australian Story: Mar 25

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of Bon Scott joining AC/DC, Monday’s Australian Story revisits its hugely popular profile of the band’s late, great frontman.

“He was the best rock and roll singer I’ve ever seen,” says singer Jimmy Barnes. “To this day, I don’t think there’s a singer in the world that can hold their own against him.”

Featuring a wealth of archival material, On the Brink covers the highs and lows of a remarkable life.

Bon Scott honed his skills in bands such as The Valentines and Fraternity before being introduced in 1974 to AC/DC, who were unhappy with their singer at the time. He joined them on stage for a few songs and the rest was history.

They took Australia by storm, followed quickly by Britain and by the late 1970s they were making inroads into the lucrative US market. Bon Scott was fulfilling his wildest dreams, but heavy drinking was taking a toll and he died tragically in 1980 from acute alcohol poisoning.

Aged just 33, he had been poised to take on the world.

Family, friends and fellow musicians provide insights into Bon Scott’s passions and demons and his state of mind at the time of his death. The episode includes the first and only interview with Bon’s brother Derek and a rare interview with Bon’s replacement in AC/DC, Brian Johnson.

8pm Monday on ABC.