On This Day in 1980, We Lost One of the Greatest Rock Frontmen of All Time Way Too Soon

Joining AC/DC in 1974, Bon Scott left his mark on the Australian hard rock legends. His swaggering stage presence drew crowds to shows, and he had a hand in writing some of the band’s most enduring hits. Examples include “Highway to Hell” and “Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap.” On the 46th anniversary of the day we tragically lost him (Feb. 19, 1980), we are taking a look at the life and career of Bon Scott.

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Bon Scott: The Early Years

Born July 9, 1946, in Angus, Scotland, Ronald Belford “Bon” Scott emigrated to Australia with his family at age 8. As a teen, he joined the Fremantle Scots Pipe Band, where he learned to play drums. Leaving school behind at age 15, Scott worked a series of manual labor gigs. That is, when he wasn’t doing time at the Riverbank Juvenile Institution.

Inspired by his idol Little Richard, Scott started his first band, the Spektors, in 1964. Two years later, they merged with another band to form the Valentines, who scored an Australian Top 30 hit before a public drug scandal destroyed their image.

Following a 1974 motorcycle accident that left him comatose for months, Bon Scott took a job driving around a burgeoning rock band called AC/DC. Not content with his lot as a roadie, however, he eventually replaced lead vocalist Dave Evans at the helm.

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Bon Scott’s swaggering vocals and electrifying presence defined early AC/DC. Albums like Highway to Hell became anthems, and his death led to Back in Black, one of the best-selling albums ever. Rebellious. Charismatic. Legendary. #BonScott #ACDC #HardRock #MusicHistory

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A Tragic End

Sometime in the early morning hours of Feb. 19, 1980, after a night of partying in London, Bon Scott passed out in a car owned by his friend Alistair Kinnear. Leaving him there to sleep it off, Kinnear parked the car outside his East Dulwich home.

[RELATED: On This Day in 1980, an Australian Hard Rock Icon Took the Stage for the Final Time Before His Tragic and Untimely Death]

Scott never woke up. Kinnear found him that day and called for help. Tragically, Bon Scott was pronounced dead from “acute alcohol poisoning” at nearby King’s College Hospital. He was just 33 years old.

With July 9, 2026, marking what would have been the “TNT” legend’s 80th birthday, other hard-rock mainstays still remember the singer’s larger-than-life presence nearly 50 years later.

“Bon’s attitude, demeanor and front man swagger gave him the Everyman persona that the world loved him for,” said Judas Priest’s Rob Halford. “His voice, look, and on-stage character drew us all in—there’s an unmatched uniqueness that solidifies Bon’s legendary status in rock’n’roll.”

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