A statue of AC/DC singer Brian Johnson now stands in Namur, Belgium, located just an hour outside of the capital of Brussels.
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Commissioned by the local radio station Radio-Télévision Belge de la Communauté Française (RTBF), the statue of Johnson was erected in a tribute to the singer’s very first live performance with AC/DC at Namur’s Palais Des Expositions on June 29, 1980.
“It’s a very special place for me,” said Johnson in a video statement for the RTBF. “It was the first night I sang with AC/DC, and I was a very nervous boy. So that memory will stay with me forever, and now that you’ve built this statue. Honestly, I’m not worthy of it. I thank you, and I’ll take it in good grace.”
That show was a transitional one for the band in 1980. Several months after the death of AC/DC vocalist Bon Scott on Feb. 19, 1980, the band decided that they would continue on Johnson as their singer, and began recording their seminal album Back in Black.
Initially, the band retreated from making more music until Scott’s father suggested they find a new singer and keep playing. Produced by Robert “Mutt” Lange, worked with the band on their previous album Highway to Hell, Back In Black was their tribute to Scott.
AC/DC are scheduled to perform later in 2023 at the Power Trip Festival in California, which will also feature Iron Maiden, Ozzy Osbourne, Metallica, Guns N’ Roses, and Tool.
The concert will also mark the first time AC/DC has performed since 2016 when Axl Rose filled in for Johnson, who was dealing with hearing issues. It is also the first show for AC/DC following the death of co-founding member and rhythm guitarist Malcolm Young, who died in 2017 after a long bout with dementia.
Johnson recently revealed that he is “up for” working on new music with AC/DC.
“I would love to do music again, whether it’ll be guesting with somebody, whether it be actually playing live with the boys,” said Johnson in a separate interview, discussing his 2022 autobiography The Lives of Brian: A Memoir. “I’ve heard that term ‘hell freezes over’ a million times before with people saying ‘I’m not doing that again,’ but I’d be up for it. I think everybody hopes to make more music. But I feel like now the next thing I’ve got is, I want to jump into my race car, put the helmet on, and just go racing.”
Photos of the statue unveiling in Belgium can be viewed at the RTBF website.
Photo by Suzi Pratt/Gettyimages.com
