AC/DC
Legendary hard rock band AC/DC have paid tribute to their founding member Colin Burgess following his death aged 77.
Burgess, an Australian drummer, was recruited to form the band in 1973 along with Malcolm Young on rhythm guitar, his brother Angus on lead guitar, Dave Evans on vocals and Larry Van Kriedt on bass.
Burgess was fired from the band the following year after his colleagues accused him of being drunk on stage; He later said his drink had been spiked. Although he left the band, he returned in 1975 to take on the role of drummer.
AC/DC said on their social media pages:
“It is very sad to hear of the death of Colin Burgess. He was our first drummer and a very respected musician. Happy memories, Rock in Peace, Colin.”
A cause of death has not yet been announced.
Before joining AC/DC, Burgess played with Australian rock group The Masters Apprentices between 1968 and 1972, a band inducted into the Australian Recording Industry Association Hall of Fame in 1998.
AC/DC's current line-up consists of drummers Phil Rudd, Angus Young, Cliff Williams, Brian Johnson and Stevie Young. The band have sold over 200 million records worldwide, and their most popular hits include Highway to Hell, which reached number eight in the UK charts and number 17 in the US. The band was inducted into Australia's ARIA Hall of Fame in 1988.