The investigation book into the death of AC/DC’s Bon Scott

“When someone accuses you of peddling conspiracy theories, it usually means you are closer to the truth or closer than they expected.” (Jesse Fink, at Rockol)

Bon Scott’s official cause of death was alcohol poisoning, yet in your book you suggest a heroin overdose theory. What evidence bridges the gap between alcohol abuse and the presence of harder substances that night?

I’ve worked on this case longer than the police ever have. People close to Bon know that he died of heroin, but they will never admit it publicly. In the book I report the statements of eyewitnesses who were present the night he died and who know what happened. It is said that Bon was alone with Alistair Kinnear (Bon Scott’s friend in whose car Scott was found dead, Ed.), but this is not the case. There were other people there too, and in my view the police and coroner’s investigations were not conducted properly.

Indeed, the level of alcohol found in his blood was lower than that of other fatal cases of alcohol poisoning. This aspect alone would refute the official version. Do you hypothesize that there may have been a specific intention in overlooking crucial details?

Bon’s blood alcohol level was 0.208. Just to give you an idea, Amy Winehouse’s was .416. Yes, I think this aspect weakens the hypothesis that Bon died of alcohol poisoning. He was an avid drinker. To properly investigate a death, the people involved would need to be traced and the police and coroner didn’t do that, unlike me. There is even a false address marked on Bon’s death certificate, so it can be assumed that the original investigation was completely useless.

As with Jim Morrison, the members of AC/DC were not with Bon when he died. In Morrison’s case, some swear he died of a heroin overdose in a Paris nightclub, before being moved to the apartment where he was later found dead. Do you see similarities or similar circumstances of a possible cover-up in these two cases?

Perhaps I would specifically avoid the term “cover-up” because it suggests the presence of a deliberate conspiracy, but certainly someone moved to cover up what happened and paint a different picture than how Bon actually died. In any case, yes, I think there are some striking similarities with the Morrison case.

In the book there is a controversial reference to Yes bassist Chris Squire. Can you tell us about it?

Squire obtained his supplies from people linked to Bon and in particular from the same ones who were with him the night he died. I didn’t have time to contact him because when I found out about it, Squire had already passed away. There was a lot of stuff going around in the London rock world of 1980, and Paul Chapman and Pete Way of UFO openly admitted it to me. And I also know that another member of AC/DC was using heroin at the time. But Squire had nothing to do, directly or indirectly, with Bon’s death.

You claim Bon Scott wrote the lyrics to AC/DC’s most famous album, “Back In Black.” Beyond personal accounts, what substantial evidence do you have to believe this thesis is true?

Meanwhile there are Angus Young’s statements. Both at “Kerrang!” both to the Australian “Rolling Stone” he said that it was Bon who wrote the lyrics for “Back In Black”. But this version was later suppressed. David Krebs, who was AC/DC’s manager in 1980, told me that the credits on that record are not accurate and that Bon’s name was omitted because leaving it would have been counterproductive, given that the singer was no longer him, but Brian Johnson. To get an idea of ​​the truth, however, just take a look at the band’s subsequent material. AC/DC never wrote anything good again, lyrically. And why would Vince Lovegrove, a close friend of Bon’s who played with him in the Valentines, publicly report that Bon’s family was receiving royalties for “Back In Black”? Furthermore, Silver Smith, Bon’s ex-girlfriend, confided in me that he had even completed the lyrics for that album the same night he died. But above all we have to wonder what happened to his notebook with the lyrics. Because we keep in mind that the apartment in which he lived was emptied once he died.

You claim that some of those you define as key witnesses in your investigation came forward only after much hesitation. What do you think finally pushed them to open up?

My perseverance, I guess. When I operate I do it with an investigative attitude; I never stop researching. If you don’t put serious effort into what you do, you won’t get anything worth publishing. Since the first edition of the book, other people have come forward to tell me their versions of the case. And even now I receive new reports.

It is said that AC/DC wanted to fire Bon Scott for his drinking problems, but as you also imply, it seems that he was the one who wanted to dump them, perhaps because he was tired of the music he was making with them. Would you like to delve deeper into this “mutual tension” between him and the band?

Bon aspired to a different life. He would have liked to write and play with different people. He felt stifled by Young, creatively. His plans were to make some money with another album and then end things with them. Instead he died before this happened. By mixing alcohol with heroin he paid too high a price.

In fact, the Bon Scott you describe is a more complex individual than many might remember him. He varied in his listening, loving more sophisticated music like that of Steely Dan. Do you think AC/DC’s rigid blues-rock identity prevented him from exploring other musical sensibilities as he would have liked?

Yes, Bon loved Steely Dan. And when I found out I was surprised because I myself love Steely Dan: they are my favorite band together with Supertramp, Earth Wind And Fire, Little Feat and Doobie Brothers. I also love Bon Scott-era AC/DC, of ​​course, and my book is also a sort of love letter to the Seventies. We will never see an era like that again, in terms of pure musical creativity. Bon was severely limited in what he could and could not write due to the wishes of the Youngs, who used to eliminate any ideas of his that they considered too intellectual or intelligent. That’s why Bon loved Steely Dan and other bands like the Pretenders. Listening to their records was a great liberation for him.

Your book seems to suggest that AC/DC knowingly told a false myth about Bon Scott, rather than making known the real facts. But if so, what would be the reason? Protect the memory of their old singer, themselves or what else?

For me, AC/DC has always had the well-being of the Young family as a priority. I came to this conclusion after writing a book called “The Youngs: The Brothers Who Built AC/DC.” Look at how they treated old band members or studio session players, people like Tony Currenti, Mark Evans, Chris Slade, Phil Rudd. Even Brian Johnson was unceremoniously replaced for live concerts. Does anyone remember when Axl Rose took over, yeah? I personally respect Cliff Williams a lot for leaving the band. Without wanting to diminish the importance of Malcolm Young, George Young and Angus Young for building the sound of AC/DC, the true legend of the band, for me, was and remains Bon Scott. The Youngs should thank him for the enormous benefits they received.

Some may argue that your claims are nothing more than conspiracy theories, perhaps designed to tarnish Brian Johnson’s legacy. What would you answer in this regard?

Who could these people be? Fans who don’t want to be told that their heroes may not be completely honest with some part of their past? Journalists who don’t know what they’re talking about? Or maybe someone envious of the success achieved with my investigation (I assure you there are many)? I even received death threats from some AC/DC fans; there are those who take that band too seriously, people who perhaps need to get a life. When someone accuses you of peddling “conspiracy theories,” it usually means you’re closer to the truth or closer than they expected. I have never met Brian Johnson, nor have I had any contact with him, so I cannot have any personal issues with him. What irritates me is that his version of events about the writing of “Back In Black” is constantly changing. The same when he talks about how he met Bon. I believe fans have a right to know the truth.

Beyond the legend that surrounds him, how do you personally evaluate Bon Scott’s vocal range? In your opinion, what is the most important album he made with AC/DC and how do you motivate this choice?

Bon was an extraordinarily gifted singer, with authentic character and remarkable vocal range. A brilliant showman, even when he wasn’t singing on stage. I think “Powerage” (1978) is his masterpiece because it is the most personal of all the albums he was on. And also because the lyrics are mainly inspired by Silver Smith (Bon Scott’s great love, Ed.) and are among the best he wrote. In that album you can feel a real human connection with Bon and his internal struggles, and that’s why he still enjoys a certain respect among fans today.

When you talk about AC/DC’s music as the most powerful antidote to depression, are you referring to their music in general or specifically to the Bon Scott era?

I think Young are masters of riff-based heavy rock, and that’s an incredible antidepressant for me. Whether it’s AC/DC with Bon or with Brian Johnson. Theirs is a sound that lifts your mood, that makes you stronger, that helps you get out of the mental state you’re in. That’s the magic of rock ‘n’ roll.

After all your research, do you think Bon Scott’s disappearance deserves a permanent place among the great enigmas of rock history?

I’m sure of it. His story deserves to be told in a film or a Netflix series. For now only my book exists. In 2024 I wrote an appendix entitled “Bon: Notes from the Highway”. It delves even further into the mystery. For now it is only available in English, but it may be that one day it will also be available in Italian.