Brian Johnson facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids Brian Johnson
Johnson in 2014
Background information
Born	(1947-10-05) 5 October 1947 (age 77) Dunston, County Durham, England
Genres	Hard rock rock and roll blues rock glam rock
Occupation(s)	Singer songwriter
Years active	1962–2016; 2019-present

Brian Johnson (born 5 October 1947) is an English singer and songwriter. In 1980, when he was 32, he became the third lead singer of the famous Australian rock band AC/DC. This happened after their previous singer, Bon Scott, passed away.

Brian was one of the people who started the rock band Geordie in 1971. They had several hit songs, like "All Because of You" in 1973. The band broke up in 1978. After Bon Scott's death, AC/DC asked Brian to try out for the band. The guitarists, Angus and Malcolm Young, remembered that Bon Scott had been impressed by Brian's singing in Geordie.

Brian's first album with AC/DC was called Back in Black. It became one of the best-selling albums of all time! People often talk about how well AC/DC managed to continue with Brian as their new singer.

Brian and the rest of AC/DC were added to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003. In 2016, he had to leave the band for a while during their tour because of hearing problems. But in 2020, AC/DC announced that Brian, along with other band members, had rejoined the group in 2018. They recorded a new album called Power Up.

Brian Johnson is famous for his unique singing voice and his strong accent from Newcastle, England. In 2014, he received an honorary degree from Northumbria University. This was to celebrate his important work in the music world.

Early life and beginnings
Music career
Personal life
Discography
Motorsports career
- 24 Hours of Daytona results
Images for kids
See also

Early life and beginnings

Brian Johnson was born on 5 October 1947 in Dunston, England. He is the oldest of four children. His father, Alan, was a coal miner and a soldier. His mother, Esther, was from Italy.

When Brian was young, he loved to perform. He sang in shows with the Scouts. He also appeared in a play that was shown on television. He even joined a local church choir. Later, he served in the Territorial Army in Germany for two years.

Music career

Early bands

Brian's first band was called the Gobi Desert Canoe Club. He was also in a band named Fresh. From 1970, Brian sang with a band called the Jasper Hart Band. They performed songs from musicals and soft-rock tunes. Brian and other members of this band later formed Geordie.

In 1976, Brian released his only solo song, "I Can't Forget You Now." It was released while he was still part of Geordie. Later, some of Geordie's songs were put together and released as Brian Johnson's solo album, Strange Man.

Joining AC/DC

Johnson performing with AC/DC in Manchester in 1982.

After Bon Scott passed away, the other members of AC/DC thought about stopping the band. But they decided Bon would have wanted them to keep going. They looked for a new singer. Angus Young, AC/DC's guitarist, remembered Bon Scott once telling him about Brian. Bon had said Brian was a "great rock and roll singer."

When Brian was asked to audition, he was a big AC/DC fan. He was very happy to try out. Malcolm Young, another AC/DC founder, remembered Brian playing pool with the roadies before his audition. When Brian finally met the band, he was sad about Bon's death, just like they were.

They asked him to sing, and he performed "Whole Lotta Rosie" and "Nutbush City Limits". The band was very impressed. They said he was "cutting the mustard." It was the first time they had smiled since Bon's death.

Within days, Brian was officially in the band. The news was announced on 1 April. A week later, he flew to the Bahamas to record with the band. They worked with producer Mutt Lange.

The album they made was Back in Black, released in July 1980. It was a huge success all over the world. It became the second-best-selling album ever.

Johnson holding onto a bell while singing "Hells Bells."

The 1988 album Blow Up Your Video was the last AC/DC album where Brian wrote the lyrics. After that, Angus and Malcolm Young wrote all the songs. Brian once joked that he "ran out of words." He said he was relieved when the Young brothers started writing the lyrics.

Brian often wears a newsboy cap on stage. His brother suggested he wear it to stop sweat from getting in his eyes. Brian loved the idea because it helped him see better while performing.

Johnson performing with AC/DC in Tacoma, Washington in 2016.

In April 2016, AC/DC announced that Brian had to leave the tour. This was because of his hearing problems. Doctors warned him that he might lose his hearing completely if he kept performing. Brian said his hearing issues came from forgetting to wear earplugs during a car race. Guns N' Roses singer Axl Rose took his place for the rest of the tour.

Brian's last show with AC/DC at that time was on 28 February 2016. He later said he had a "pretty good run" with the band. After leaving, he recorded a song with comedian Jim Breuer called "Mr. Rock 'n' Roll." He also made a surprise appearance with the band Muse in 2017. He sang "Back in Black" with them.

In August 2018, people started hearing rumors that Brian and drummer Phil Rudd were back in AC/DC. In 2019, Brian confirmed he was back and working on a new album. On 30 September 2020, AC/DC officially announced their new lineup, with Brian on vocals.

In November 2020, AC/DC released their new album, Power Up, with Brian singing. On 7 October 2023, Brian returned to the stage with AC/DC at the Power Trip festival. This was their first show since 2016. He is currently touring with the band on their Power Up Tour.

Other projects

Since 2003, Brian has been working on a musical based on Helen of Troy. He loves musical theatre, especially classic shows. He got the idea after seeing the musical Cats and feeling it could be better. He wanted to create a musical with strong songs and little talking.

Malcolm McDowell, a famous actor, agreed to sing for the musical's soundtrack. In 2004, Brian went to Greece to film a TV show about the Helen of Troy story. The musical was never fully performed on stage.

Brian is also a big fan of cars and racing. He enjoys racing his old race cars in events across the United States. In 1997, he recorded a song with the band Jackyl. He also wrote lyrics for their song "Kill the Sunshine" in 2002.

In the video game Call of Duty: Finest Hour, Brian voiced a character named Sergeant Bob Starkey. He based the voice on his own father. He also had a small role in the 2005 movie Goal!. He played a fan watching a soccer game in a bar.

In 2006, Brian took part in a TV show about car racing called The Race. In 2007, Brian and AC/DC bassist Cliff Williams helped raise money for a music foundation. They played AC/DC songs and some songs Brian wrote for a movie.

Brian appeared on the BBC show Top Gear in 2009. He drove a car around their test track and had a very fast time. He also appeared on the show again in 2013.

His autobiography, Rockers and Rollers, was published in 2000. In 2012, he raced in the 24 Hours of Daytona car race. He finished 12th in his class. In 2013, Brian sang on two songs for Sting's album The Last Ship.

In 2014, a TV show called Cars That Rock with Brian Johnson began. In this show, Brian explores his favorite famous cars. He drives different cars and learns about their history. He even raced a Mini Cooper and bought the car he raced!

In 2017, a new TV series called Brian Johnson: A Life on the Road started. In this show, Brian meets other famous musicians. They talk about how they started in music and their careers. He has met musicians like Roger Daltrey from The Who and Lars Ulrich from Metallica.

On 3 September 2022, Brian performed at the Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concert. He sang "Back in Black" and "Let There Be Rock" with Lars Ulrich and the Foo Fighters. Brian's own book about his life, called The Lives of Brian, was released on 25 October 2022.

Personal life

Brian Johnson married his first wife, Carol, in 1968. They have two daughters. They later divorced. He is now married to Brenda and lives in Sarasota, Florida, USA.

He is a big fan of the soccer team Newcastle United F.C.. He was even asked to invest in the club in the early 1980s.

In 2009, Brian was diagnosed with a health condition called Barrett syndrome. This caused AC/DC to cancel some shows. But doctors were able to stop the disease from becoming more serious.

In 2016, it was reported that Brian Johnson was worth about £65 million. In 2014, he received an honorary degree from Northumbria University for his work in music. He also supports a charity that helps people with Dementia.

Discography

With Geordie

Title	Release date	Label
Hope You Like It	1973	EMI
Don't Be Fooled by the Name	1974
Save the World	1976
No Good Woman	1978

With AC/DC

Title	Release date	Label	U.S. Album Sales	"Worldwide sales"
Back in Black	July 1980	Atlantic	27,000,000	50,000,000
For Those About to Rock	November 1981		4,000,000	7,000,000
Flick of the Switch	September 1983		1,000,000	4,000,000
Fly on the Wall	June 1985		1,000,000	4,200,000
Who Made Who	May 1986		5,000,000	10,000,000
Blow Up Your Video	January 1988		2,000,000	4,000,000
The Razors Edge	September 1990	Atco	5,000,000	12,000,000
Live	October 1992	Atco	5,000,000	8,000,000
Ballbreaker	September 1995	Elektra	2,000,000	6,000,000
Stiff Upper Lip	February 2000	Elektra	1,000,000	4,000,000
Black Ice	October 2008	Columbia	2,500,000	8,000,000
Rock or Bust	November 2014		500,000	2,800,000
Power Up	November 2020		0TBA	1,400,000