Brian Johnson facts for kids

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–present

Brian Johnson (born 5 October 1947) is a famous English singer and songwriter. He is best known as the lead singer of the Australian rock band AC/DC. He joined the band in 1980 after their previous singer, Bon Scott, passed away.

Before joining AC/DC, Johnson was a founding member of the rock band Geordie. They formed in Newcastle upon Tyne in 1971 and had several hit songs. After Geordie split up in 1978, Brian was asked to try out for AC/DC. The band's guitarists, Angus and Malcolm Young, remembered that Bon Scott had been impressed with Brian's singing.

Brian's first album with AC/DC, Back in Black, became one of the best-selling albums of all time. This successful change to a new singer was even ranked as a key event in rock music history.

In 2003, Brian and the rest of AC/DC were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 2016, he had to leave the band temporarily because of hearing problems. However, in 2020, AC/DC announced that Brian, along with Phil Rudd and Cliff Williams, had rejoined the group. They recorded a new album called Power Up.

Brian Johnson is famous for his unique singing voice and strong accent from the Geordie region of England. In 2014, he received an honorary Doctor of Music degree from Northumbria University. This was to recognize his important contributions to the music world.

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 in the British Army. His mother, Esther, was from Italy.

When Brian was young, he performed in shows with the Scouts. He also appeared in a play on television and sang in a local church choir. Later, he served in the Territorial Army in Germany for two years.

Starting His Music Career

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 club band called the Jasper Hart Band. They performed songs from the musical Hair and other popular songs. Brian and other members of this band later formed Geordie.

In 1976, Brian released his only solo song, "I Can't Forget You Now," while he was still with Geordie. Later, in 1982, a collection of Geordie's songs was released as Brian Johnson's solo album, Strange Man.

Joining AC/DC

Johnson performing with AC/DC at the Manchester Apollo in 1982

After Bon Scott passed away, the members of AC/DC thought about quitting. But they decided Bon would have wanted them to continue. They looked for a new singer and considered several people. Finally, they chose Brian Johnson.

AC/DC's guitarist, Angus Young, remembered that Bon Scott had once told him about Brian. Bon had said Brian was a "great rock and roll singer" like Little Richard, who was Bon's idol. When the band decided to continue, Brian was the first person Angus and Malcolm Young thought of.

The band quickly agreed that Brian's singing style was perfect for AC/DC's music. In March 1980, Brian got a call inviting him to London to try out. He was a big AC/DC fan and was excited to go. Malcolm Young remembered that Brian was playing pool with the roadies when they found him.

When Brian met the band, he had tears in his eyes because he was also sad about Bon. They asked him to sing, and he performed "Whole Lotta Rosie" and "Nutbush City Limits" perfectly. This made the band members smile for the first time since Bon's death.

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

Success with AC/DC

The album they recorded was Back in Black, released in July 1980. It was a huge success around the world and became the second-best-selling album ever. In 1986, Brian appeared in the music video for "You Shook Me All Night Long", which was played a lot on MTV.

Johnson hangs on to a bell while performing the song "Hells Bells"

The 1988 album Blow Up Your Video was the last AC/DC album where Brian wrote lyrics. After that, Angus and Malcolm Young wrote all of AC/DC's songs. Brian once joked that he "ran out of words." He explained that he didn't always enjoy the pressure of writing lyrics for a whole album.

Brian often wears a newsboy cap on stage and in public. His brother suggested he wear it to stop sweat from getting in his eyes while singing. Brian tried it and found it worked great.

In 2010, AC/DC released the Iron Man 2 (soundtrack) album, which included songs sung by both Brian and Bon Scott.

Johnson performing with AC/DC in Tacoma, Washington (2 February 2016)

In April 2016, during the Rock or Bust World Tour, AC/DC announced that Brian had to leave because of hearing problems. Brian said his hearing issues came from forgetting earplugs during a car race, which damaged his ear. Guns N' Roses singer Axl Rose filled in for the remaining shows.

Brian's last show with AC/DC at that time was on 28 February 2016. He later recorded a new song with comedian Jim Breuer called "Mr. Rock 'n' Roll." He also made a guest appearance with the band Muse in 2017, singing "Back in Black" with them.

In August 2018, rumors started that Brian and drummer Phil Rudd had rejoined AC/DC. In January 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. The band is currently on their Power Up Tour.

Other Projects and Interests

Musical Theatre

Since 2003, Brian has been working on a musical version of Helen of Troy. He loves musical theatre, especially classic shows. He came up with the idea after seeing the musical Cats and feeling it could be better.

The musical was planned to have exciting songs and gentle ballads. Famous actors like Malcolm McDowell and singers like Dolores O'Riordan were set to be involved. Brian even traveled to Greece to research the Helen of Troy story for a TV series. Although the project had support, the musical was never fully staged.

Cars and Racing

Brian is a big fan of cars and racing. He enjoys racing his old race cars in events across the United States. In 2006, he took part in a TV show about car racing called The Race.

In 2009, Brian appeared on the BBC show Top Gear as a "Star in a Reasonably Priced Car." He drove a Chevrolet Lacetti and had one of the fastest times. He appeared on the show again in 2013.

In May 2014, a documentary series called Cars That Rock with Brian Johnson aired. In the show, Brian explored his favorite famous cars. He drove many different cars, including a Mini Cooper from the film The Italian Job.

Other Appearances and Books

In 1997, Brian recorded a song called "Locked and Loaded" 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, he voiced a character named Sergeant Bob Starkey. He based the voice on his father. Brian also had a small role in the 2005 film Goal!.

In 2017, Sky Arts began broadcasting Brian Johnson: A Life on the Road. In this documentary series, Brian meets other famous musicians to talk about their music journeys. He has interviewed artists like Roger Daltrey of The Who, Lars Ulrich of Metallica, and Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin.

Brian's autobiography, Rockers and Rollers, was published in 2000. His more recent memoirs, titled The Lives of Brian, were released on 25 October 2022.

Personal Life

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

He is a big supporter of the Newcastle United F.C. football team.

In 2009, Brian was diagnosed with a stomach condition called Barrett syndrome. Doctors were able to treat it and prevent it from becoming more serious.

In 2014, Brian received an honorary degree from Northumbria University for his contributions to music. He also became a supporter of a charity for dementia in Yorkshire.

Discography

With Geordie

With AC/DC

Solo

Motorsports career

24 Hours of Daytona results

Year	Team	Co-drivers	Car	Class	Laps	Pos.	Class Pos.
2012	50+ Predator	Byron DeFoor Elliott Forbes-Robinson Jim Pace Carlos de Quesada	Riley Mk. XI	DP	672	32nd	12th

See also

In Spanish: Brian Johnson para niños