AC/DC drummer Colin Burgess dies as band pays emotional tribute

16 December 2023 , 16:06

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Colin Burgess has died aged 77

AC/DC drummer Colin Burgess has died at the age of 77, a statement on the iconic band's Facebook page has confirmed.

They didn't reveal his cause of death as they paid tribute. The statement on social media read: "Very sad to hear of the passing of Colin Burgess. He was our first drummer and a very respected musician. Happy memories, rock in peace Colin."

Colin became a member of the iconic heavy metal band in 1973 alongside Angus and Malcolm Young, Dave Evans and Larry Van Kriedt.

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Colin Burgess joined AC/DC in 1973 (Facebook)

His spell with the band only lasted a year as they cut ties with him following allegations he was drunk on stage during a big performance. While Colin denied this was the case, the band didn't believe him and they replaced him with a number of other drummers.

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Despite leaving the band, Colin did temporarily stand in for a few weeks in 1975 when Phil Rudd injured his wrist.

While he appeared on hit tune Can I Sit Next To You Girl, the band went on to replace his drumming with Phil.
Elsewhere, Colin had played the drums for popular Australian band The Masters Apprentices, where he was part of the set up between 1968 and 1972. In 1988 he and the group's other members were inducted into Australia's ARIA Hall Of Fame.

He also performed with his brother Denny under the name s The Burgess Brothers. In 2014, they renamed as Burgess Burgess.

The band replaced Colin Burgess after a year (Getty Images)

Fans were quick to pay their own tributes to Colin following the news of his death. On AC/DC's official Facebook posts, a number of followers shared crying face emojis. One user wrote: "Very sad news , as I love rock music especially from Australia, and he was a part of a generation of great musicians that kicked off the music industry in Australia, condolences to his family and friends."

Another added: "Sorry for your loss. May you rest in peace Colin. And hope you bring some of your music to your band mates and keep rocking from heaven. You all will be missed but not forgotten."

Jamie Roberts