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Retiring AC/DC guitarist Malcolm Young admitted to full time care for dementia

By Bianca Soldani and Sarah Sayers for Daily Mail Australia
Published: 17:24 EST, 25 September 2024

Newly retired AC/DC guitarist and founder Malcolm Young has called time on his illustrious career due to an ongoing battle with dementia, reports the Sydney Morning Herald.

The musician, 61, confirmed his retirement due to an undisclosed illness on Wednesday, just before the release of the infamous group’s newest album Rock Or Bust.
A source close to the legend told the Australian newspaper on Friday that Young has been admitted to full time care at a facility in Sydney’s Elizabeth Bay that is known for providing specialist treatment to suffers of the degenerative disease.
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Retired: AC/DC guitarist and co-founder Malcolm Young has reportedly retired from the Australian band due to an ongoing battle with dementia

The guitarist and songwriter’s wife Linda has reportedly moved Young to Lulworth House, the eastern suburbs aged care facility that also housed former NSW premier Neville Wran until his death in April this year.

It was only in August that the rocker’s band members Brian Johnson, Angus Young, Phil Rudd and Cliff Williams, who have been recording together for the last 40 years, hinted that the band’s rhythm guitarist was weighing up whether he should continue making music with the band.
Although Young worked extensively on AC/DC’s latest studio record, the group made it clear that he would not be touring or recording with them in the future.
The Australian band’s labels Albert Music and Sony confirmed rumours of Malcolm’s departure earlier this week when they released a statement saying: ‘unfortunately due to the nature of Malcolm’s illness, he will not be rejoining the band.’

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Specialist aged care facility: The 61-year-old musican has reportedly been moved to full time care at Lulworth House in Sydney’s Elizabeth Bay

Arguably Australia’s most iconic rock band: Malcolm Young, Brian Johnson, Angus Young, Phil Rudd and Cliff Williams have been creating music together for almost four decades

Instead, Angus and Malcolm Young’s nephew Steve Young, will be joining as rhythm guitarist.
The band confirmed they will embark on a world tour to celebrate their 40th anniversary as a band and promote Rock Or Bust, their 15th studio album, at an undisclosed date.
With Young, the band’s songwriter of 40 years, departure, brother Angus Young will be taking on wordsmith duties writing future songs.
Due to be released on November 28, Rock Or Bust is and comes six years after the band’s hugely successful album Black Ice.

Farewell: On Wednesday the guitarist and songwriter announced his retirement due to an undisclosed illness

Legend: Young was the backbone of the Australian band, and is best known for being it’s co-founder, rhythm guitarist, backing vocalist and songwriter

Retiring AC/DC guitarist Malcolm Young ‘admitted to full time care for dementia after pulling out from band’s upcoming tour’ | Daily Mail Online

Renowned Spanish flamenco guitarist Paco de Lucia dies at 66

He was a simply amazing musician.

Renowned Spanish flamenco guitarist Paco de Lucia dies at 66 | Reuters

Renowned Spanish flamenco guitarist Paco de Lucia dies at 66

(Reuters) – Paco de Lucia, the influential Spanish guitarist who vastly expanded the international audience for flamenco and merged it with other musical styles, died suddenly on Wednesday of a heart attack in Mexico.

The 66-year-old virtuoso, as happy playing seemingly impossible syncopated flamenco rhythms as he was improvising jazz or classical guitar, helped to legitimize flamenco in Spain itself at a time when it was shunned by the mainstream.

"I learned the guitar like a child learns to speak," the guitarist said in a 2024 ********ary.

Born Francisco Sanchez Gomez, he became famous in the 1970s after recording bestselling album "Entre Dos Aguas", becoming the first flamenco musician to perform at Madrid’s opera house Teatro Real in 1975.

Paco’s albums such as "El Duende flamenco de Paco de Lucia" and "Almoraima" reinvented traditional flamenco.

He toured extensively with well known international artists and played with the likes of Carlos Santana and Al Di Meola, happy to expand flamenco rhythms into jazz, although that upset flamenco purists.

"It has been said, and rightly so, that Paco de Lucia has never been surpassed by anyone and guitar playing today would not be understood without his revolutionary figure," Spain’s arts association SGAE said in a statement.

De Lucia went on to record flamenco jazz fusion with Di Meola and John McLaughlin in a series of now legendary concerts, and also recorded with Chick Corea.

He was highly acclaimed after playing Joaquin de Rodrigo’s "Concierto de Aranjuez" at London’s Festival Hall in 1991, attended by the composer himself, and considered one of the best interpretations of the piece.

De Lucia memorised the piece by ear as he did not read music, and gave it a distinctive flamenco flavor.

"With the guitar I’ve suffered a great deal, but when I’ve had a good time, the suffering seemed worthwhile," he said in the ********ary.

He also formed a partnership in the 1970s with singer Camaron de la Isla which played a large part in creating the New flamenco movement.

A spokesman for the city hall in Algeciras, where de Lucia was born, confirmed his death and said the city had decreed two days of official mourning.