AC/DC Founding Member And Drummer Colin Burgess Dies At 77

• Colin Burgess died on December 15 at the age of 77 from currently unknown causes.
• He served as a founding member and the original drummer of the hard rock band AC/DC.
• Burgess and his other band the Masters Apprentices were inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame.

On December 15, musician Colin Burgess died. He was 77 when he passed, and by time of writing, no official cause of death has been confirmed. News of his passing comes from the official AC/DC social media accounts.

From November 1973 to February 1974, Burgess served as a founding member and the original drummer for the Australian hard rock band AC/DC. He was also the drummer for the Masters Apprentices from 1968 to 1972.

AC/DC mourns the loss of its original drummer, Colin Burgess

On the official AC/DC Instagram account, the band confirmed news of Burgess’s passing. “Very sad to hear of the passing of Colin Burgess,” the announcement states. “Happy memories, rock in peace Colin.” The post is accompanied by a black and white photo of Burgess from his days with the hard rock group.

AC/DC was originally comprised of brothers Angus and Malcolm Young, lead and rhythm guitar respectively, along with vocalist Dave Evans, bassist and saxophonist Larry Van Kriedt, and drummer Burgess. Since then, AC/DC has undergone several changes in lineups, after Burgess himself was fired a year after its formation due to allegedly performing on stage while under the influence.

A masterful music career

Burgess was born on November 16, 1946, in Sydney, Australia. He started off as the drummer for the band Untamed, opposite Joe Travers on guitar. Travers would join him when Burgess and his brother Denny formed the psychedelic group Honeybunch, which was eventually rechristened The Haze.

Meanwhile, the Masters Apprentices formed in ’65 and although its lineup was established from the start, the band would relocate and some members lost interest in the group because of its inconsistent success. Those members were lead guitarist Tony Sommers and drummer Steve Hopgood. Eventually, The Haze crossed paths with Masters Apprentices when the former supported the latter at a mutual gig.

Soon, Burgess was brought in as the new drummer and he, along with the other band members, were inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in ’98.

It was Malcolm Young who recruited Burgess into AC/DC, though Burgess would be let go in February 1974 after performing drunk on stage. Later, Burgess claimed someone had spiked his drink. By ’83, Burgess and his brother Denny formed the group His Majesty, which performed to the end of the ’90s. Burgess himself continued to perform until the end of his life.

Rest in peace, Colin Burgess.