Happy Birthday Angus Young

Today, legendary AC/DC guitarist Angus Young celebrates his 59th birthday.  For my money, Angus is one of the most iconic figures in hard rock history.

I'll never forget the first time I heard the opening riff from "Highway to Hell".  I was maybe 7 or 8 years old and my next door neighbor was blasting it on his boombox.  It shook my foundations.  Then I heard "Back in Black" and I was sold.

All of this was before I had ever even seen Angus.  It wasn't long before I was buying copies of Circus Magazine and Hit Parader, checking out the pictures of Angus in his signature schoolboy outfit.  Then Headbanger's Ball premiered on MTV and I saw riding on Brian Johnson's shoulders and mooning the audience.

Later on, I had the privilege of seeing AC/DC in concert.  I have seen a lot of awesome shows in my day, but I've never seen an artist match the frenetic energy Angus displays on stage.  He's a category five hurricane.  He starts duckwalking and he never stops.  Two hours later, you're exhausted but Angus is still going.

I've spent the past 20 years working at rock radio stations all over the country.  Every station is different, but there's one thing you can always count on.  AC/DC never goes out of style.  I remember once, several years ago, a station I was working at did a "research" project where they "tested" 500 songs with a room full of rockers.  3 of the top 10 songs were AC/DC.  It's probably like that all over America.  Hell, the world for that matter.

Of course, Angus is still going strong.  Despite rumors of his ongoing health problems, the band is back in the studio preparing for a new album and a 40th anniversary tour.  We already know what that new record is gonna sound like.  It'll sound like AC/DC.  Happy birthday Angus and thanks for all of the great riffs.