Clinton Walker, "Highway to Hell: The Life and Death of AC/DC Legend Bon Scott"

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Clinton Walker, "Highway to Hell: The Life and Death of AC/DC Legend Bon Scott"

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First published in Australia in 1994 and completely revised for its American debut this biography of the late AC/DC singer Scott (1947-80) can be summed up by one of his frank quotes: "They say to me, 'Are you AC or DC?,' and I say, 'Neither, I'm the lightnin' flash in the middle.' " After joining one of rock'n'roll's landmark bands, he provided the creative and charismatic spark necessary for AC/DC to reach worldwide fame. And like a flash of lightning, he quickly faded, suffering a well-documented alcohol-related death. Gladly, Walker (Stranded: The Secret History of Australian Independent Music) not only illustrates the early stages of AC/DC but also takes readers on a rollicking tour through the formative years of Australia's rock scene and Scott's prior musical career as a reluctant teen pop star. Littered with drunken escapades, throngs of loose women, and ample road stories, this work proves that the term "sex, drugs, and rock'n'roll" isn't just a catch phrase; it's a way of life. Recommended for larger public libraries and all music collections, as it sheds some much-needed light on Down Under's musical roots. Robert Morast, "Argus Daily Leader," Sioux Falls, SD

Review
“Bon Scott was possibly the most likeable rogue ever to walk the earth, and Clinton Walker paints a vivid picture… – Who Weekly (Australia)

“Great stories about Bon’s reckless spirit, about the Young brothers, about what being on the road is really all about. – Metal Hammer

About the Author
Born in country Victoria in 1957, Walker grew up in Melbourne and, after dropping out of Brisbane Art College in 1976, started writing for student newspaper and his own punk fanzines. After moving to Sydney in 1980 an freelancing for rock magazines such as RAM and Rolling Stones, he gained a reputations as Australia™s most prescient and colorful music critic. His early books Inner City Sound (1981 reissued by Verse Chorus Press in 2005) and The Next Thing (1984) were the first to champion punk and independent music in Australia, and are now regarded as classics of DIY cultural history. Walker lives with his wife and two children in Sydney™s inner western suburbs, just down the road from AC/DC™s birthplace.