Bon Scott’s brother reveals his family tried to talk to the legendary AC/DC frontman about his drinking habits before his tragic death at 33
Bon Scott’s younger brother Derek is set to talk about the late rockstar’s tragic death in an upcoming interview for Australian Story.
Speaking to the program in an episode set to air on the ABC on Monday, Derek revealed his family had tried to speak to his brother about his out of control drinking.
Derek explained that their mother, Isa, had spoken to Bon about his excessive drinking in the lead up to his death from acute alcohol poisoning in 1980.
Tell-all: Bon Scott’s younger brother Derek is set to talk about the late rockstar’s tragic death in an upcoming interview for Australian Story. Pictured, Bon Scott onstage in Hollywood in 1977
He added that his famous brother – who died aged just 33 – ‘never worried about tomorrow’, always believing that ‘tomorrow is another day’.
‘My mother always told him off, “You’re drinking too much, you’re drinking too much.” But you could only say it once, maybe twice. After that, he argued,’ said Derek.
Bon’s former housemate, Bruce Howe, had previously spoken about the AC/DC frontman’s drinking habits in the On the Brink: Bon Scott documentary.
Intervention: Speaking to the program in an episode set to air on the ABC on Monday, Derek revealed his family had tried to speak to his brother about his out of control drinking. Pictured, Bon with AC/DC in London in August 1979
Bruce said he saw Bon just months before his untimely death, and detailed how his behaviour had changed.
‘He wasn’t bubbly and laughing. Maybe he’d come to the state where he’d achieved his dream, he found his holy grail, but found that his holy grail might have looked like an empty goblet,’ he recounted.
Bon died in London in February 1980 after a wild night of partying at nightclub Music Machine.
Tragic: Derek explained that their mother, Isa, had spoken to Bon about his excessive drinking in the lead up to his death from acute alcohol poisoning in 1980. Pictured onstage in London in August 1979
He later went to sleep it off in friend Alistair Kinnear’s car, and was discovered lifeless in the vehicle the next day.
Alistair contacted the authorities, and Bon was rushed to King’s College Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
It was later determined that Bon had died from acute alcohol poisoning, and it was classified as ‘death by misadventure’.
Laidback: Derek added that his famous brother – who died aged just 33 – ‘never worried about tomorrow’, always believing that ‘tomorrow is another day’. Pictured onstage in the UK in 1976
