‘The heart:’ Sask. fans remember AC/DC guitarist Malcolm Young

AC/DC guitarist and co-founder Malcolm Young has died at the age of 64.

He passed away surrounded by friends and family after a long battle with dementia.

The band notified people through a post on their website and Facebook page Saturday morning. They wrote Young was the driving force behind the band, with his dedication and commitment.

“As a guitarist, songwriter and visionary he was a perfectionist and a unique man. He always stuck to his guns and did and said exactly what he wanted.”

They commended Young for a job well done.

“As his brother, it is hard to express in words what he has meant to me during my life, the bond we had was unique and very special. He leaves behind an enormous legacy that will live on forever.”

In lieu of flowers, the Young family is asking people to make donations to the Salvation Army.

An outpour of messages from thousands of fans mourning Young’s death swept social media Saturday.

“AC/DC songs almost have the ability to breathe, and it’s because of Malcolm. His rock-solid sense of timing and rhythm will never be matched by anyone,” wrote Chuck Miller on Facebook.

“The heart of the most consistently great band in music history. Some bands have (gone) as long, but not at the great, high level of AC/DC over the years. Sad day for music but the music will live forever. RIP Malcolm,” Jason Knox wrote.

Rock 102 host Seth Armstrong went down memory lane to his first AC/DC concert over a decade ago.

“I thought I knew some of their songs from being raised on that kind of music, but I knew every song. Every single song they played my mom and I were singing along the entire time,” Armstrong said, adding Young was the heartbeat of the hard rock band.

The band last played in Saskatchewan August 2009. AC/DC rocked out at Taylor Field in Regina and fans were ecstatic.

One man who spoke with 980 CJME that day said the band has impacted people around the world.

“AC/DC has been in a lot of peoples lives for a long, long time. Listen to him growing up and it’s just, this is a moment that Regina has been waiting for.”

The legendary hard rock band skipped Saskatchewan during their last Canadian tour in 2015.

AC/DC performed last in Saskatoon at Saskatchewan Place, now Sasktel Centre, in August 1996. They placed there once before in 1988.