Aw man, say it isn’t so.
According to a huge Internet rumor, the legendary band that brought you classic albums like High Voltage, Back in Black, and For Those About to Rock We Salute You, may be calling it quits after being together for a whopping 40 years.
The rumor came from an anonymous insider who sent an email to the Australian radio station 6PR, and once one of the radio personalities made the announcement, it was over, the Internet was ablaze with all kinds of tribute posts, tweets, and photos.
But here’s the thing: No one in the band ever said they were retiring, so all of this could be totally untrue. However, AC/DC frontman, Brian Johnson, did allude to the fact that one of his band mates is very sick, which is why they haven’t been as active as years past.
In a recent statement, Johnson said this May will mark the 40th anniversary for the band, which will be the perfect time to get out and thank the fans for their support.
“I think we’ll be going into the studio in May,” he said. “It’s been 40 years of the band’s existence, so I think we’re gonna try to do 40 gigs, 40 shows, to thank the fans for their undying loyalty.”
Besides the radio station announcement, Australian entertainment journalist, Peter Ford, was a big reason the rumor spread so fast, as he sent multiple tweets about the band retiring.
Plus, he spoke a little bit about one of the band members being ill, which he got tons of flack for. A lot of people were upset and felt he should have waited for AC/DC to make the announcement.
EXCLUSIVE- "The end of ACDC… my information is we may never hear them perform or record EVER again" @mrpford #2DayFMBreakfast
— 2DayFM Breakfast (@2dayFMbreakfast) April 14, 2014
Author Jesse Fink, who wrote a book on the band, seemed to be one of the people offended the most. At least that’s what some might say after reading some of his tweets.
“AC/DC deserves respect,” he wrote. “They are entitled to make an announcement on their own terms. You’ve shown no respect.”
Here’s another tweet Fink sent: “There are ways to do journalism without impeding on the privacy and dignity of someone who’s ill. You really are a piece of work.”
@mrpford There are ways to do journalism without impeding on the privacy and dignity of someone who's ill. You really are a piece of work.
— AC/DC The Youngs (@JesseFink) April 15, 2014
Again, there’s been no official word from the band or their record company, Columbia Records, however, Billboard magazine said based on the word of an insider, the band isn’t breaking up at all, so it seems there will be more back and fourth until we find out the real story.
Image via Wikimedia Commons