Drummer Colin Burgess, an original member of the hard-rock band AC/DC, died at age 77, the band said in a statement posted on Facebook on Friday.
"Very sad to hear of the passing of Colin Burgess," the statement read. "He was our first drummer and a very respected musician. Happy memories, rock in peace Colin."
Fans flocked to social media to share tributes and condolences.
"RIP. Lots of great memories listening to the great beats and music from AC/DC this man and his mates," one person commented on the band's Facebook post.
"May you rest in peace Colin. And hope you bring some of your music to your band mates and keep rocking from heaven. You all will be missed but not forgotten," another replied.
"Remember having beers with him at the Concord Bowlo. Was nice guy," another recalled.
Burgess, an Australian, was recruited to help form AC/DC in 1973, according to Deadline. He joined forces with Malcolm Young on rhythm guitar, Angus Young on lead guitar, Dave Evans as the vocalist, and Larry Van Kriedt on bass.
The following year Burgess was axed from the band, which stated that he was drunk on stage — allegations that Burgess later refuted, saying that his drink had been spiked.
He was followed by a succession of drummers, but returned to the band in 1975 as a fill-in.
Before becoming a member of AC/DC, Burgess performed from 1968 to 1972 with the Australian rock band the Masters Apprentices, which was inducted into the Australian Recording Industry Association Hall of Fame in 1998.
AC/DC's current lineup includes drummer Matt Laug, along with Angus Young, Cliff Williams, Brian Johnson, who became the group's third lead singer after Bon Scott died in 1980, and guitarist Stevie Young.
Their record sales surpass 200 million worldwide. Among their top tracks is "Highway to Hell," which peaked at No. 8 in the U.K. charts and No. 17 in the U.S.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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