Musician reveals he learned to play guitar from Malcolm Young.
Scott Ian, guitarist for Anthrax, appeared on the Full Metal Jackie show and spoke about how Malcolm Young influenced his musical career and how he is coping with his death.
“Malcolm was my guitar teacher. Of course, I didn’t sit next to him and have lessons, but I played along to AC/DC albums as a child, and that’s how I learned to play. I listened to song by song and learned the chorus (…) Malcolm played the choruses. Today I play a completely different style of music from AC/DC, but for me, it all came from how he played.”
When asked about his death, Ian revealed that he wasn't surprised by the news, "I had spoken to a friend of mine who is close to the band about three weeks before it happened and he had told me that he wasn't doing well and that he didn't have much time left to live."
He goes on to say that even knowing the day would come, it was impossible not to be upset when it happened. “I’m the kind of guy who celebrates the life of the deceased. I don’t just sit around grieving. I prefer to celebrate, so we listened to AC/DC at full volume and put on 'Let There Be Rock'. That’s how I celebrate Malcolm when I think of him.”
Malcolm Young died at age 64 on November 18, 2017, in Elizabeth Bay, Sydney, Australia, after suffering from dementia for years. Check out photos and videos from his funeral.
Listen to the full interview (in English) below:
