We have learned that Malcolm Young's dementia is so fast-moving that his wife had to put him in a long term care facility. He doesn't remember things that happened just minutes before. His short term memory has been totally wiped.
Some of the team have gone through this sort of thing with parents or uncles and aunts, or grandparents. But to endure it with your sibling, your best friend, must be a hell beyond compare.
Angus has said of Malcolm that he felt that Malcolm was actually the better guitarist. He wasn't flashy, he provided a solid wall of sound. But Malcolm, according to Angus, could kick anyone's ass, including Angus', had Angus ever acted like some sort of prima donna.
Malcolm Young put up with no shit. He was scrappy. But he was also a generous, caring soul. He took it upon himself to call Bon Scott's mother personally following Bon's death, so she wouldn't have to learn about the devastating loss from the news. He said it was one of the hardest things he ever had to do, and he agonized over it for a long time afterwards. He believed that Bon told him that he "did good," stating that he felt a hand on his shoulder and the presence of his departed friend.
Malcolm believed in doing the right thing. He once walked off the set of a TV show after they tried to goad him into swearing to make him look like more of a bad boy. He was moved to tears by the crushing death of fans at an ill-planned concert venue with general admission, and was deeply saddened by the deaths of the children at the Waco disaster.
Malcolm was married to his wife Linda since the late 1970's. He has a daughter named Cara and a son named Ross. It would be heartbreaking to see the love of your life and the father of your children decline so badly so quickly that you had to opt to put him in a nursing home because you could no longer properly care for him yourself. It would be heartbreaking to see your devoted father decline into a state where he no longer recognizes you.
For Angus, watching the person who was not only his brother but also his best friend fall into a state where he no longer recognizes those who mean the most to him must be a hell beyond compare. Only two years apart in age, these guys were close as could be. Both stated that they scrapped at times when they were younger, but it certainly didn't keep them from forming one of the deepest bonds we've ever seen. They didn't have to say it in words: they love each other and each would do anything for the other. They were inseparable.
We can only offer our sympathies and our greatest respects. There will never be another Malcolm Young. He was one of a kind. He always had such a spark. Who would have imagined that his life would play out in such a tragic way?
We never know what awaits us. We have to treasure the moment; we truly do. This sort of thing could, sadly, strike any one of us or someone we loved with great depth; perhaps someone we thought would always be there.
A bond like that which exists between Angus and Malcolm Young can never really be broken, not even by a tragedy of this magnitude. Their unmistakable loving filial ties will outlast both of them. A friendship such as theirs is forever.
All of our love to these two iconic brothers. You are in our hearts always.
Blooming Psycho
for the KHEL 666 Krew
