15 things you might not know about Angus Young

Angus McKinnon Young was born on March 31st, 1955 in Glasgow, Scotland. Here are 15 things you might not know about the AC/DC guitarist.

1. Angus is the youngest of eight children.

2. Young’s first instrument was actually a banjo that he re-strung with six strings. He then moved on to a cheap used acoustic guitar his mom bought.

3. His first real guitar was, not surprisingly, a Gibson SG. He bought it used in 1970 at a music shop down the street from his home in Australia, where his family had moved seven years earlier. He still owns it to this day and it’s still one of his favorites.

4. Before getting his break in music, Angus worked as a typesetter at a Playboy-like men’s magazine calledRibald.

5. Angus’ first band was called Kantuckee. After they broke up he was in a group called Tantrum. Then, as an 18-year-old in 1973, he co-founded AC/DC.

6. Angus was actually shocked when his brother Malcom invited him to join AC/DC. The pair never played together, even at home. There, Mal would work on songs alone in his room and if Angus went in, his brother would scream at him to get out.

7. Angus’ sister suggested he dress like a schoolboy onstage. Before that, Young tried other costumes including a gorilla, Spider-Man and another superhero – a spoof of Superman he called Super-Ang.

8. Angus’ sister made him his first uniform but he wore it so much it got torn up. To replace it he used his own school uniform from his high school.

9. Angus became very close friends with Keith Emerson of Emerson, Lake, and Palmer while AC/DC made Back in Black. The band recorded the album in The Bahamas, where Keith lived. Emerson took members of the group out on his fishing boat, helped them relax and grew close with Angus.

10. Angus’ signature strut, the Duck Walk, when he hops on one foot while kicking the other out repeatedly, was inspired by something similar one of his idols, Chuck Berry, did.

11. Another one of Angus’ idols is Louis Armstrong, who he considers one of the greatest musicians of all time.

12. Angus is a big smoker, but doesn’t drink and never has.

13. Young has been married to his wife Ellen since 1980.

14. Angus stands five-feet, two-inches tall.

15. Angus has houses in Australia, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands, where his wife is from.

This article was first published on iheart.com and is republished here with permission