Jim Nabors In Memoriam

Jim Nabors, the baritone singer best known for playing Gomer Pyle on both The Andy Griffith Show and Gomer Pyle U.S.M.C., died today at the age of 87.

Jim Nabors was born on June 12 1930 in Sylacauga, Alabama. He sang in the choir at his church and in the glee club at his high school. He also played the clarinet in his high school band. He earned a degree in business from the University of Alabama. After graduating Mr. Nabors moved to New York City where he worked as a typist at the United Nations. He then moved to Chattanooga, Tennessee where he worked as a film cutter at a local television station.

Because of his asthma Jim Nabors eventually moved to Los Angeles, California. Once there he became a film cutter at NBC. He also began performing at the Horn, a club in Santa Monica, California. Jim Nabors's monologue was based around a persona not too far removed from Gomer Pyle. He came to the notice of Bill Dana, who managed to get him on The New Steve Allen Show.

Andy Griffith also caught Jim Nabors's act at the Horn and thought he would be perfect for a guest appearance on The Andy Griffith Show. Jim Nabors made his first appearance as none-too-bright service station attendant Gomer Pyle in the episode "The Bank Job" on December 24 1962. Gomer Pyle proved so popular that Jim Nabors became one of the regulars on The Andy Griffith Show. In the 1962-1963 season he would also make guest appearance on Mr. Smith Goes to Washington and I'm Dickens, He's Fenster.

It was at the start of the 1964-1965 season that Gomer Pyle was spun off into his own show, Gomer Pyle U.S.M.C. The show proved to be a hit and ran for five years, ending only because Jim Nabors wanted to move onto other things. It was also in the 1964-1965 season that Jim Nabors had a recurring role on the short lived sitcom Valentine's Day. During the Sixties, Jim Nabors guest starred as Gomer Pyle on The Lucy Show. He also guest starred on Off to See the Wizard. Mr. Nabors was able to show off his rich baritone on an episode of The Andy Griffith Show and sometimes appeared as a singer as well as a comedian and actor on variety and talk shows. In the Sixties he guest starred on such variety and talk shows as The Danny Kaye Show, The Ed Sullivan Show, The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, The Joey Bishop Show, The Dean Martin Show, The Carol Burnett Show, The Leslie Uggams Show, and The Mike Douglas Show. In 1969 Jim Nabors received his own variety show, which ran until 1971. It was still doing well in the ratings when it was cancelled as part of the Rural Purge. He appeared in the film Take Her, She's Mine (1963).

As a singer Jim Nabors also had a fairly successful career. He released his first album, :Jim Nabors Sings Love Me With All Your Heart, in 1966. In all he released 28 albums.

In the Seventies Jim Nabors guest starred on such shows as The Ken Berry 'Wow' Show, The David Frost Show,The Flip Wilson Show, The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour, The Muppet Show, and Dinah!. He appeared in the first episode of the every season of The Carol Burnett Show,  Miss Burnett considering Mr. Nabors her good luck charm. He starred in the Saturday morning live-action show The Lost Saucer and in 1978 he had his own syndicated show, The Jim Nabors Show. He guest starred on The Rookies.

In the Eighties Jim Nabors appeared in the films The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (1982), Stroker Ace (1983) and Cannonball Run II (1984). He reprised his role as Gomer Pyle in the reunion television movie Return to Mayberry in 1986. He guest starred on Knight Rider. In the Nineties Mr. Nabors appeared in a brief revival of The Carol Burnett Show. He guest starred as Gomer Pyle on an episode of Hi Honey, I'm Home.

Much of Jim Nabors's later career he spent touring and singing in nightclubs. From 1972 to 2014 he sang "Back Home Again in Indiana” at the Indianapolis 500 each year.

Jim Nabors was an enormous comic talent. It is with good reason that Gomer Pyle is the most famous character outside of Deputy Barney Fife (played by the great Don Knotts) to emerge from The Andy Griffith Show. Mr. Nabors played the often clueless Pyle with perfect timing and an honesty that made the gas station attendant and later Marine seem like a an authentic character. While Mr Nabors played Gomer for much of his career, not to mention many characters similar to Gomer, he was capable of much more. He was incredible in the skits in which he appeared on The Carol Burnett Show and his own variety show. Of course, Jim Nabors was also a great singer. He had an impressive baritone and made quite a good living as a singer, both recording albums and touring. As both a comedic genius and a very talented singer, Jim Nabors could well have been a great musical comedy star in film had he been born only a few years earlier. He may always be remembered as Gomer Pyle, but Mr. Nabors was much more.

Godspeed Della Reese

Singer and actress Della Reese died on November 19 2017 at the age of 86.

Della Reese was born Delloreese Early in Detroit, Michigan. She was only six years old when she joined the junior choir at her church. She eventually became a soloist and sang at other churches and various events. She also sang on the radio. She was 13 years old when she joined Mahalia Jackson's gospel group. She toured with Mahalia Jackson for five summers. Miss Reese briefly attended Wayne State University, but had to drop out following her mother's death.

Della Reese held down various jobs while still pursuing a singing career. She formed her own group, the Meditation Singers. It was in 1951 that she won a singing contest sponsored by a newspaper while singing at a bowling alley/nightclub. She won a week long engagement at an after hours club. The engagement at the club was later extended. It was an agent who got her a job singing with Erskine Hawkins’ jazz orchestra for nine months. In 1954 she signed her first recording contract. Her first single, "In The Still Of The Night", was released in 1955. She made her television debut in 1956 as a guest vocalist on Stage Show. In 1957 she had her first major hit single, "And That Reminds Me", which peaked at no. 12 on the Billboard singles chart. She would have even more success with her next single, "Don't You Know", which went to no. 2 on the Billboard singles chart 1959. She had one more major hit, "Not One Minute More", in 1960. In the late Fifties she appeared on such shows as The Big Record, The Ed Sullivan Show, Val Parnell's Sunday Night at the London Palladium, and Perry Como's Kraft Music Hall. She appeared as herself in the movie Let's Rock.

In the Sixties Della Reese's music career went in decline. She had several hits reach the Billboard Hot 100, but none entered the top forty. She continued to appear frequently on television, appearing on such shows as The Tonight Show, The Lively Ones, The Hollywood Palace, The Ed Sullivan Show, The Mike Douglas Show, The Jonathan Winters Show, The Dom DeLuise Show, and Playboy After Dark. She hosted her own show, Della, from 1969 to 1970. In 1968 she made her acting debut on an episode of The Mod Squad. She also guest starred on The New Doctors.

In the Seventies Della Reese was a regular on the hit sitcom Chico and the Man. She guest starred on the shows Getting Together, Police Woman, Petrocelli, Police Story, Joe Forrester, The Rookies, McCloud, Medical Centre, Welcome Back Kotter, and Insight. She also appeared in several TV movies. Miss Reese appeared in the feature films Psychic Killer (1975).

In the Eighties Della Reese was a regular on the show It Takes Two and had a recurring role on Charlie & Co. She guest starred on the shows The Love Boat, The A-Team, Crazy Like a Fox, Night Court, 227, and The Young Riders. She appeared in the feature film Harlem Nights (1989).

In the Nighties Della Reese starred on The Royal Family and Touched by an Angel. She guest starred on such shows as MacGyver, Designing Women, L.A. Law, Picket Fences, and Promised Land. She appeared in the films The Distinguished Gentleman (1992) and A Thin Line Between Love and Hate (1996). she was one of the voices in the animated feature film Dinosaur (2000). In the Naughts she guest starred on That's So Raven and The Young and the Restless. She appeared in the films Beauty Shop (2005), If I Had Known I Was a Genius (2007), and A Very Mary Christmas (2010).

In the Teens Della Reese appeared in the feature films Me Again (2012) and Meant to Be (2012). She guest starred on  Signed, Sealed, Delivered.

After the Sixties Della Reese recorded two more albums: Blue Skies in 1994 and Give It to God in 2006.

Although she is now best remembered as an actress, Della Reese was a fine singer. She had a dulcet voice that was very adaptable. She could sing both popular songs and gospel music with ease. Of course, she also had that same adaptability when it came to acting. She did equally well playing both comedic roles and dramatic roles. She could play anything from the matriarch of a family to the owner of a trailer park. In the end Della Reese was one of those rare individuals with multiple talents, both singing and acting.

Godspeed David Cassidy

David Cassidy, the former teen idol best known as Keith Partridge as The Partridge Family, died on November 21 2017. The cause was liver failure. He had also been suffering from dementia for several months.

David Cassidy was born on April 12 1950 in New York City. His parents were actor and singer  Jack Cassidy, who would later play actor Oscar North on the cult sitcom He & She, and actress Evelyn Ward. Since his parents were often occupied with their work, young Mr. Cassidy spent much of his childhood with his maternal grandparents in West Orange, New Jersey. His parents divorced while he was very young and his father later married actress Shirley Jones.

David Cassidy made his acting debut in a guest appearance on the TV show The Survivors in 1969. He guest starred on the shows Ironside, The F.B.I., Marcus Welby M.D., Adam-12, Bonanza, Medical Centre, and The Mod Squad. It was in 1970 that he began playing oldest brother Keith Partridge on The Partridge Family. The show also starred his stepmother Shirley Jones as mother Shirley Partridge. The show, about a family who performed as a band, proved to be a hit with the younger set, and David Cassidy soon became a teen idol. Songs and albums by The Partridge Family were also released, although the instruments were played by session musicians and vocals, except for those of Shirley Jones and David Cassidy, were performed by session vocalists. Regardless, they sold very well. The first single from The Partridge Family, "I Think I Love You", went to number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Four other songs reached the top twenty. Their albums sold well too, with the first three reaching the top ten of the Billboard album chart.

David Cassidy was still on The Partridge Family when he released his first solo album, Cherish. The first single from that album, a cover of The Association's "Cherish" went to no. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100. Mr. Cassidy released three more solo albums while The Partridge Family was still on the air.

The Partridge Family went off the air in 1974. Unfortunately, Mr. Cassidy's music career would go into a bit of a decline in the United States, although he continued to do well in Britain, Europe, and Australia. He continued to release albums until 1976, when his last album for some time, Getting It in the Street, was released. He also continued acting. During the 1978-1979 season he starred in the short-lived series David Cassidy: Man Undercover. He guest starred on Police Story (the backdoor pilot for David Cassidy: Man Undercover), and The Love Boat.

In the Eighties David Cassidy released two studio albums and a live album. In 1981 he toured in a revival of Gorge M. Cohan's Little Johnny Jones for a time. In 1983 he took over the lead role in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. He later appeared on London's West end in Time. On television he guest starred on Matt Houston, Fantasy Island, Tales of the Unexpected, and Alfred Hitchcock Presents. He appeared in the films Instant Karma (1990) and The Spirit of '76 (1990).

In the Nineties David Cassidy released two albums. His single "Lyin' to Myself" peaked at no. 27 on the Billboard Hot 100. He hosted the VH1 show 8-Track Flashback. On television he guest starred as The Mirror Master on The Flash, and also guest starred on The Ben Stiller Show, and The John Laroquette Show.

In the Naughts he was a regular on the show Ruby & the Rockets. He was a guest voice on Kim Possible. He guest starred on the shows The Agency, Malcolm in the Middle, and Less Than Perfect. He appeared in the films Popstar (2005) and Alexa Vega: You Are Where I Live (2009). In the Teens he guest starred on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. Next year he will appear in the film Forgiven This Gun4hire (2018).

David Cassidy was hardly the first teen idol, but, short of Davy Jones, he might well have been the biggest. David Cassidy was wildly popular with pre-teen and teenage girls in the Seventies. His posters adorned their rooms. They bought his albums (both The Partridge Family albums and his solo albums). He was regularly featured on the covers of such magazines as Tiger Beat and 16. There have been several teen idols since David Cassidy, but none have really matched him.

Of course, David Cassidy had his male fans as well. I was only about six when The Partridge Family debuted and I watched it faithfully. And while my favourite character was Danny and I had a crush on Shirley, I thought Keith was pretty cool. I also liked the songs on the show. I never quite stopped being a Partridge Family fan, although there was a time that I was not likely to admit it. David Cassidy was responsible for much of the show's success. Never mind that pre-teen and teenage girls found him attractive, he also had a good voice and he was a fairly good actor as well. His acting talent would be on display in his later guest appearances. He turned in a good performance as The Mirror Master on The Flash, and he was quite good as a plastic surgery obsessed, washed-up poker player on CSI. If David Cassidy was one of the biggest teen idols of all time, it was perhaps because he had a good deal of talent as well.

Christmas Movies on Turner Classic Movies

Every December Turner Classic Movies shows a lot of Christmas movies. I know it is true of myself and many of my friends that watching holiday themed movies is a Yuletide tradition. Of course, as busy as most of us are, it is sometimes difficult to keep up with all the holiday movies that TCM shows during the month. Here then is a listing of the Christmas movies they are showing this December. I have to confess that I have included only movies in which the holiday plays a central role in the plot. I have excluded movies in which Christmas plays a role in only a smart part of the over all movie. It's for that reason that I don't list Meet Me in St. Louis (which I dearly love) or any version of Little Women (which, umm, I don't love...) on the list.

Anyway, without further ado, here is the list. All times are Central.

December 1
Period of Adjustment (1962) 7:00 PM
All Mine to Give (1957) 9:00 PM
Bush Christmas (1947) 11:00 PM

December 2
Tenth Avenue Angel (1948) 12:30 AM
Never Say Goodbye (1946) 2:00 AM
Bell, Book and Candle (1958) 1:00 PM

December 3
The Shop Around the Corner (1940) 11:00 AM
In the Good Old Summertime (1949) 1:00 PM

December 5
Love Finds Andy Hardy (1938) 9:00 PM

December 8
A Christmas Carol (1951) 7:00 PM
Scrooge (1938) 8:45 PM
Lady in the Lake (1947) 10:15 PM

December 9
Lady on a Train (1945)  12:15 AM
Fitzwilly (1967) 2:00 AM
Larceny, Inc. (1942) 3:45 AM
3 Godfathers (1949) 11:00 AM
It Happened on 5th Avenue (1947) 1:00 PM

December 10
Holiday Affair (1949) 11:00 AM

December 15
The Shop Around the Corner (1940) 7:00 PM
Holiday Affair (1949) 9:00 PM
It Happened on 5th Avenue (1947) 10:45 PM

December 16
The Man Who Came to Dinner (1941) 1:00 AM
A Christmas Carol (1938) 11:15  AM
Meet John Doe (1941) 12:45 PM
Susan Slept Here (1954) 11:00 PM

December 17
Christmas in Connecticut (1945) 11:15 AM
The Bishop's Wife (1947) 1:15 PM

December 21
Period of Adjustment (1962) 3:15 PM

December 22
Christmas in Connecticut (1945) 7:00 PM
Remember the Night (1940) 9:00 PM

December 23
In the Good Old Summertime (1949) 1:15 AM

December 24
The Man Who Came to Dinner (1941) 7:00 AM
It Happened on 5th Avenue (1947) 9:00 AM
In the Good Old Summertime (1949) 11:15 AM
Holiday Affair (1949) 1:15 PM
Christmas in Connecticut (1945) 3:j00 PM
The Bishop's Wife (1947) 7:00 PM
The Cheaters (1945) 11:15 PM

December 25
A Christmas Carol (1938) 1:00 AM
A Pocketful of Miracles (1961) 2:30 AM
Meet John Doe (1941) 5:45 AM
Babes in Toyland (1934) 8:00 AM
Scrooge (1935) 9:30 AM
Love Finds Andy Hardy (1938) 11:00 AM
Fitzwilly (1957) 1:00 PM
Bundle of Joy (1956) 3:00 PM
The Shop Around the Corner (1940) 5:00 PM

Happy Thanksgiving 2017

Today is Thanksgiving Day here in the United States. Those of you who follow A Shroud of Thoughts know that it is a custom here to post classic pinups. Without further ado, then, here are this year's pinups.

First up is Noel Neill, who is delivering produce for a Thanksgiving feast!

Next up is Vera-Ellen, who apparently doesn't realise you have to cook the turkey before serving him!

Next up is Forties starlet Peggy Diggins, who prefers to cuddle turkeys!

Here is the lovely Leila Hyams, who is also showing a turkey some love!

Janis Paige seems to want to make her turkey nice and strong with vitamins!

Finally, if I were that turkey I am not sure I would trust Angela Greene, lovely though she may be!

Happy Thanksgiving!

The 130th Anniversary of Sherlock Holmes

Basil Rathbone as Sherlock Holmes

It is common knowledge that Sherlock Holmes first appeared in the novel A Study in Scarlet, first published in Beeton's Christmas Annual for 1887. As to when exactly the 1887 Beeton's Christmas Annual for 1887 was published, that is a bit more of mystery. Most simply guess that it was published sometime in November or December of that year. That having been said, the website I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere makes a good argument that Beeton's Christmas Annual for 1887 was most likely published on November 21. If that is the case, then today would be the 130th anniversary of Sherlock Holmes.

A Study in Scarlet would be published as a book in July 1888 by Ward, Lock & Co., with a second edition appearing the following year. It was first published in the United States in 1890. Regardless, A Study in Scarlet was not responsible for Sherlock Holmes's enormous success. Neither for that matter, would Sherlock Holmes's second appearance, which was in the novel The Sign of the Four, published in the February 1890 issue of Lippincott's Monthly Magazine. It would be a series of shorts stories published in The Strand Magazine that would ultimately be responsible for turning Sherlock Holmes into a phenomenon. Beginning with "A Scandal in Bohemia" in the July 1891 issue, short stories featuring Sherlock Holmes would appear regularly in The Strand Magazine for a few years.

Indeed, it was not long before author Arthur Conan Doyle and even his creation Sherlock Holmes would begin receiving massive amounts of fan mail. Some fan mail was even addressed to 221B Baker Street, an address that simply did not exist at the time the stories were originally written (Baker Street did not go up to 221 in the Victorian Era).

While Sherlock Holmes was phenomenally popular, as early as November 1991 Arthur Conan Doyle thought of killing the character off, maintaining in a letter to his mother, "He takes my mind from better things." Here it must be pointed out that Mr. Conan Doyle wrote many other works that had nothing to do with Sherlock Holmes. He wrote several historical novels, as well as fantasy and science fiction stories featuring Professor Challenger and humorous stories set in the Napoleonic Era featuring Brigadier Gerard.

Ultimately Arthur Conan Doyle decided to kill off Sherlock Holmes once and for all so he could devote more time to his historical novels. It was in "The Adventure of the Final Problem", published in The Strand Magazine in December 1993, that Sherlock Holmes and Professor Moriarty plunged to their apparent deaths over the Reichenbach Falls. Public outcry over Holmes's death was immediate. Both Arthur Conan Doyle and The Strand Magazine received tonnes of angry letters from Sherlock Holmes fans. Many people cancelled their subscriptions to The Strand Magazine.

Despite the public outcry, Arthur Conan Doyle would not write about Sherlock Holmes for some time. It was eight years before Holmes would appear again, in the novel The Hound of the Baskervilles (serialised in The Strand Magazine from April 1901 to April 1902). The novel was set before Holmes's apparent death. It would be with "The Adventure of the Empty House", published in Collier's Magazine in the United States in September 1903 and in The Strand Magazine in the United Kingdom in October 1903, that Arthur Conan Doyle would resume writing about Holmes. It is in "The Adventure of the Empty House" that it is explained how Sherlock Holmes faked his death in order to confound his enemies.

Following "The Adventure of the Empty House" Sir Arthur Conan Doyle would write several more Sherlock Holmes stories, as well as the novel The Valley of Fear. The last Sherlock Holmes story, "The Adventure of Shoscombe Old Place", was published in the March 5 1927 issue of Liberty in the United States and the April 1927 issue of The Strand Magazine.

While the last Sherlock Holmes story was published in 1927, the character has never really been out of the spotlight since the 1890s. Sherlock Holmes would be adapted to the stage multiple times. Indeed, actor William Gillette made a bit of a career out of Holmes, first appearing as the detective in the play Sherlock Homes. Over the years there would be many more plays.

Of course, Sherlock Holmes would appear in several movies over the years, so many that Guinness World Records lists him as the character most portrayed in movies and the most portrayed detective on television as well. The first known film featuring Holmes was the one-reeler Sherlock Holmes Baffled, produced in 1900 by the American Mutoscope and Biograph Company. In 1916 William Gillette, who had played the detective several times on stage, appeared in the film adaptation of his play Sherlock Holmes. His play would be adapted again in 1922 by Goldwyn Pictures. This time it starred John Barrymore as Holmes and is historic as William Powell's film debut.

Perhaps the actors most famous for playing Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson were Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce, who first appeared as the par in 20th Century Fox's 1939 adaptation of The Hound of the Baskervilles. It would be followed the same year by another Holmes film starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. 20th Century Fox had wanted to make more Sherlock Holmes films starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce, but talks between the studio and the Conan Doyle estate broke down. Fortunately, Universal obtained the film rights for Sherlock Holmes and launched a new series of films starring Messrs. Rathbone and Bruce starting with Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror. Universal took the then revolutionary step of updating Holmes to the 1940s. Since then many more films starring Sherlock Holmes have been made. In fact, to adequately discuss Sherlock Holmes on the big screen would take and (and has taken) entire books.

Sherlock Holmes has also been adapted for radio several times over. On October 20 1930 The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes debuted on NBC Red. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes would be followed by several more radio shows featuring the great detective in the United States, with the last airing in 1956 on ABC. Notably, Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce played Holmes and Watson in The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. Mr. Rathbone would continue until 1946, the role then being taken over by Tom Conway. Even after the demise of Old Time Radio in the United States, there would be many radio adaptations of Sherlock Holmes. The BBC alone has aired several.

Of course, as mentioned earlier, Sherlock Holmes is the most portrayed detective on television. What is more, Sherlock Holmes appeared on television fairly early. In 1937 The Three Garridebs, starring Louis Hector as Sherlock Holmes, aired from the stage of  Radio City Music Hall on NBC as part of a field test before regular television broadcasts began. In 1951 the BBC aired a six episode series entitled Sherlock Holmes. An American series, also titled Sherlock Holmes, aired in syndication in 1954. Since then there have been several more TV shows featuring Sherlock Holmes, including the 1960s series initially starring Douglas Wilmer as Holmes and later Peter Cushing, the Eighties Granada Television series The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes starring Jeremy Brett as Sherlock Holmes, the more recent series Sherlock starring Benedict Cumberbatch, and another recent series, Elementary, starring Jonny Lee Miller.

One hundred and thirty years after his debut, Sherlock Holmes's popularity shows no sign of declining. The character continues to appear in movies and on television regularly. The original books by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (the "canon", as it is known) continues to sell well. The Baker Street Irregulars, an organisation of Sherlock Homes fans founded in 1934, continues to thrive. While other literary characters might see their popularity fade until they are eventually forgotten, it seems that Sherlock Holmes will likely still be popular 130 years from now.

The Late Great Malcolm Young

Malcolm Young, founding member and rhythm guitarist for the legendary rock band AC/DC, died on November 18 2017 at the age of 64. He had been suffering from dementia and a number of other health problems. His brothers were George Young (founding member of The Easybeats), Alex Young (bassist for Grapefruit), and Angus Young (founding member and lead guitarist of AC/DC).

Malcolm Young was born on January 6 1953 in Glasgow, Scotland. He came from a large family, with several brothers and one sister. Of his brothers, two others would become professional musicians besides Malcolm and Angus. George Young was a founding member and rhythm guitarist in the legendary Australian band The Easybeats. Alex Young was a founding member and bassist for the British band Grapefruit. According to Malcolm Young, all of the males in his family played some sort of musical instrument. It was following the particularly severe winter of 1962-1963 (known as "the Big Freeze of 1963") that the Young family immigrated to Australia.

While Malcolm Young's older brothers George and Alex had already achieved rock stardom, his father insisted that Malcolm Young continue to work as a mechanic at bra factory after he had left school at 15. It was inevitable that Malcolm Young would have a career in music, and from 1972 to 1974 he was part of the Marcus Hook Roll Band. The Marcus Hook Roll Band had been formed by his brother George Young and his writing partner Henry Vanda. It also included Malcolm Young's brothers Alex and Angus. The band released one album and three singles. In 1974 Malcolm Young played guitar on Stevie Wright's single "Evie".

It was in 1973 that Malcolm and Angus Young formed AC/DC. It was their sister Margaret who came up with the name after she noticed the abbreviation AC/DC on her sewing machine. The Young brothers then recruited drummer Colin Burges bassist Larry Van Kriedt, and singer Dave Evans. By 1974 Dave Evans would be replaced as lead vocalist by Bon Scott. The band built up a following and in 1974 their first album, High Voltage, was released exclusively in Australia and New Zealand. Its follow up, TNT, was released in 1975, also only in Australia and New Zealand. During this period, AC/DC regularly appeared on the Australian Broadcasting Company music show Countdown.

With a considerable amount of success in Australia, AC/DC was signed by Atlantic Records in 1976. Their first album on Atlantic was actually a compilation of songs from their previous Australian albums, High Voltage and T.N.T. Also titled High Voltage, the album was released internationally. It reached #7 on the French album chart, #31 on the Australian album chart, and #146 on the Billboard 200. Their next album was Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap. The album was released in 1976 in both Australian and international versions. Strangely enough, the American branch of Atlantic rejected the album, and it would not be released in the United States until 1981. The album reached no. 5 on the Australian album chart and no. 15 on the French album chart. Released at the height of AC/DC's success in the United States in 1981, it reached #3 on the Billboard 200.

Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap was followed by Let There Be Rock in 1977. Let There Be Rock performed well, reaching no. 17 on the British album chart, no. 9 on the French album chart, and no. 19 on the Australian album chart. Let There Be Rock was followed by 1978's Powerage and 1979's Highway to Hell. Highway to Hell proved to be the band's first major success in the United States, where it reached no. 17 on the Billboard 200. Its single, "Highway to Hell", peaked at no. 47 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Unfortunately, lead vocalist Bon Scott died on February 19 1980, not long after they had begun work on the album that would become Back in Black. AC/DC considered disbanding, but reconsidered after Mr. Scott's family insisted that he would want them to go on. They ultimately hired Brian Johnson as Bon Scott's replacement. He had been the lead vocalist with the band Geordie. Back in Black would prove to be their most commercially successful album of all time, hitting no. 4 on the Billboard 200 and no. 1 on the UK album chart. The following, album For Those About to Rock We Salute You, also performed very well.

AC/DC would experience a decline in their fortunes with the release of 1983's Flick of the Switch and 1985's Fly on the Wall. Fortunately 1988's album, Blow Up Your Video, would see a return to their former glory. Unfortunately, Malcolm Young would miss most of the tour for the album. Suffering from alcoholism, he checked himself into rehab. His place was taken by his nephew Stevie Young. It was the only time Malcolm Young was absent from AC/DC until his retirement in 2014.

AC/DC maintained their popularity into the 21st Century. Following the release of Blow Up Your Video, their albums regularly topped the album charts in multiple countries. In 1990 their song "Moneytalks" even reached no. 23 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Unfortunately in the Teens Malcolm Young's health began to decline. By April 2014 his health had worsened so much that he could no longer perform. By September 2014 it was reported that he was suffering from dementia. He would later develop lung cancer, with the tumour being successfully removed, and he had to wear pacemaker. Regardless, AC/DC continued according to his wishes.

While front man Angus Young has received most of the attention throughout AC/DC's history, Malcolm Young was a pivotal member of the band. He was in many respects the band's driving force and its leader. Former lead vocalist Brian Johnson described him as "...the man who created AC/DC because he said 'there was no Rock n' Roll' out there." A talented rhythm guitarist who co-wrote nearly all of the band's songs with his brother Angus, he was largely responsible for AC/DC's sound. As the band's rhythm guitarist he had a knack for developing very listenable riffs. In an interview in 2004, Dave Mustaine of Megadeth counted Malcolm Young as among the greatest rhythm guitarists of all time. While Malcolm Young may have shunned the spotlight, AC/DC simply would not have been possible without him.