AC/DC guitarist Stevie Young has been admitted to hospital in Argentina, but the band says the veteran rhythm player remains on track to return to the stage for upcoming shows.
By Paul Cashmere
AC/DC guitarist Stevie Young has been hospitalised in Buenos Aires “out of an abundance of caution”, as the band prepares for a run of massive South American stadium shows on their ongoing Power Up tour.
A spokesperson for the band confirmed that the 69-year-old musician was admitted to a local hospital in the Argentine capital for what was described as a “full battery of tests”. Despite the concern, the update was broadly reassuring, with Young reportedly in “good spirits” and optimistic about returning to the stage.
“He is doing well and is in good spirits. He is looking forward to getting on stage on Monday,” the statement said.
The hospitalisation comes just days before AC/DC are scheduled to play the first of three sold-out concerts at Buenos Aires’ Estadio River Plate on March 23, followed by additional shows on March 27 and March 31. At this stage, the band has indicated there is no expectation that the performances will be cancelled or postponed.
The South American leg of the tour has already taken in major stadium dates in São Paulo, Brazil and Santiago, Chile, reinforcing the band’s enduring popularity in the region. Argentina in particular has long been one of AC/DC’s strongest international markets, with previous visits drawing enormous crowds. Their last shows in Buenos Aires in 2009 saw such overwhelming demand that multiple dates were added and quickly sold out.
Young’s current situation inevitably draws attention to the band’s long history of resilience through personal and medical challenges. He stepped into the group in 2014, replacing his uncle Malcolm Young after the founding guitarist was diagnosed with dementia. Malcolm, who co-founded AC/DC in Sydney in 1973 with his brother Angus Young, died in 2017 at the age of 64, but remains a central creative force in the band’s catalogue.
Since joining, Stevie Young has maintained the signature rhythm guitar style that underpinned AC/DC’s sound for decades. He contributed to the 2014 album Rock Or Bust and later to 2020’s Power Up, the latter featuring material built from riffs and ideas developed with Malcolm prior to his passing. The Power Up album effectively served as a tribute to Malcolm’s legacy while also marking a renewed phase for the band.
AC/DC’s history has been punctuated by periods of upheaval. Original frontman Bon Scott died in 1980, leading to the recruitment of Brian Johnson, whose debut on Back In Black would become one of the biggest-selling albums in history. Johnson himself stepped away from touring in 2016 due to hearing issues before eventually returning to the fold.
The current touring lineup also reflects further evolution. Bass duties are now handled by Chris Chaney of Jane’s Addiction, stepping in for long-time member Cliff Williams, who has intermittently retired and returned over recent years. Drummer Phil Rudd has similarly moved in and out of the band across different eras.
Despite these changes, AC/DC’s core identity has remained remarkably consistent, anchored by Angus Young’s unmistakable lead guitar and the band’s commitment to a no-frills, high-voltage rock sound.
The Power Up tour, which began in 2024, marked AC/DC’s first extensive run of live dates in several years. It also represented a significant return following the disruptions of the late 2010s, when health issues and lineup uncertainties had cast doubt over the band’s future as a touring entity.
Following the South American dates, the tour is scheduled to move to Mexico before heading to North America for a major stadium run beginning in July. Cities including Charlotte, Denver, Vancouver, Toronto and Philadelphia are all on the itinerary, underlining the band’s continued global draw more than five decades after their formation.
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