A collection of personal correspondence written by AC/DC frontman Bon Scott during 1978 is providing a rare firsthand account of the band’s relentless touring life at a pivotal stage in its international breakthrough. The archive, assembled by road manager and tour director Dawn M. Blouin and now being offered through RR Auction, contains seven signed letters and cards written from tour stops across the United States and Europe, revealing Scott’s reflections on travel, friendships, drinking and the pressures of life on the road.
The collection arrives as renewed interest continues in previously unseen material connected to Scott’s life and career. While AC/DC’s rise has been extensively documented through recordings, interviews and concert footage, personal correspondence from Scott remains comparatively scarce. The letters offer direct insight into the day-to-day realities facing a band that, in 1978, was working aggressively to establish itself outside Australia and the United Kingdom.
Among the archive are three autograph letters, two handwritten postcards, a New Year’s card and an oversized envelope, most dating from 1978. Written from hotels and tour stops throughout Europe and North America, the correspondence captures Scott’s humour and blunt honesty. In one letter written during a European run of dates, Scott reported that “all the gigs have been pretty good so far” before adding, “I’ve been drunk since the beginning of June.”
Several of the letters document the intensity of AC/DC’s touring commitments during the period. Scott comments on long travel days, crowded schedules and the practical difficulties of moving between countries and cities. One greeting card sent from Ohio includes a pointed observation regarding AC/DC’s role supporting Aerosmith on the American Tour Of Lost Cities. Scott wrote: “F— Aerosmith & its Tour of Lost Cities. Why do we have to help them find them.”
Another letter, written after arriving in London, details Scott settling into a hotel room with a bottle of Black Jack whisky before reflecting on friends and changing personal circumstances. Elsewhere he describes extended stretches on the European circuit and admits he would be pleased to leave after weeks of constant travel.
The broader collection extends well beyond the letters themselves. Included are original mailing envelopes addressed in Scott’s handwriting, personal notes, backstage passes, photographs, concert slides and an itinerary from AC/DC’s Autumn 1978 European Tour. Dawn Blouin’s 1978 planner, which records the receipt of the correspondence, is also part of the archive.
Historically, the material captures AC/DC during one of the most significant phases of its development. The band was touring behind Powerage and building momentum in overseas markets ahead of the breakthrough success that would arrive with Highway To Hell in 1979. Scott was central to that growth, helping establish the band’s reputation as one of the hardest-working live acts of the era.
The letters also carry additional weight when viewed through the lens of history. Scott died in London on February 19, 1980, at the age of 33. His repeated references to alcohol throughout the correspondence provide a deeply personal record of habits that later became part of the broader narrative surrounding his life and death. At the same time, the letters reveal a thoughtful observer documenting the realities of touring life rather than the mythology that would later surround him.
For collectors and music historians, the archive represents an unusually complete snapshot of a working rock musician during a transformative moment in his career. It offers evidence of the demands placed on young artists pursuing international success long before the era of instant communication and social media documentation.
The Bon Scott archive is part of RR Auction’s Marvels of Modern Music sale, which also includes handwritten Jimi Hendrix lyrics for Room Full Of Mirrors, a fully signed copy of The Beatles’ A Hard Day’s Night album and original artwork by Bob Dylan. The auction concludes on June 18, 2026, with Scott’s correspondence standing among the most revealing personal documents connected to the AC/DC frontman ever to reach the public market.
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