Australian Legend & Easybeats Guitarist George Young Passes Away

Music icon and The Easybeats guitarist George Young is confirmed to have passed away.

Australian music publishing and recording house Alberts Music confirmed the news in a statement given to The Music today. 

"A consummate songwriter, trailblazing producer, artist, mentor and extraordinary musician, George was above all else a gentleman who was unfailingly modest, charming, intelligent and loyal, a man with a wonderful sense of humour.

"George was a pioneer who, with close friends Harry Vanda and Ted Albert, created a new sound for the Australian music industry.   

"He will be missed."

The cause of Young's death is yet to be announced.

Born in Scotland in 1946, Young moved to Australia in 1963 before forming The Easybeats the following year; also the beginning of a lifelong working relationship with songwriting partner and fellow guitarist, Harry Vanda.

Though they disbanded in 1969, The Easybeats quickly became one of Australia's biggest-ever rock acts, together releasing six studio albums and a string of hit songs, including She's So Fine, Wedding Ring and Friday On My Mind.

A two-part miniseries based on The Easybeats is set to screen on ABC next month.

Following The Easybeats' split, Young and Vanda went on to co-write a number of hugely-successful tracks, such as John Paul Young's Love Is In The Air, as well as their own under different pseudonyms, including Flash & The Pan.

Fellow legendary Aussie band AC/DC addressed the news today in a statement released online and on behalf of Young's brothers, Angus and Malcolm, and nephew, Stevie; see the full post below.

In 1974, Young formed Albert productions with Vanda and Ted Albert, where they co-produced a number of famous works, including AC/DC's Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap and Let There Be Rock.

More to come.