After the untimely death of Bon Scott, AC/DC was faced with a difficult decision: to disband or continue in honor of their late singer. The loss was devastating and left the band in a precarious situation since they were without a frontman. Despite their worldwide popularity, the band had to begin an extensive search to find a suitable replacement and keep their legacy alive.
AC/DC’s image was closely linked with Bon Scott, and it was feared that his untimely death would result in the band’s decline. Although it may seem like a straightforward decision in hindsight, becoming AC/DC’s new frontman was a challenging proposition at the time. Despite the setback, the band was resolute in carrying on, and their quest for a new lead singer led them to Brian Johnson, who played a crucial role in their future success.
In the end, Brian Johnson was selected to replace Bon Scott as the new singer for AC/DC. Although, they didn’t only consider Johnson for the position, but also Marc Storace, the Maltese singer who is currently the lead singer of Krokus. Storace was scouted by AC/DC after Krokus supported them on tour. However, he declined the offer to audition for the band and didn’t even consider it. Storace has no regrets about his decision, even though it could have been a life-changing opportunity.
Describing how the opportunity came about, he stated in an interview with the Italian magazine Linea Rock:
“We did ‘Hardware’, and we had, actually, a brand new light show, which arrived from Birmingham. And the CEO of that company in Birmingham — the whole hard rock scene, the centre was Birmingham; Led Zeppelin and everyone else, and AC/DC, they were all doing their production stuff there”.
“And the guy took me to the side, the CEO because he drove down to show us this new light show computer, which we’d never seen one like that [before]. And then he took me on the side, and he said, ‘Would you like to audition for AC/DC?’. And I said, ‘Steve, I’m so happy here. Things are happening, and we’re gonna go places. And these are my new mates.’ I had a kind of loyalty. I was really thankful that I joined Krokus because it suddenly happened. And I had been trying in many different ways.”
Adding:
“The thing about AC/DC is it’s not realistic to think that way when you think why I decided that way. And I wouldn’t change a minute. I’m happy. I have a loving wife. I have two beautiful children. They’re intelligent. They’re doing their own thing. I have my own house. I’m an ambassador for [the French car company] Peugeot. It’s great to be alive. And that’s why I’m doing my solo album. And I don’t wanna stop.”
Although Storace maintains that he doesn’t have any regrets about declining the opportunity to join AC/DC, stating that he has lived a fulfilling life with his family, he did put out an album in 2000 featuring covers of AC/DC songs from the Bon Scott era. Moreover, when Brian Johnson had to take a break from the band due to health issues in 2016, Storace expressed his interest in filling in as the lead singer, but the band ultimately selected Axl Rose from Guns N’ Roses instead.