AC/DC 'Rock Or Bust' World Tour Media Call
Brendon Thorne, Getty Images
loading...

Earlier this week we received heart-wrenching news that AC/DC singer Brian Johnson was ordered to cease touring immediately or face "total hearing loss" if he continued with the remaining dates on the band's North American leg of the 'Rock or Bust' tour. The band stated they will likely reschedule the dates with a different singer, leaving speculation among fans to run wild. Original AC/DC frontman Dave Evans has come out, expressing his interest in making his return to the fold.

"When I perform around the world the fans love my music and my performances and I hear what they tell me," Evans told the Sydney Morning Herald, reiterating, "That's what they all tell me. They're pretty appreciative of my vocals and performances." The singer was featured on the AC/DC singles, "Can I Sit Next to You Girl" and "Baby Please Don't Go."

Discussing the issues that now plague Johnson, Evans stated, "A lot of people make jokes about going deaf from listening to loud music. It's never been a problem for me. I just thought it was sad news. It's your lifeblood as a singer, live performances are so personal, without the crowd and the adrenaline it's going to be hard for him. Performances are the big highs in our lives." He remains doubtful that him taking front and center will ever come to fruition, stating, "It'll never happen, but it would be nice to do one guest performance. [Former members] were all part of the band no matters what era they were from."

With Johnson on the sideline, guitarist Malcolm Young stepping away from the band as he battles dementia and drummer Phil Rudd under house arrest for past legal woes, fans have begun to wonder if the band should hang it up. Evans commented, "So long as Angus [Young] is there in his uniform ... it's a branding thing now, the name AC/DC is almost bigger than the [members of the] band itself. It's a massive thing all over the world. He's his own man, it's hard to tell someone to stop performing. A lot perform until they die -- Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, all the greats."

The singer continued, "How many AC/DC cover bands are there? Millions, and as long as they play uncompromising hard rock and have someone dressed in a schoolboy uniform they pack in the people. Angus is the real deal... [he] will be thinking to keep the band going. The day Angus retires is the day AC/DC finishes."

While many assumed Johnson's risk of hearing loss stems from touring with AC/DC, the singer attributed his hearing loss to racing cars in a 2014 interview with shock jock legend Howard Stern. The frontman said, “I didn’t get it from music. I got it from sitting in a race car too long without earplugs. I heard me eardrum burst, because I forgot to put me plugs in under my helmet. That’s how it happened. Music had nothing to do with it.”

Dave Evans Performs AC/DC's "Highway to Hell"

AC/DC Share Their Scariest Moments on Tour

See Where Brian Johnson Ranks Among the Top 50 Hard Rock + Metal Frontmen of All Time

More From Loudwire