AC/DC's BRIAN JOHNSON: These Are The 'Tracks Of My Years'

AC/DC frontman Brian Johnson is the featured guest on the latest episode of BBC Radio 2's "Tracks Of My Years".

Each week an artist joins host Ken Bruce to pick 10 songs that have soundtracked their life. Johnson's choices are:

* Little Richard's "Tutti Frutti"
* STEPPENWOLF's "Born To Be Wild"
* BLACK SABBATH's "Paranoid"
* THE ROLLING STONES' "Jumpin' Jack Flash"
* LED ZEPPELIN's "Rock And Roll"
* Elvis Presley's "Jailhouse Rock"
* Joe Walsh's "Rocky Mountain Way"
* DIRE STRAITS' "Sultans Of Swing"
* Roy Orbison's "In Dreams"
* Ike & Tina Turner's "Nutbush City Limits"

Brian is currently promoting his long-awaited autobiography, "The Lives Of Brian", which will arrive on October 25 — a year later than originally planned.

The book was published in the U.K. by Penguin Michael Joseph, a division of Penguin Random House, by publishing director Rowland White. It was published simultaneously in the U.S. by Dey Street Books, an imprint of the William Morrow Group at HarperCollins,.

Johnson joined AC/DC in 1980 after the death of previous lead singer Bon Scott.

His first album with the band, "Back In Black", went on to become the biggest-selling rock album of all time.

After a quarter century of platinum albums and record-breaking tours, he was forced to quit the band in 2016 after being diagnosed with hearing loss, but made a triumphant return in 2020 with the release of "Power Up", which went to No.1 in 21 countries. A successful competitive vintage racing car driver, Johnson has more recently enjoyed acclaim as the charismatic presenter of television shows "Cars That Rock With Brian Johnson" and "Brian Johnson: A Life Of The Road".

"I've had some long nights and some great nights, some bad days and a lot of good days, and during that time I've gone from choirboy to rock 'n' roll singer, and now I've gone and written a bloody book about it," says Johnson.

"Brian's memoir captures an unforgettable moment in rock history. Anyone who wants to understand Brian's roots as well as the moment of ignition when he joined AC/DC and helped create a monster album will be in for an unforgettable ride," said Dey Street Books SVP and executive editor Mauro DiPreta.

Rowland White said: "From growing up in the north-east, the son of a former British army sergeant-major and an Italian mother, to fronting world's biggest rock band, 'The Lives Of Brian' tells one of the best stories in music in Brian's own inimitable voice. His life has been a roller coaster of highs and lows during which success as a musician too often felt out of reach. But even when it seemed defeat had been snatched from the jaws of victory he never gave up. And throughout his feet have remained firmly planted on the ground. Warm, vivid, evocative, life-affirming and often laugh-out-loud funny, 'The Lives Of Brian' is a gold standard rock 'n' roll memoir from one of our most well-loved performers. Brian's one of a kind and I couldn't be more proud to be publishing his book."

Johnson was born to a steelworker and WWII veteran father and an Italian mother, growing up in Newcastle Upon Tyne, England, a working-class town. He was musically inclined and sang with the church choir. By the early '70s, he performed with the glam rock band GEORDIE, and they had a couple hits, but it was tough going. So tough that by 1976, they disbanded and Brian turned to a blue-collar life.

Then 1980 changed everything. Bon Scott, the lead singer and lyricist of the Australian rock band AC/DC died at 33. The band auditioned singers, among them Johnson, whom Scott himself had seen perform and raved about. Within days, Johnson was in a studio with the band, working with founding members Angus and Malcolm Young, Cliff Williams and Phil Rudd, along with producer Mutt Lange.

When the album, "Back In Black", was released in July — a mere three months after Johnson had joined the band — it exploded, going on to sell 50 million copies worldwide, and triggering a years-long worldwide tour. It has been declared "the biggest-selling hard rock album ever made" and "the best-selling heavy-metal album in history."