Former AC/DC Bassist MARK EVANS Knocks ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME After Snub

Bassist Mark Evans, author of the new book "Dirty Deeds: My Life Inside/Outside Of AC/DC" (Bazillion Points Books),joined AC/DC in 1975 and remained with them through their barroom days, their first international tours, and the majority of the Bon Scott-era albums: "High Voltage", "Dirty Deeds Done Dirty Cheap", "T.N.T.", "Let There Be Rock", and the U.S.-only '74 "Jailbreak" collection-recordings that have since sold in excess of 10 million copies in the U.S. alone.

To this day, controversy surrounds the popular bassist's exclusion from AC/DC's Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction. Towards the end of his memoir, the first of its kind by a classic-era AC/DC insider, Evans addresses the confounding experience of being an announced "foundation inductee" of the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in November 2002 and then in short order being disinvited six weeks later, prevented from joining the group of past and present band members honored.

Evans describes the events in detail in "Dirty Deeds", and then reaches a damning conclusion:

"At first, the Hall Of Fame was full of positive signs: I was given dates, details of the induction at the Waldorf Astoria, the arrangements to be made. They said they'd be in contact and get the information to me. But then the temperature turned chilly. When we did get a reply, it was simply to announce that the Hall Of Fame had seen fit to review the nomination and had come to the conclusion that I didn't qualify. I was out.

"Let me just say that the band richly deserved to be in the Hall Of Fame. It was way overdue. Bon had to be included, of course, as well as the current lineup. And I had absolutely no problem with not being included; in the AC/DC timeline, I was there for only a brief time an important time, in my opinion, but a heartbeat by comparison with Cliff Williams's thirty-year-plus tenure. What I found galling was the Hall Of Fame's attitude. If a mistake was made, fine, then they should have dealt with it. A simple apology or at least an explanation would have been appreciated."

At nineteen years old in 1975, Evans joined AC/DC, one of the hardest-working and loudest barroom bands in Australia. His memoir, "Dirty Deeds: My Life Inside/Outside Of AC/DC", dubbed "a rare 'been there, done that' perspective of touring with the group" by Library Journal, is a rich bounty of insight into the struggles and camaraderie that fueled hard rock's most successful group. Evans's likeable stories capture the energy and essence of Malcolm Young, Angus Young, Phil Rudd, and the late Bon Scott. Encounters with rock and roll icons like George Harrison, Gene Simmons, Phil Lynott, BLACK SABBATH, Ahmet Ertegun and METALLICA also feature.

"Dirty Deeds: My Life Inside/Outside AC/DC" is now available for order at www.dirtydeedsbook.com.