The buyer of a 1978 letter written by former AC/DC frontman Bon Scott has been revealed as none other than the Western Australian government.
Back in January, Los Angeles auction house Nate D. Sanders revealed it was selling a rather rare piece of Australian music history.
A handwritten letter from then-AC/DC frontman Bon Scott, the missive was addressed to Scott’s former girlfriend, Valerie, in August of 1978.
Penned in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the letter saw Bon Scott discuss a number of heavy topics, including the mental wellbeing of drummer Phil Rudd, the trials of touring, being in debt as a band, and his own desire to “check [himself] in to a sanitarium.”
“Being crazy is about the only way to keep my sanity if you know what I mean,” Scott explains at one point. “We’ve worked so much since I saw you last that it’s all one hell of a blur.”
“Must have been across the country & up & down it a million times & I’m beggining [sic] to feel & look just a little haggard.”
While bidding ended on January 31st, the item eventually sold for USD $9,831 (AUD $13,805), though it wasn’t clear who the lucky buyer was. Now, it turns out that the letter found its new home in Western Australia.
According to The West Australian, the rare piece of Aussie music history was snapped up by none other than the McGowan Government.
Of course, this should come as no real surprise to any fan of AC/DC, with Bon Scott’s childhood in Fremantle well-documented amongst music historians.
Starting his first band, The Spektors, in the mid-’60s, Bon Scott soon became one of the vocalists of The Valentines. After a stint in Adelaide with Fraternity, Scott replaced Dave Evans as the vocalist of AC/DC.
Following his untimely death in 1980, Scott’s ashes were interred back in Fremantle, while a statue of the rocker also stands tall in the Fremantle Fishing Boat Harbour.
Needless to say, purchasing a handwritten letter from the late rocker is just another way for his adopted hometown to pay tribute to him.
If you’re keen on seeing the letter in person, you might want to book a trip over to Western Australia ASAP, with the letter being put on display at the State Library for the next three weeks.
Check out AC/DC’s ‘T.N.T.’:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGDQ9IukMOc
