Born to an Italian mother and a steelworker father, Brian Johnson grew up in the working-class community of New Castle Upon Tyne, England. He enjoyed music and sung in the church choir. He played with the glam rock band Geordie in the early 1970s; they had a few hits, but things were hard. They split up in 1976 due to Brian's decision to pursue a life in the blue collar. Then all was altered by 1980. Australian rock band AC/main DC's vocalist and lyricist Bon Scott passed away at the age of 33. Johnson, a performer Scott had personally seen and praised, was among the singers the band put through auditions. Within a few days, Johnson was recording with the band alongside Mutt Lange, Cliff Williams, Phil Rudd, Angus and Malcolm Young, who were all original members. Just three months after Johnson joined the band, the album Back in Black was released in July. It was an instant hit, selling 50 million copies worldwide and starting a years-long world tour. It has been dubbed "the best-selling heavy metal record in history" and "the greatest selling hard rock album ever made." The band spent an entire year touring the globe in support of the album, forever altering the course of rock music and Brian Johnson's life.