70s rock star Bruce Howe who worked with AC/DC icon Bon Scott dies aged 77

Rock prima Bruce Howe has died aged 77.

The seasoned musician, who was the bassist for 70s set Fraternity with Jimmy Barnes and AC/DC fable Bon Scott, died aft a lengthy ‘battle with cancer’.

Confirming the bittersweet news, Barnes wrote connected social media: ‘My beloved person Bruce Howe has passed distant aft a conflict with cancer.

‘Bruce was the archetypal idiosyncratic I rang erstwhile I went solo. He played bass with my set and helped usher maine done the aboriginal years of my career.

‘He volition beryllium sadly missed. RIP, you were the astir ferocious bass subordinate I’ve ever heard.’

Fraternity, who topped the charts successful Australia with singles Seasons of Change and If You Got It, formed successful 1970 earlier the radical disbanded 5 years later.

Howe founded the set with bandmates John Bisset, Mick Jurd and Tony Buettel, with Highway to Hell vocalist Scott, who died successful 1980, joining the pursuing year.

When Scott near successful 1973 and went connected to articulation AC/DC, John Swan stepped successful arsenic pb vocalist the pursuing year, earlier his younger member Barnes took implicit successful 1975.

Howe stayed progressive aft the extremity of Fraternity, and continuing to enactment with Barnes connected his solo projects.

Barnes told Adelaide Now this week: ‘Bruce was a hard taskmaster. He utilized to deed maine successful the backmost of the caput with his bass if I sang flat. He was afloat on, pugnacious and demanding but helium encouraged maine to resistance retired much of myself.

‘I can’t convey Bruce capable for moving with maine aft I near Cold Chisel. He was the 1 instrumentalist I needed astir maine astatine that important clip successful my life.’

Music promoter Victor Marshall praised Howe for the ‘crucial role’ helium played successful changing Australia’s philharmonic landscape, but ‘guiding immoderate of the nation’s astir renowned stone beforehand men’.

He added: ‘We instrumentality immense pridefulness successful Bruce’s achievements successful euphony and his steadfast dedication to those helium cherished.’

Howe, whose woman Anne died successful 2023, retired from euphony respective years agone arsenic helium dealt with ongoing health issues.

He erstwhile described Bon Scott arsenic a ‘wonderful bloke’ to enactment with, and idiosyncratic afloat dedicated to the music.

He told ABC’s Australian Story successful 2022: ‘The lone happening that mattered to him was getting up determination and being a palmy beforehand man…

‘We each knew this wasn’t going to extremity well. But helium was a fantastic bloke and I loved him heaps.’

Howe is survived by his lad JJ, and grandchildren Jack and Jasmin.

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