AC/DC stops tour to save singer's hearing

The Australian band announced on their website that they would reschedule 10 US gigs, including the upcoming concerts in Atlanta and New York.

According to the Monday statement, AC/DC would eventually play the remaining shows but "likely with a guest vocalist."

"AC/DC's lead singer, Brian Johnson, has been advised by doctors to stop touring immediately or risk total hearing loss," the band said.

The group did not immediately specify if they would perform the European leg of their "Rock or Bust" world tour, which was set to take them through countries such as Portugal, Germany and Britain, ending with Denmark in June.

Rough sailing for rockers

The band is famous for pushing boundaries when it comes to the loudness of their live performances.

Singer Brian Johnson, now 68 years old, joined the band in the 1980s after their original singer Bonn Scott died after a night of drinking.

Johnson's hearing trouble is only the latest in the series of misfortunes to hit the legendary band, which has shaped rock music since the early 1970s.

A founding member, guitarist Malcom Young, was diagnosed with dementia in 2014. The same year, the band lost its long time drummer Phil Rudd, who was arrested over possession of drugs and threatening to kill a former employee in New Zealand.

AC/DC's latest album "Rock or Bust" came out in 2014.

dj/msh (dpa, AFP)