He's Bon, But not forgotten.

The loveable wild man of rock n roll Bon Scott died 20 years ago, just as AC/DC was about to hit international stardom. Scott's fans, reports Carmel Egan, revere him still.

They came in jeans and tatts and T-shirts to pay homage to the man and leave half empty bottles of Scotch to lift his spirit.
Caretakers at Fremantle Cemetry have grown used to their coming and goings although they pour the liquer out when the strangers leave and hire security guards to patrol the graveyard at night.

"Bon Scott outrageous lead singer of top Australian rock band AC/DC, died in London last night after a bout of heavy drinking" London's Sun newspaper reported.

His body was found where he had fallen into a drunken sleep in the front seat of friend Alistar Kinnear's car in East Dulwich on February 19 , 1990.

"I met up with Bon to go to the Music Machine. but he was pretty drunk when I picked him up." Kinnear said.

"When we got there he was drinking four straight whiskies in a glass at a time.

I just could not move him so I covered him with a blanket and left him a note to let to tell him how to get to my flat in case he woke up.
I went to sleep then and it was later in the evening when I went out to the car and I knew something was wrong immediately".

Bon died as AC/DC was finally breaking through with the album "Highway to Hell" after four years hard work in England. They were on the brink of international acclaim and Bon was living the dream - sex drugs,dope but mostely alcohol and rock n roll.

It was Bon's replacement Brian Johnson who led the nad as it finally went all the way to the top with the release of Back n Black.

In Melbourne, a tribute band plays the pubs as AC/DC did in 1974, but only uses Bon's material spurning all later works.

Born in Kirriemuir (aricle wrong stated Glasgow) Bon migrated to Australia as a five year old and learnt to play drums from his father (who also played piano).

"Dad tried to teach us , but it was only Ron that got it" brother Graham recalls. When he was a kid he used to play two recorders at one time as a party trick, one with the left hand , one with the right."

Jim Keays former lead singer and songwriter for the Master Apprentices, first met Bon in Melbourne when the future AC/DC frontman was touring with Perth-based band the Valentines.
"He could pick up any instrument and instantly play it. In fact, he is probably the most naturally gifted musian I have met" he said.

There were no secrets about Bon Scott and if he took any untold stories to his grave it was just because he did not have time to tell them. While others may seek to hide a criminal past. Bon Scott told a Melbourne journalist of the 11 months he spent, at 17 in Juvenile detention for assaulting a policeman.
I was singing a couple of songs with a band at a dance in Fremantle and a couple of guys started giving me a hard time" he said I got off the stage and got stuck into them. The cops tried to break it up and I finished up on a charge of assaulting a Police.

He remained friends with former wife Irene Thornton and returned to Melbourne in Christmas 1979 weeks before his death, to see her and another old friend Mary Renshaw. Bon's understanding of gentlemanly manners was mixed up in his own code of conduct.
Bon and Irene were getting into this car one day and this big nasty bloke sort of pushed Irene" recalls Mary. The guy would have been 185cm. but Bon just went ballistic and flattened him. "He was like that."
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Mary was working in her own clothes shop the day Irene called to tell her about Bon's death.
I had just been talking to Irene and we had been laughing about Bon and joking about him" says Mary.
Just after we hung up, Bon's mother called and told Irene he had died.
I was devastated. I just shut the shop and left. I still miss him like anything.

Irene Thornton who lives in Melbourne declined to comment.

Although they do no record the number of people who visit Scott's memorial caretakers at Fremantle Cemetry inist fans turn up every day. They come to sit and contemplate, Sometimes bursting into a rendition of Highway to Hell or sitting on the bench in the Garden of Remembrance. The plaques have to be replaced from time to time when fans find the temptation irresistible. The caretakers were unaware of the looming anniversary until contacted this wee. They have since planned additional measures.