Portrait of Brian Johnson

Birthday profile

Brian Johnson

Brian Johnson, English singer and songwriter

Born
October 5, 1947
Age in 2026
79
Zodiac sign
Libra
Birth year
1947

About Brian Johnson

Brian Johnson (born 5 October 1947) is an English singer and songwriter. He is the third lead singer of the Australian rock band AC/DC, taking over the role in 1980 after the death of Bon Scott. Johnson is one of the founding members of the rock band Geordie, which was formed in Newcastle upon Tyne in 1971. After several hit singles, including the UK Top 10 hit "All Because of You" (1973), the band split in 1978. Following the death of Bon Scott on 19 February 1980, Johnson was asked to audition for AC/DC, whose guitarists and founders, Angus and Malcolm Young, remembered when Scott had been impressed with Johnson as Geordie's frontman. Johnson's first album with AC/DC, Back in Black, became the second-best-selling album of all time, according to most estimates. The Guardian ranked the successful transition to Johnson at No. 36 on their list of 50 key events in rock-music history. Johnson and the rest of the band were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003. In March 2016, he temporarily left the band during the Rock or Bust World Tour because of hearing problems. In September 2020, AC/DC confirmed that Johnson, along with bandmates Phil Rudd and Cliff Williams, had rejoined the group in August 2018 to record the album Power Up. Johnson is known for his distinctive singing voice and strong Geordie accent. In July 2014, he was awarded an honorary degree of Doctor of Music by Northumbria University in Newcastle in recognition of his significant contribution to the music industry.

Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.

Brian Johnson timeline

  1. In July 2014, he was awarded an honorary degree of Doctor of Music by Northumbria University in Newcastle in recognition of his significant contribution to the music industry.
  2. In September 2020, AC/DC confirmed that Johnson, along with bandmates Phil Rudd and Cliff Williams, had rejoined the group in August 2018 to record the album Power Up.

The world when Brian Johnson was born

Brian Johnson was born in 1947. The year snapshot below places that birthday in its cultural and historical setting: the music and films people were following, the headlines shaping public life, and the everyday prices families encountered.

Culture in 1947

  • #1 song"Near You" – Francis Craig
  • Top movieMiracle on 34th Street
  • Top TV showHowdy Doody
  • Best-selling bookThe Diary of a Young Girl – Anne Frank

Headlines and milestones

  • Major sports momentJackie Robinson breaks baseball's color barrier
  • Top headlineJackie Robinson breaks Major League Baseball's color barrier
  • Technology milestoneTransistor invented at Bell Labs
  • Defining fadFlying saucer mania
  • Notable inventionPolaroid instant camera
  • World population2.47 billion

United States snapshot

  • U.S. leaderHarry S. Truman
  • Sports championNew York Yankees (World Series)
  • Also wonPhiladelphia Warriors (BAA)
  • U.S. population144.1M

1947 versus 2026

These figures put everyday life in Brian Johnson's birth year beside the site's latest United States snapshot.

Measure19472026
Gas$0.23$3.45/gal
Average home$7,800$435,000
Average income$4,700$67,500
Minimum wage$0.40$7.25/hr (federal)
Movie ticket$0.40$11.95
Postage stamp$0.03$0.73
Population144.1M341 million

Sources and editorial standards

This profile combines a biographical source with structured birthday and historical context. Sources recorded for this profile: Wikipedia, MusicBrainz. See our editorial policy for sourcing, corrections, and review standards.

Read the source biography on Wikipedia. Wikipedia text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.