Episode #118 | 2.21.23
AC/DC: A Satanic Serial Killer, A Police Man Hunt, and a Media Witch Hunt
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In this episode
In the 1980s, AC/DC’s biggest fan was a notorious serial killer. The band wan international, best-selling hit machine, and members like the late Bon Scott and die-hard Angus Young became rock icons. But when the press caught wind of the disturbing fandom of the serial killer Richard “The Night Stalker” Ramirez, the news quickly dragged the world’s most fun, pure rock ‘n’ roll band straight down the highway to hell and into the center of a media firestorm around Satanic Panic and the inspirations of a murderer.
Sources
Bon: The Last Highway, by Jesse Fink
Have a Drink on Me: The Inside Story of AC/DC’s Troubled Frontman, by Irene Thornton
The Night Stalker: The Disturbing Life and Chilling Crimes of Richard Ramirez, by Phillip Carlo
Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer (Netflix)
Did AC/DC Drive 'The Night Stalker' Serial Killer Down A Personal Highway To Hell? (BraveWords)
AC/DC and their connection to murderer Richard Ramirez (Far Out)
The History of AC/DC and the ‘Night Stalker’ Murders (Ultimate Classic Rock)
AC/DC on Entertainment Tonight 1985 (YouTube)
AC/DC Night Stalker news report 1985 (YouTube)
When AC/DC Ended Up in a Fistfight With Deep Purple (Ultimate Classic Rock)
What Really Happened On The Night Bon Scott Died? (Louder)
AC/DC frontman Bon Scott visited two women in the same hospital after they BOTH gave birth to his babies (Daily Mail)
Disgraceland is a podcast about musicians getting away with murder and behaving very badly. It melds music history, true crime and transgressive fiction. Disgraceland is not journalism. Disgraceland is entertainment. Entertainment inspired by true events. However, certain scenes, characters and names are sometimes fictionalized for dramatic purposes.
Credits
Hosted and written by Jake Brennan.
Copy editing by James Sullivan.
Additional writing by Taylor Bettinson.
This episode was mixed by Matt Beaudoin.
Score by Jake Brennan.
Mixed and Engineered by Sean Cahalin.
Additional music and score elements by Ryan Spraker.
Additional music services by Bryce Kanzer.
Ad music composed by the late, great Ian Kennedy.
Disgraceland theme song, "Crenshaw Space Boogie" written and produced by Jake Brennan. Performed by Jake Brennan, Bryce Kanzer, Jay Cannava and Evan Kenney. Mixed and engineered by Adam Taylor.
*illustrations by Avi Spivak @avispivak