Iconic rock band AC/DC is grieving the loss of their original drummer, Colin Burgess, who passed away at the age of 77. The group confirmed the sad news through a statement shared on social media, paying tribute to the respected musician.

In their heartfelt statement, AC/DC expressed their sorrow, saying, "Very sad to hear of the passing of Burgess. He was our first drummer and a very respected musician. Happy memories, rock in peace, Colin."

While the exact cause of Burgess's death has not been disclosed, his legacy in the world of rock and roll is undeniable. He served as AC/DC's drummer for a brief but impactful period between November 1973 and February 1974.

During his time with AC/DC, Burgess joined the ranks of the band's founding members, including sibling guitarists Angus and Malcolm Young, singer Dave Evans, and bassist Larry Van Kriedt. He made his debut with AC/DC at Sydney's Chequers nightclub, marking the beginning of his journey with the legendary rock group.

However, Burgess's tenure with AC/DC was relatively short-lived. He departed from the band in 1974, shortly after the release of their first hit single, "Can I Sit Next to You Girl." His departure was attributed to an incident during a live performance where he was accused of being intoxicated on stage.

In an attempt to salvage his position in the band, Burgess claimed that his drink had been spiked, but regrettably, his efforts were in vain. Despite this, his brief time with AC/DC left a real mark on the band's early history.

Before joining AC/DC, Burgess had established himself as a talented drummer by performing with the Australian rock band The Masters Apprentices from 1968 to 1972. The band's significant contributions to the music scene earned them a well-deserved induction into Australia's ARIA Hall of Fame in 1988.

Burgess's passing is a reminder of the impact he had on the world of rock music. While his time with AC/DC was relatively short, his role as the band's original drummer is a cherished part of their history. His legacy will live on through his music and the memories he created during his time with the iconic rock group.

Featured image credit: Kevin Mazur / Getty

Yesterday, news broke that Malcolm McCormick, better known as Mac Miller, had passed away at the age of 26. The rapper was discovered dead at his home in San Fernando Valley, having apparently taken an overdose of undisclosed substances. His death has not yet been confirmed as deliberate, but is suspected to be a suicide on account of the musician's known struggles with depression and addiction - not to mention his recent breakup with Ariana Grande.

However, some of Miller's friends have now said that they were watching football with him just hours before his death, and that his passing has come as a complete shock to all of them.

"He loved the Steelers and was just out with friends watching the game last night," an anonymous music industry source disclosed to People.

The rapper apparently watched the Philadelphia Eagles play the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday night, and did not seem to be particularly out of his normal character. "That’s why this is such a shock," the source said.

The friend added: "Everyone who he worked with was aware that he was delicate, but thought it was because of the new album, nerves, nothing like this.

"At his record release in New York he was happy taking pictures, we felt like he was back. He wasn’t even drinking in New York.

"He was an artist’s artist; everyone loved him."

Further doubts were raised about Miller's suspected overdose after TMZ reported that the rapper's house was practically clean of any illegal substances.

According to the celebrity news outlet:

"Law enforcement sources tell TMZ, they only found a tiny amount of white powder when they searched the home for clues as to how Mac died. They also believe, based on conversations with witnesses and other evidence ... the house was almost swept clean, so there was no evidence of drug use.

"Cops believe Mac OD'd on drugs, and our law enforcement sources say it makes no sense to them that someone who consumed a fatal dose would have the foresight to scrub the house of pill bottles, illegal drugs as well as drug paraphernalia on the off chance they might die."

Nevertheless, Miller did have a known substance abuse problem.

In 2015, he said: "I had a drug problem for a long time. It wasn’t just in music, but I definitely was going through a drug problem and I think it was more my state of mind. I was just pretty depressed."

Miller's cause of death has yet to be officially determined, but is expected to be disclosed in the near future.

Meanwhile, Ariana Grande has made no comment on her ex's passing (understandably, as she must be grieving), but some people on social media have taken to blaming her for the 26-year-old's death.

After their break-up, she said of Miller: "I respect and adore him endlessly and am grateful to have him in my life in any form, at all times regardless of how our relationship changes or what the universe holds for each of us."

Our thoughts are with the friends and family of Miller at this difficult time, and we hope that we will have definitive answers about the circumstances that led to his untimely death in the imminent future.

Last week, it was announced that Mac Miller passed away at age 26. The rapper, whose real name is Malcolm McCormick, is suspected to have died of a drug overdose and was found dead in his California home. His death follows years of substance abuse, and his passing has been met with an outpouring of grief worldwide.

But while people have been paying their respects, Miller's ex-girlfriend of two years, Ariana Grande, has been treated somewhat differently. Instead of showing the young pop-star sympathy in her time of grieving, Ariana has been brutally bombarded with abuse from trolls telling her that she's to blame for the rapper's death.

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As a tribute to his passing, she posted a personal picture of Miller to Instagram without a caption, and was forced to disable the comments on the post. The pair split in May of this year, and even back then people criticised Ariana for "abandoning" Miller while he struggled to overcome his addiction.

It caused her to speak out on social media, saying that their relationship had turned "toxic" and that she shouldn't feel like she needs to be a "babysitter or a mother". She wrote:

"I have cared for him and tried to support his sobriety & prayed for his balance for years (and always will of course) but shaming/blaming women for a man's inability to keep his shit together is a very major problem."

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But despite her very valid point about the shaming women experience in such relationships, people still unfairly blamed the recently-engaged singer for Miller's suspected overdose.

Now, a friend of the Ladders singer has come to Ariana's defence, highlighting how supportive she was of Miller during his struggle with sobriety. Shane Powers dedicated one of his podcasts to Miller, and spoke about the rapper's relationship with Ariana.

He revealed on The Shane Show that there "could not have been anybody more supportive of him being sober than Ariana."

"Ariana and him were together, and they were very much in love," he went on. "And I have to say, she was incredible when he was first sobering up. She was a f*cking G to him."

According to Shane, Ariana "was deeply helpful and effective in keeping Mac sober and helping him get sober. And she was all about him being healthy, period, in this area of his life."

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Shane said he "took phone calls from her.", where she would ask for advice like "'How do I help? What do I do?'"

"This little girl was unbelievably involved and helpful to him being healthy. Because whether he [was] an addict or not, the way that Mac partied was not healthy."

While she was clearly a very positive force in Miller's life, people should not assume that the responsibility for his personal struggle is hers to bear. The news of his passing was tragic for many, and as you can imagine, it's particularly difficult for those that were close to Miller, including Ariana.

Last week, Mac Miller passed away from a suspected drug overdose at the age of 26. The rapper, whose real name was Malcolm McCormick, was discovered dead at his home in San Fernando Valley, California, on Friday morning.

Tributes poured in for the young artist on Twitter and Instagram, and his family released a statement saying, "Malcolm McCormick, known and adored by fans as Mac Miller, has tragically passed away at the age of 26. He was a bright light in this world for his family, friends and fans. Thank you for your prayers."

Now, days after his death, it has transpired that Miller was not single, as most people suspected he might still have been after his break-up with Ariana Grande.

Julia Kelly, who is 22 years old, took to Instagram shortly after the rapper's death in order to share a touching text exchange between the pair of them.

She also shared this photograph, which shows Miller's hand on her lap.

Along with the two photographs and a clip of Miller playing Happy Birthday on the piano, Kelly wrote:

\"My heart is hurting. Shattered. Today I lost one of the most amazing humans that has ever entered my life. Malcolm McCormick, I would give anything to have you back. Our memories will never be erased. I am forever grateful for you. Thank you for your laughter and endless amounts of love. You brought me out of my shell and broke me free from my shyness. The most gentle soul. Your mind was like no other. Waking up next to you was a dream. Thank you for always making me feel at home. I’m going to miss your sweet forehead kisses and affection. I would give anything to talk to you one last time and express my love. I love you forever, Malcolm.\"

News of Miller's girlfriend comes in the wake of his ex, Ariana Grande, receiving a torrent of abuse and blame.

The God is a Woman singer was subject to a barrage of hateful comments on her Instagram page - so many, in fact, that she has since disabled the function so that she can avoid further abuse.

It's perhaps because of this abuse that Grande has yet to release a statement on Miller's passing. However, she has shared a black and white image of the 26-year-old - presumably from when they were still dating.

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Kelly has not disclosed any information about how long she and Miller were together, nor how the pair of them met - but that does not make her grief any less valid. She, too, has disabled comments on Instagram, possibly for similar reasons to Grande, and it is important to respect her privacy at this time.

Our thoughts go out to Kelly, Grande, Miller's family, and anyone else who has been affected by the rapper's passing. Hopefully, the coroner's examination will be performed soon, and those close to Miller can have some closure.

A new album from the late Mac Miller, entitled Circles, will be released next week.

The family of the rapper, who passed away in September of 2018, revealed in an Instagram statement that the record was a "companion" to the critically acclaimed Swimming, which debuted a month before his death.

Miller reportedly began work on Circles with Swimming collaborator, Jon Brion, who went onto complete the posthumous LP.

Read the statement below:

"Here we are. The act of having to write this at all feels surreal. At the time of his passing, Malcolm was well into the process of recording his companion album to Swimming entitled Circles. Two different styles complementing each other, completing a circle. Swimming in Circles was the concept. He had been working with Jon Brion, who after hearing some early versions of songs, cleared his calendar to help Malcolm fine-tune them. After his passing, Jon dedicated himself to finishing Circles based on his time and conversations with Malcolm. We are eternally grateful to Jon and to those who gave their best to the difficult and emotional task of putting out this body of work.

This is a complicated process that has no right answer. No clear path. We simply know that it was important to Malcolm for the world to hear it. One of the most difficult decisions in the process is how best to let people know about it, how to communicate meaningfully while keeping sacred what should be kept sacred. So this will be the only post on any of his channels. Information regarding this release, his charity, and Malcolm himself will be found at @92tilinfinity. Thank you to all the fans who've supported him unconditionally through the years. We miss him. We are left to imagine where Malcolm was going and to appreciate where he was. We hope you take the time to listen. The look on his face when everyone was listening said it all.

With humility and gratitude, Malcolm's family."

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The Instagram post also revealed the cover art for Circles.
Swimming was later nominated for the 2019 Grammy Award for Best Rap Album after the 26-year-old's death.