Former AC/DC Bass Guitarist Paul Matters Dies: 'He Will Be Missed by All Who Knew Him'

Nicholas Rice
·2 min read

Former AC/DC bassist Paul Matters has died.

Matters — who played bass for the famed rock band in their early years — died on Wednesday, according to a Facebook post from his friend, Rod Wescombe. Neither the cause of death or Matters' exact age at the time of his death was mentioned in the announcement.

"Shocked and sad to hear of the passing of Paul Matters," Wescombe began his post before he detailed his friendship with the rocker, noting they first met in 1973 before they played together in "a one-off band" later on.

"I moved to Sunshine on the lake further south and Paul would drop in to chill whenever he was in the area," he added. "I recall he could always make me laugh when he was in the mood. After leaving New South Wales I lost contact with him as did many other people over the years."

Concluding his message, Wescombe wrote that Matters "lived a reclusive life in his later years" and that his "early rock n' roll life style [sic] led to ailing health."

"He will be missed by all who knew him. R.I.P. Mr. Paul Matters," he ended his message alongside a guitar emoji.

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Reps for AC/DC could not be reached for comment.

Matters joined the "Highway to Hell" rock group after the release of their 1975 debut album High Voltage, where he replaced original bassist Larry Van Kriedt, according to The Independent. He was later fired by late lead singer Bon Scott after a few weeks and replaced by Mark Evans.

Matters never recorded any tracks with AC/DC but did perform live with the band on tour in Melbourne, Adelaide, and Sydney, the outlet adds.

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Matters previously discussed his departure from AC/DC in the book, The Last Highway: The Untold Story of Bon Scott and AC/DC’s Back in the Black, which was published back in October 2017.

"Bon got out of the back of the truck and told me I wasn't going back to Melbourne with them," he said, per The Independent. "We were up in Sydney doing a concert for school kids. So I didn't play that day. I just turned around and didn't say a word to him. I turned around and walked out."