Rock band AC/DC halts 10 tour dates because lead singer risks hearing loss

[March 08, 2016]  (Reuters) - Veteran rock band AC/DC has been forced to reschedule 10 dates on the U.S. leg of its "Rock or Bust" world tour because lead singer Brian Johnson could lose his hearing if he takes the stage, the band's publicist said on Monday.

The band known for its blazing guitars and full-throated vocals on songs like "Back in Black" and "Highway to Hell" will reschedule dates starting with a Tuesday show in Atlanta through an April 4 date in New York.

"Brian Johnson, has been advised by doctors to stop touring immediately or risk total hearing loss," the band's publicist said.

The band will perform the shows later in the year, likely with a guest vocalist, it said.

Johnson, 68, joined AC/DC in 1980, taking over lead vocals just after former frontman Bon Scott died. The band, formed in the early 1970s, and was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2003.

(Reporting by Jon Herskovitz in Austin, Texas; Editing by Diane Craft)

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