AC/DC May Break Up Amid Rumors That Malcolm Young Is Ill; Australian Rockers Were Planning 40th Anniversary Record

AC/DC may be announcing their retirement as soon as today. AC/DC, which formed in 1973, is one of the most popular and highest-grossing bands of all time.

Rock music fans are waiting for AC/DC to confirm or deny the latest rumors over their future. 

AC/DC is Australia's most successful hard rock band of all time. Perth radio station says AC/DC might retire because of a a band member's illness. The rumors are that the guitarist Malcolm Young suffered a blood clot in the brain and has difficulty playing. There are conflicting reports that AC/DC are set to start recording again. AC/DC booked studio time in Vancouver for six weeks from May 1.

AC/DC was expected to announce a 40th anniversary tour. Peter Ford an entertainment commentator told radio station 3AW that "we may never hear them perform or record ever again" and later tweeted "there was some sad detail" behind the rumored split but left it to "the band/management may choose to reveal this".

AC/DC's publicist not made any comment yet.

The rumors started with an anonymous email to Perth radio station 6PR by a someone calling themself "Thunderstruck", who said: "I have extremely good contacts in Europe that are very close to AC/DC. I have it on very good authority that one of the band members is quite ill and has returned to Australia with his family. AC/DC members have previously made a pact that no band members will be replaced should someone need to leave the band. No more is currently being said, however the particularly ill member of AC/DC's son has stated that AC/DC may well be over."

In February Brian Johnston, AC/DC's singer said "I think we'll be going into the studio in May in Vancouver. Which means, we should be getting ready. It's been 40 years of the band's existence. So I think we're gonna try to do 40 gigs, 40 shows, to thank the fans for their undying loyalty. I mean, honestly, our fans are just the best in the world, and we appreciate every one of them. So, like I said, we'll have to go out, even though we're getting a bit long in the tooth. You know what?! It's been four years [since we last went out on the road], and I'm really looking forward to it."

AC/DC's last record was 2008's Black Ice.