Brian Johnson (born 5 October 1947) is an English singer and lyricist who has been the lead singer of the rock band AC/DC since 1980. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003, along with the other members of the band.Johnson was born in Dunston, Gateshead. He is of Italian descent and is the eldest of four siblings. His father, Alan, was a Sergeant Major of the British Army's Durham Light Infantry and a coal miner; he died during AC/DC's Ballbreaker tour. Johnson's mother, Esther (née De Luca), was an Italian from Frascati.[2] When he was young, Johnson performed in various shows with the Scouts, and appeared in a play which aired on television, and joined a local church choir.