AC/DC lead's 'darkest day' 100+ CNN AC/DC lead singer Brian Johnson is speaking out about his hearing loss. AC/DC lead singer Brian Johnson is speaking out about his hearing loss. Fans knew that Guns N' Roses front man Axl Rose would replace Johnson on AC/DC's "Rock or Bust" world tour. But on Tuesday, Johnson, who has been with the band for 36 years, detailed what led to his decision and what he called the "darkest day" of his professional life. Singer Axl Rose to join AC/DC "Rock or Bust" world tour "On March 7th, after a series of examinations by leading physicians in the field of hearing loss, I was advised that if I continue to perform at large venues, I risked total deafness," Johnson said in a statement. "While I was horrified at the reality of the news that day, I had for a time become aware that my partial hearing loss was beginning to interfere with my perfor
