Former AC/DC bassist Paul Matters has died, according to one of his close friends.
Matters was briefly a member of the band after the recording of their debut album, High Voltage in 1975 after he left his previous band Armageddon.
Unfortunately for Matters, he was fired by Bon Scott only several weeks after joining AC/DC and was replaced with Mark Evans.
According to AC/DC biographer Jesse Fink, he was fired "because he didn't fit the values of the Young oligarchy. Too pretty, for a start. He didn't really fit, and had strong opinions and sensitivity, and played just what he liked."
Matters toured with the band in Australia in 1975 but never performed on any recordings with AC/DC.
In a statement on Facebook, his friend Rod Wescombe writes:
Shocked and sad to hear of the passing of Paul Matters. I first met Paul in 1973 when he was playing bass in "Armageddon" at a gig in Hamilton,Newcastle N.S.W.. When I was living in Toronto he would drop into the house in the late hours to party and he loved to party. In late '75 after he departed AC/DC we played together in a one off band called 'Miss Australia Band' at a gig on a ferry on Lake Macquarie. I moved to Sunshine on the lake further south and Paul would drop in to chill whenever he was in the area. 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. From all reports he lived a reclusive life in his later years and his early rock n' roll life style led to ailing health. He will be missed by all who knew him.