George Young Facts: AC/DC Producer, 'The Easybeats' Songwriter Dies Aged 70

George Young, the legendary Australian songwriter, member of the band "The Easybeats," and producer for AC/DC — the band fronted by his brothers Angus and Malcolm Young — died Sunday at the age of 70.

The cause of death was not immediately clear and the family has requested privacy.

The music publishing and recording house Alberts, which has both "The Easybeats" and AC/DC under its umbrella, confirmed Young’s death.

"It is with great sadness that Alberts acknowledge the passing of George Young," a statement on Facebook said. "A consummate songwriter, trailblazing producer, artist, mentor and extraordinary musician, George was above all else a gentleman who was unfailingly modest, charming, intelligent and loyal; a man with a wonderful sense of humor."

"George was a pioneer who, with close friends Harry Vanda and Ted Albert, created a new sound for the Australian music industry," it added. The statement concluded with a message from his bandmate Harry Vanda, saying: "Rest in Peace, my dear friend."

Born in Scotland in 1946, Young migrated to Australia with his family when he was a teenager. "The Easybeats" was formed in 1964 after Young met Dutch-born Vanda at the Villawood Migrant Hostel in Sydney, where both his and Vanda's families stayed following the arrival in the country.

"When they got together in the laundry at the Villawood Migrant Hostel, it was as much to cling together for support as it was to make music," Australia-based broadcaster Glenn A Baker told ABC News, describing the environment in the industry then.

"But then they found that they had at their fingertips the ability to set particularly little girls' hearts on fire, and suddenly Australia was beset by Easy-fever."

The band broke up in 1969, after which Vanda and Young embarked on a songwriting career and produced dozens of hits, one of which was the classic hit, "Friday On My Mind." Vanda and Young were inducted into the inaugural Aria hall of fame in 1988, and their former band "The Easybeats" followed in 2005.

Young had been credited as a co-writer of the international hits including "Friday on My Mind," which was covered by legendary artists like David Bowie and Gary Moore, and "Love Is in the Air," which was later introduced to a new generation of fans when John Paul Young’s version of the song appeared in Baz Luhrmann’s feature film called "Strictly Ballroom" in 1992.

In 2001, when Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) published its Top 30 Australian Songs, "Friday On My Mind" was declared No. 1 by a panel of 100 Australian writers, musicians, and critics. The song reached No. 6 spot in the United Kingdom and No. 16 spot in the United States, according to Billboard.

After the news of Young’s death, AC/DC said in a separate statement that the band would not exist without Young's "help and guidance."

"As a musician, songwriter, producer, advisor and much, much more, you could not ask for a more dedicated and professional man," the band said. "You could not ask for a finer brother. We will always remember him with gratitude and hold him close to our hearts," the Independent reported.

Young “was an innovative songwriter whose songs topped the charts not only in Australia but also resonated with the audience around the world,” noted APRA, which counted Young as its member since 1966, Billboard reported.