JACKYL’s JESSE JAMES DUPREE Says AC/DC’s BRIAN JOHNSON Is ‘An Incredible Role Model And A Great Man’

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JACKYL frontman Jesse James Dupree, who became friends with AC/DC's Brian Johnson back in the 1990s, was asked in a new interview with Meltdown of Detroit's WRIF radio station if he has any idea what the legendary hard rock band has been up to in recent months. He responded: "Yeah, I do. [Laughs] It's not my business [to say anything about it]. I'm a huge fan, in addition to being good friends with Brian, and if wanna keep being good friends with Brian, I'll keep my damn mouth shut. They're a very closed-lipped bunch. When it's time to make a move and do something, they do it." Jesse went on to praise Brian, who co-wrote a pair of JACKYL songs, 1997's "Locked And Loaded" and 2002's "Kill The Sunshine". The former marked the first time Johnson had ever recorded with any artist but AC/DC since he joined the band. "I love Brian," Jesse said. "He's been such an influence and such a friend. And he's such a role model. He's in the biggest band in the world, in AC/DC, and he'll come stay at the house and we'll go out to eat. I mean, there's no bodyguards. He's so disarming when people come up and recognize who he is. He's just such a great role model, because he just respects everybody. I'm just so proud of the person that he is. And I say that because so many of the people that you grow up idolizing, and they're influences, you meet 'em and you go, 'God, what an asshole.' Luckily, I haven't really said that about too many people. I've had great experiences with people that I grew up being influenced by. But definitely Brian is an incredible role model and just a great man." Earlier in the year, prior to the coronavirus outbreak, it was rumored that AC/DC was about to announce a world stadium tour. The trek will apparently include Johnson, who was forced to leave the band mid-tour four years ago due to a dangerous level of hearing loss. He was eventually replaced on the road by GUNS N' ROSES vocalist Axl Rose. Nearly two years ago, Johnson and drummer Phil Rudd, along with Angus Young and fellow guitarist Stevie Young, were photographed outside Vancouver's Warehouse Studios. Based on the pictures, the assumption was that AC/DC was in the midst of making — or at least planning — another album, with Rudd and Johnson both back in the lineup. JACKYL's latest album, "Rowyco", was released in August 2016 via Mighty Loud Records.