AccaDacca fan Andrew emailed to alert me that Bon’s death certificate is going on sale. The e-bay ad says:
THIS IS A GENUINE COPY OF BON SCOTT`S DEATH CERTIFICATE.
UNIQUE ITEM INDEED.
NO RESERVE AUCTION.
WINNER TO PAY POSTAGE.
PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS IS NOT A PHOTOCOPY.
THIS IS THE REAL DEAL,GENUINE LEGITIMATE WATERMARKED ORIGINAL.
CERTIFIED to be a true copy of an entry in the certified copy of register of Births,Still-births or Deaths in the District above
mentioned. Given at the GENERAL REGISTER OFFICE, under the Seal of the said Office.
Please note there are offences relating to falsifying or altering a certificate and using or possessing a false certificate.
Thankyou.
Kindly note that this is NOT A FALSE CERTIFICATE.
I have had several offers already on this item through e-mails, i will only sell this item via the auction, thanks.
All e-mails will be answered.
All the details, as far as I can tell, seem right. But is it REALLY real? (And what is a “genuine copy” when it is also described as an “original”?)
I’d be curious to know how this precious item came to be on the open market. Who would have had it before? Who would want to get rid of it? Shouldn’t a certificate like this be in the possession of Bon’s family? Any ideas?
Here in the U.K. it is possible to get a copy of a Death Certificate of anyone`s death as long as they were registered dead in the U.K. as Bon was,certain details are required such as birth date, date, time, place of death and the original certificate number and the Coroner that dealt with it. Obviously someone has gathered all this info together and applied for a copy document which is Legal and Official. A similar thing happened to Paul McCartney of the Beatles, however, some fan beat him to the original copy of his own birth certificate leaving McCartney to settle for a Copy which it would appear to be what we have on Ebay !!
Apparently, anyone can order up a copy of any birth, death or marriage certificate in the UK:
http://www.ukcertificates.com/death_certificates/
According to the website, looks like the official price is about 19 pounds. Note this is for an official COPY, not for the original death certificate itself.
I’m dying to see if it sells (no pun intended). The fact that a copy of Bon’s is up for auction on eBay is a tad morbid, but fascinating nonetheless…
INTERESTING THAT THIS ONE MAKES NO MENTION OF BON
“CHOKING ON HIS OWN VOMIT”…
OK… So I contacted the seller, to ask these questions. His reply accords with what you guys are saying, Janine and Andrew:
Ben, I think that whole “choked on vomit” thing was always a myth-version of the official cause, “misadventure/acute alcohol poisoning”… I’ve never seen any record of vomit in any of the material about his death….
I imagine the cold weather in London was a big factor in his death. Heavy drinking and extreme cold don’t mix well. It would have been a warm summer night in Australia. I often wonder if he’d passed out in a car in Australia that night instead of England, would he have survived?
Lucas I can’t beleive someone would do this. What kind of a person would try to make money from this. NOT A BON SCOTT FAN thats for sure. Why do some people think this is right.Its NOT!!! Bon had hard times but never ripped anyone off and thats what this is RIPPED OFF AGAIN sound familiar its the words from one of his songs!!!!!!
I HAVE SEEN THE “TYPED” ONE WITH REFERANCE TO “”"CHOKING ON HIS OWN VOMIT”"”….
DONT QUOTE ME BUT WALKERS ORIGINAL BOOK ON BON MAY HAVE IT INSIDE
Anybody believe Alastair Kinnear’s 2005 interview saying when he found Bon, (I never would have left him in that car), there was no sign of vomit? I’ve gotta check that again, (I’m at work and can’t check now), But I think that’s wbat he said. ????
Ben, I think Clinton Walker’s first edition does have the typed certificate in it, but if memory serves, I don’t think it had aspirated vomit on it - think that was Walker????? Again, am not at all sure, will have to dig out the booko when I get home.
Horrible to get on at lunch and have this topic slap one in the face. Sad.
ITS BEEN A WHILE SO I CANT REMEMBER EXACTLY WHERE I SEEN IT… BUT 100% FOR SURE IN TYPED FORM WAS THE QUOTE
” CHOKED ON HIS OWN VOMIT”
AT THE TIME I PONDERED HOW ANYONE COULD CHOKE ON “ANOTHER PERSONS” VOMIT…
I THOUGHT AT LENGTH ABOUT HOW THE WORDS “HIS OWN VOMIT” WAS USED… I EVEN WENT TO THE TROUBLE OF COMPARING THAT QUOTE WITH OTHER DEATH CERTIFICATES…
THE END RESULT BEING I THINK THAT BONS DEATH CERTIFICATE SHOULD HAVE SAID…
“HE CHOKED ON GODS VOMIT”…RIP BONNY SCOTLAND…
MY OPINION IS THAT THE PERSON WHO IS SELLING THE CERTIFICATE HAS DONE NO WRONG… THE PERSON WHO IS NOW BON SCOTT IS A WORLDWIDE PHENOMINA… GIVEN THE CHANCE I THINK PEOPLE WOULD BID ON ANYTHING THEY COULD FIND OF BONS…
ALTHOUGH WHEN I SEE HOW SOME HAVE BEEN USING BONS NAME TO SELL MERCHANDISE ON THEIR WEBSITES… THAT I TOTALLY DISAGREE WITH…AND IF I HAD MY WAY… A LETTER OF CEASE AND DESIST WOULD BE IN THE MAIL…
BUT WHEN AN AVERAGE JO BLO PUTS UP AN INDIVIDUAL ITEM FOR SALE… THATS GOOD FUN!!!
PERHAPS ITS A LITTLE OFF TASTE FOR SOME…BUT I WISH THE GUY LOTS OF LUCK IN MAKING A BUCK FROM BONS FANS…
OK. Lets go back to the book. I have Clinton’s book in front of me finally. On page 300 (of the 2007 Picador edition) he writes:
I’m not sure where Clinton found that quote by Sir Montague Levine. It is a relatively dry version of what Clinton, more poetically, writes next, as he attempts to reconstruct the sequence of Bon’s final moments:
Of course, Clinton’s reconstruction is made up. Nobody really knows. But as Carolyn and Clinton both suggest, the extreme cold may have had a major part to play in this sad “misadventure”…
Gabby:
I tried to contact the seller again, asking him if he was a fan. My question ran along the lines: “what would motivate you to buy this certificate if only to on-sell it?” I wanted to give him the chance to explain his reasons in response to your comment.
However, his answer was a bit coy. He replied simply that there has been huge interest on ebay from people wanting to buy the certificate (over 200 enquiries a day!) and for him, this justifies the act of putting it up for sale.
(Market Morality?)
He steers clear of answering the question about whether he, himself is a fan of Bon…
Lucas, thanks for keeping us in the loop with the death certificate/ ebay “thing”. I makes me wonder what motivates someone to go and get the “original copy”! for what $$$ and then try to make more$$$$$ from anyone let anlone BOn.I can understand fans wanting to know and find out everything they can about BOn ,The art and letters exhibition showed that but its a pity for some it will always be about money!!!
Back to Clinton’s book, I’ve always been curious about Bon’s “receiving treatment for liver damage.” I’ve searched, but haven’t been able to find any more details on this. Did the other band members (and Bon himself) understand how ill he was?
well, it went for 97 pounds (about 250 aussie dollars). A fair mark up on the 19 pounds (according to Janine, above) it would have cost to get the official birth certificate copied. Worth it?
Bad form, making money out of something such as this dont think any fan would want something such as this or indeed make profit form it!! Buy one of his cd’s instead
no fan would sell such a thing,
makes me slightly ill to be honest,
where is the respect
SO THE SELLER MADE A MODERATE PROFIT… AND NOW A FAN WILL HAVE THAT CERTIFICATE FRAMED AND PUT UP ON SOME WALL MOST LIKELY ALREADY PLASTERED WITH AC/DC-BON SCOTT STUFF…
SURE I CAN RELATE TO SOME PEOPLE THINKING ITS SLIGHTLY OFF TASTE… BUT AS FOR CONTACTING THE SELLER AND ASKING PECULIAR QUESTIONS WELL FOR ME THAT IS EVEN MORE OFF TASTE…
EVERYONE HAS DIFFERENT IDEAS ABOUT WHATS NORMAL… LOOK AT THOSE WHO VISIT THE CEMETARY!!! NOW THATS ANOTHER TOPIC WHERE SOME WOULD SAY YOUR A WEIRDN IF YOU WERE TO GO THERE… YET OTHERE MAKE THAT JOURNEY ON A WEEKLY BASIS…
OFF TOPIC I HAVE NOTED AN INCREASE RECENTLY IN THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE DRIVING THEIR CARS ACTUALLY INSIDE THE FREMANTLE CEMETARY GROUNDS AND PARKING CLOSE TO BONS GRAVE TO HAVE A LOOK…
THE REASON THE CEMETARY LEAVES THOSE GATES OPEN IS TO GIVE FRAIL PEOPLE ACCESS…
FOR ME THATS FAR WORSE THAN ANYTHING WE HAVE DISCUSSED ABOUT THE CERTIFICATE…
IF YOU GOT LEGS PEOPLE…USE THEM!!!