SHORT TAKES : Father Sues AC/DC Over Death of Son in Crush of Concert Fans

A father has filed an $8-million suit against members of the rock band AC/DC, promoters of the group’s Salt Lake City concert and managers of the Salt Palace in the death of his son.

Bruce C. Child, in a suit filed Monday in 3rd District Court, said his son, 14-year-old Curtis Child, died because of “willful, malicious conduct on the part of the defendants.”

Three youths died after being crushed in a surge of general admission fans at the Jan. 18 concert that drew more than 13,000 people.

Named in the suit were the rock group, Spectacor Management Group, which manages the Salt Palace, concert promoter J. C. McNeil, United Concerts Inc., the security firm Contemporary Services Corp., KBER-FM radio for promoting the concert and Devine Media Corp., owner of KBER.

The suit also named Hart To Handle Ltd., which manages AC/DC, and Creative Artists Agency Inc., the band’s agents.

“What Mr. Child wants the most is for this not to happen again,” said his attorney, R. Craig Clark. “He has expressed horrible grief over this . . . and he feels the litigation process is the only way he can prevent it from happening again.”

Also crushed to death were Brigham Young University student Elizabeth Glausi, 19, and Jimmie Boyd, 14, Salt Lake City.