AC/DC may be turning to a familiar face to fill in for Phil Rudd when they take the stage at the Grammy Awards on Sunday.

As previously reported, Rudd's ongoing legal drama prevents him from appearing with the group (or traveling out of New Zealand), and although he's vowed he isn't leaving the band, the other members of AC/DC sound more than willing to move on without him, prompting plenty of speculation (including some from your friends here at Ultimate Classic Rock) regarding who their next drummer might be.

No one's saying anything officially yet, but based on a timely hint dropped by an optometrist whose practice was supposed to be the site of a public appearance by former AC/DC drummer Chris Slade on Feb. 7, the rumor mill has spun in Slade's direction. As Classic Rock Magazine reports, Dr. Alex Robin Liu told Facebook followers that there's "big news regarding Slade and his career coming in next several days which is why he had to reschedule this event."

Of course, a vague Facebook update isn't really enough to hang one's hopes on, but Slade filled the drum chair capably during his previous stint in the AC/DC lineup, and a return would add a nice note of resolution to a story that, by Slade's own admission, ended in some hurt feelings when he left in 1994.

"We still get on, and it was an honor and a privilege to play with those guys," he added after admitting his exit was prompted by wounded pride after Malcolm Young told him they were thinking about working with Rudd again. "People always ask me what I did when things went wrong on stage with AC/DC. Nothing ever went wrong. I might drop a drum stick, maybe, but that was about the only thing. They were like clockwork, like a machine. Just fantastic. What a wonderful experience."

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