Gary “Angry” Anderson, the frontman for Australian rock band Rose Tattoo, has died. He was 79.
News of Anderson’s death came via the band’s official Instagram account, which stated that the singer died Sept. 21 in Sydney. The vocalist had suffered cardiac arrest weeks earlier during the Rose Tattoo farewell tour in Europe.
“Angry was a devoted father, and much-loved member of his friends, bandmates and the wider music and entertainment community. His loss will be deeply felt by all those who knew and loved him both here in Australia and overseas,” the band said.
Reports of Anderson’s health problems first came to light when the Aussie band canceled an appearance at the Alcatraz Metal Festival in Kortrijk, Belgium, on Aug. 9, stating on their Instagram account that their frontman was in the hospital due to a “medical issue.”
By Aug. 10, Rose Tattoo had canceled all remaining shows on the band’s European tour as Anderson remained in the hospital. Three weeks later, it was revealed via the band’s Instagram that the rocker’s medical issue was cardiac arrest and that he was receiving treatment and care at a hospital.
Anderson was the most veteran member of Rose Tattoo, a hard rock and blues band that formed in Sydney in 1976. The band is known for tracks including “Rock ‘n’ Roll Outlaw” and “Bad Boy for Love,” and some of the group’s discography was covered by Los Angeles hard rock band Guns N’ Roses early in their career, including “Nice Boys” for the 1986 EP “Live ?!*@ Like a Suicide.” Rose Tattoo would later open for the American band while on tour in Australia in 1993 for their Use Your Illusion Tour.
In the band’s bio, bandmates are described as as “four tall, gaunt men with unnaturally spikey red hair” — which at the time included Pete Wells on slide guitar, Ian Rilen on bass, Dillas “Digger” Royall on drums and Mick Cocks on guitar. Anderson was described as the “fifth out front stocky and furiously shaven” member, standing at 5 feet, 1 inch tall.
“[They] aren’t an average sight,” the biography states. “Even in the realm of Rock ’n’ Roll excesses.”
Apart from his role in the band, Anderson gained fame internationally as a solo artist when his debut 1987 single, “Suddenly,” earned critical acclaim and appeared on the Australian, Belgium, New Zealand, Netherlands and U.K. charts.
The track was used as the wedding theme in the iconic episode of the Australian soap opera “Neighbours” where characters Scott Robinson (played by Jason Donovan) and Charlene Mitchell (Kylie Minogue) got married.
The rock star was also a youth advocate, reportedly serving as an ambassador for national child protection campaigns. According to the Australian Broadcasting Corp., he has also been connected to numerous children’s hospitals, the Starlight Children’s Foundation (which assists ill children), as well as Canteen (a youth cancer support organization) and the Make-a-Wish Foundation.
In 1993, he was made a Member of the Order of Australia for his role as a youth advocate.
After longtime members of Rose Tattoo died due to various forms of cancer, Anderson became an advocate for men’s health and conducted campaigns to raise awareness about prostate cancer in 2007; Wells, the band’s guitarist, died of prostate cancer in 2006 at age 59.
Anderson stirred controversy with forays into politics. In 2007 he espoused controversial views about immigration and Muslim communities in Australia. In 2016, he was endorsed as Senate candidate by the Australian Liberty Alliance, a right-wing group that opposes Muslim immigration to Australia.
The singer’s son Liam was killedin 2018. He is survived by his three other children, Galen, Roxanee and Blaine Anderson.
The post Gary ‘Angry’ Anderson, frontman for Aussie rock band Rose Tattoo, dies at 79 appeared first on Los Angeles Times.
