News
24 September, 2026
Hard man of rock had a heart of gold
Australia has lost another rock legend with the death of Rose Tattoo frontman Gary ‘Angry’ Anderson.
Australia has lost another rock legend with the death of Rose Tattoo frontman Gary ‘Angry’ Anderson.
Anderson passed away this week surrounded by loved ones. He was 79.
He is being remembered by bandmates as a devoted father, a good friend and a much-loved member of the wider music and entertainment community.
They said his loss would be “deeply felt by all those who knew and loved him both here in Australia and overseas”.
Anderson returned home to Australia for treatment after suffering a heart attack while on a Rose Tattoo farewell tour several weeks ago.
He never recovered.
Anderson was well known to many people in the local region as a musician and political aspirant.
He was selected by the Nationals in 2012 to contest the Wollongong-based seat of Throsby (now Whitlam) and spent time campaigning in the Southern Highlands.
He said at the time he had always been an outspoken and passionate campaigner on a whole range of issues and by standing for Federal Parliament he felt he could “take that to the next level”.
ALP candidate Stephen Jones retained the seat with 45 per cent of the primary vote.
Anderson finished third with 10.1 per cent of the vote behind Liberal candidate Larissa Mallison.
He was also touted as a potential National party candidate in the 2015 State election but the Nationals decided not to run candidates in the Illawarra seats of Shellharbour and Keira or in the Southern Tablelands seat of Goulburn after an agreement with the Liberals on three cornered contests.
In 2016 he ran for the Senate as a member of the Australia Liberty Alliance.
The party proposed a 10-year halt on resident visas for people from Islamic countries.
Away from Rose Tattoo – a mainstay of Australia’s rock scene – Anderson had a worldwide solo hit with ‘Suddenly’ in 1987 and enjoyed a successful acting career highlighted by his role as Ironbar Bassey in Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome.
He also appeared on popular Australian television comedy series Housos, Fat Pizza and Swift and Shift Couriers.
Another music legend, Southern Highlands resident Jimmy Barnes took to Instagram this week to mourn the loss of “a good man”.
“Angry Anderson sang from his heart with power and conviction,” Barnes said.
“But don’t let that tough outside fool you. He was a caring sole who loved his family, cared for his friends and stood up for the downtrodden.”
Opposition leader and Member for Hume Angus Taylor said Anderson’s voice had helped define the “raw unapologetic sound of Australian rock that I enjoyed rocking out to.”
Anderson was well known as an advocate on prominent social issues and was made a Member of the Order of Australia in 1992 for his work as a youth advocate.
His efforts focused on protecting vulnerable children, tackling youth homelessness and supporting rehabilitation programs.
Anderson’s youngest son Liam was beaten to death in a Sydney park in 2018 by a friend who was high on drugs at the time.
Matthew Flame, 26, was sentenced to eight years in prison for manslaughter but Anderson was quoted as saying he had personally been “condemned to a lifetime of sadness”.
Rose Tattoo’s ‘One Last Ride’ tour – which also marked the band’s 50th anniversary – had to be cancelled after Anderson’s heart attack in Sweden with fans told that he was in hospital “due to a medical issue”.
The band had a number of Australian shows scheduled for late November and mid-2027.
--------------
Subscribe to The Southern Wire Newsletter for free at the link below.
https://subscribe-forms.beehiiv.com/1986abc6-c89e-4781-9db2-cf35c9dd71e4
If you value independent local journalism across the Highlands, Tablelands and Wollondilly, please click the link below to support us to ensure we remain paywall free.
Read More: Southern Highlands, Wollondilly, Southern Tablelands