Angry Anderson, Rose Tattoo Frontman and 'Suddenly' Singer, Dies at 79
Gary Anderson, famously known as Angry Anderson, passed away at the age of 79 following a cardiac arrest during Rose Tattoo's farewell tour in Europe. He was born in Melbourne in 1947 and took the helm of the band in 1976, releasing their first album in 1978 among a total of five. After the band's breakup in 1985, he pursued a solo career, notably co-writing "Suddenly," which was selected by Kylie Minogue for her wedding scene in Neighbours, attracting 20 million viewers in the UK in 1988. The song achieved top three positions in both the UK and Australia. Rose Tattoo reunited in 1993 and was honored with induction into the ARIA Hall of Fame in 2006. In 1993, Anderson was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia. His family and bandmates fondly remembered him as a caring father and cherished bandmate.
Key facts
- Angry Anderson, born Gary Anderson in Melbourne in 1947, died at the age of 79.
- He had a cardiac arrest last month during Rose Tattoo's farewell tour in Europe and was treated in hospital before returning to Australia; nine live dates were cancelled.
- He fronted Rose Tattoo from 1976; the band released five albums starting with their 1978 debut.
- His solo song Suddenly, co-written and released in summer 1987, soundtracked the Neighbours wedding of Kylie Minogue's Charlene Mitchell and Jason Donovan's Scott Robinson.
- The Neighbours wedding episode was watched by 20 million people in the UK alone in 1988.
- Suddenly reached the top three in the UK and Australia, held off number one at home by Minogue's debut solo single Locomotion.
- Rose Tattoo reunited in 1993 to support Guns N' Roses in Australia, toured again in 1998 and were inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in 2006.
- Anderson was made a Member of the Order of Australia in 1993 for service to the community, particularly charity work and youth advocacy.
Entities
Artists
- Angry Anderson
- Gary Anderson
- Kylie Minogue
- Jason Donovan
Institutions
- Rose Tattoo
- Neighbours
- Guns N' Roses
- Australian Recording Industry Association
- ARIA Hall of Fame
- Order of Australia
- BBC
Locations
- Melbourne
- Australia
- Europe
- United Kingdom