‘Tough as they come’: rocker Angry Anderson remembered
Nick Wilson |
Tough. Thoughtful. Kind. Devoted and of course, Angry.
Tributes have begun to flow for the inimitable Australian frontman, actor and advocate Gary “Angry” Anderson.
The 79-year-old rock musician died surrounded by loved ones on Monday evening, his long-time outfit, Rose Tattoo, said in a statement on Wednesday.
It comes just weeks after the group was forced to put an early end to its European tour, when Anderson suffered a cardiac arrest in early August.
The One Last Ride tour was set to be the band’s last jaunt, with Australia slated as its final leg in September.
Rock enthusiasts, musos, politicians and media personalities have remembered the Melburnian as a devoted friend and legendary rocker.
Singer, TV personality and musical theatre star Marcia Hines shared an image of a younger, singlet-clad Anderson coolly perched on a fence post.
“He was one of the most kind and thoughtful guys in rock-and-roll,” she said.
“My deepest condolences to his family and to the guys in Rose Tattoo.”
Host of Nine’s Today Extra David Campbell said he could “never repay” Anderson for performing his hit ballad Suddenly at his wedding.
“I got to share many a stage and sporting field with Angry Anderson,” he said in a post to social media, set to Anderson’s music.
“He was a great frontman with a wicked sense of humour and a huge heart.”
The aggro rocker was remembered as a lover-of-country and true rock-and-roll star by federal Opposition Leader Angus Taylor.
“His voice fronted Rose Tattoo and helped define the raw, unapologetic sound of Australian rock that I loved rocking out to,” Mr Taylor said.
“Tough as they come.”
Born and raised in the working class Melbourne suburb of Coburg, Anderson founded Rose Tattoo five decades ago, in 1976.
The band found early success with 1978 hit Rock’n’ Roll Outlaw and Bad Boy For Love, Nice Boys and We Can’t Be Beaten.
The outfit was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in 2006, credited with influencing internationally-acclaimed groups including Guns N’ Roses.
Guitarist Slash paid tribute to Anderson in a social media post, saying he would miss his “good friend”.
But Anderson also found success as a solo performer, actor and latterly as an advocate on prominent social issues.
He was made a Member of the Order of Australia on Australia Day, 1992, for his work as a youth advocate.
Anderson courted controversy in the late-2000s for his comments on Islam and asylum seekers, which he later partially walked back.
He endured tragedy throughout his life, surviving early abuse and the eventual loss of his son Liam, who was beaten to death in 2018.
Rose Tattoo thanked the public for their prayers and messages of support, requesting privacy for Anderson and his family.
“His loss will be deeply felt by all those who knew and loved him both here in Australia and overseas,” the band statement said.
AAP