Gary 'Angry' Anderson, born in Melbourne on August 5, 1947, rose to fame as the frontman of Rose Tattoo, one of Australia's most revered rock bands, from 1976. He died at 79 after a cardiac arrest last month while on the European leg of Rose Tattoo's 50th anniversary tour. The band was forced to cancel the rest of its European dates, and Anderson was hospitalised in Germany before returning home.
"Angry was a devoted father, and much-loved bandmate, friend, and member of the wider music and entertainment community," a joint statement from his family and Rose Tattoo said. "His loss will be deeply felt by all those who knew and loved him both here in Australia and overseas."
Anderson achieved international acclaim with Rose Tattoo and had a successful solo career. His ballad Suddenly became a global hit after it was famously used during the wedding of Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan's characters Scott and Charlene in the Australian soap Neighbours. The wedding episode drew an audience of 20 million in the UK alone when it aired in 1988. Anderson said Minogue had been "adamant" the track be used and later declared Suddenly the best song he had ever written.
Beyond music, Anderson appeared in television and film roles and was known for his charity and youth advocacy work. He also courted controversy later in life for expressing anti-Islam views.
Anderson spoke publicly about a painful childhood, including a difficult relationship with his father. "I don't remember laughter in our house," he said in a 2009 interview with ABC's Talking Heads. He recalled breaking his mother's heart when he got his first tattoo, saying she tried to scrub it off.
Born Gary Anderson, he first earned the nickname 'Mouse' as a founding member of a Melbourne motorcycle club, before taking on larger opponents and earning the moniker 'Angry Ant', which later evolved into Angry Anderson.