In 1987 more than 20 million people in Australia and Britain watched Scott and Charlene marry on Neighbours. The song playing was “Suddenly”, a ballad by Gary “Angry” Anderson, the singer better known for fronting Rose Tattoo, one of the loudest bands in Australian rock.
Anderson died on September 21, 2026, in Australia, surrounded by his loved ones. He was 79. His family and bandmates announced his death. He had suffered a cardiac arrest in August while touring Europe with Rose Tattoo and was treated in hospital in Germany.
Rose Tattoo
Anderson was born Gary Anderson in Melbourne on August 5, 1947. He was with Rose Tattoo from the year it formed, 1976, and remained its longest-serving member.
Songs like “Bad Boy for Love”, “Rock ‘n’ Roll Outlaw”, “Nice Boys” and “We Can’t Be Beaten” made the band’s name at home and abroad.
Suddenly
His solo single “Suddenly”, released in 1986, took him far from the pub circuit. After its use in the 1987 Neighbours wedding episode it charted in Australia, the UK, Ireland, Belgium and the Netherlands.
He also acted, appearing with Tina Turner in Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome.
Honours and politics
Anderson was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in 1993 for his work with young people, and was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in 2006.
He also stood for parliament twice without success: for the National Party at the 2013 federal election, and in 2016 for the New South Wales Senate with the Australian Liberty Alliance. He expressed anti-Islam views that drew criticism.
The last tour
In 2026 Rose Tattoo set out to mark 50 years on the road. The European leg was cancelled after his cardiac arrest in Germany in August, and the Australian dates planned for September did not go ahead.
He was still the band’s singer when he died, in its 50th year.