Gary 'Angry' Anderson, Rose Tattoo frontman, dies at 79

Gary 'Angry' Anderson, the singer who fronted Australian rock band Rose Tattoo for five decades, has died at the age of 79.

Rose Tattoo announced his death in a band statement. The news was reported by Billboard on 23 September 2026.

The statement said Anderson died on the eve of Monday 21 September 2026. It said he was surrounded by loved ones in Australia.

His death followed a heart attack in August while Rose Tattoo were on tour in Europe. He was hospitalised in Germany for treatment.

The band then scrapped the rest of its 50th anniversary tour. That included planned shows in Australia. A cancelled tour leg leaves crew, drivers, venue staff and local suppliers without expected work.

Rose Tattoo had first told fans about the medical emergency in late August. The band said Anderson had been hospitalised after suffering a heart attack, described in some reports as a cardiac arrest, according to Nine.

Anderson was born in Melbourne on 5 August 1947. He formed Rose Tattoo in 1976 and stayed as its frontman through later disbandments and reunions.

Rose Tattoo were inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in 2006. ARIA, the Australian Recording Industry Association, runs the annual awards and hall of fame that recognise Australian recording careers.

Anderson was made a Member of the Order of Australia in 1993. The honour, awarded through Australia's national honours system, cited services to the community.