Angry Anderson
The tattooed, gravel-voiced frontman of Rose Tattoo who became an unlikely national icon, soundtracking biker anthems and a soap opera wedding with equal fervor.
Born 1947 (age 79)·Australian rock singer·Birthday: August 5·Baby Boomers
Biography
Angry Anderson, born Gary Anderson, emerged from the Melbourne pub rock scene with a roar, his shaved head and snarling delivery making Rose Tattoo's bluesy hard rock a visceral force. The band's 1978 self-titled debut, with anthems like 'Bad Boy for Love,' defined a rugged, working-class Australian sound that influenced a generation of international rock acts. Anderson's persona was all tough-guy bravado, but his career revealed surprising versatility. He led the supergroup the Party Boys to chart success and, in a stark pivot, scored a massive solo hit with the power ballad 'Suddenly,' which became the wedding theme for a popular Australian television drama. This duality—the street fighter with a sentimental streak—made him a complex and enduring figure, equally at home headlining festivals or appearing as a television personality.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Angry was born in 1947, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Angry Was Born
The biggest hits of 1947
#1 Movie
The Egg and I
Best Picture
Gentleman's Agreement
Angry's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1947Born
India gains independence; the Dead Sea Scrolls found
Gas: $0.23/galHome: $6,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Near You" — Francis CraigBest Picture: Gentleman's Agreement
1952Started school
Queen Elizabeth II ascends the throne
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,350Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Blue Tango" — Leroy AndersonBest Picture: The Greatest Show on Earth
1960Became a teenager
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1963Could drive
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1965Could vote
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1968Turned 21
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1977Turned 30
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1987Turned 40
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1997Turned 50
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2007Turned 60
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2017Turned 70
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2026Age 79 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Led Rose Tattoo, whose debut album is considered a cornerstone of Australian hard rock and a major influence on bands like Guns N' Roses.
- His solo power ballad 'Suddenly' reached number 2 on the Australian charts in 1987 and became a cultural touchstone as the wedding song for 'Neighbours' characters Scott and Charlene.
- Served as lead vocalist for the rock collective the Party Boys, whose cover of 'He's Gonna Step on You Again' was a number-one hit in 1987.
- Inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in 2006 as a member of Rose Tattoo.
Did You Know?
His nickname 'Angry' was given to him by a bandmate due to his intense stage presence and short temper in early gigs.
He is a committed Christian and has spoken openly about his faith.
He appeared as the villain Ironbar in the 1985 film 'Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome.'
He was a contestant on the Australian version of 'Dancing with the Stars' in 2005.
“We were the band your mother warned you about.”
