Former guitarist of Rose Tattoo and Chain, John Meyer has died. The Perth guitarist had been inducted into the WA Music Industry’s Hall Of Fame, had won awards for his writing and production, and played in iconic Aussie bands: Rose Tattoo, Chain, Saracen, and Swanee.
John Meyer passed away in his hometown of Perth this week. We received news via the Rose Tattoo Facebook page, where they shared the news along with a bit of a bio, detailing all the good things Meyer had done.
“It is with a heavy heart we share the news of John Meyer’s passing. Rest In Peace,” the Rose Tattoo statement began.
It was after relocating to Sydney in 1981 that Meyer joined Rose Tattoo. The band shared a few quotes from Meyer on the beginning of his time with them.
“Angry Anderson and I had met a few years previously when I played the legendary Bondi Lifesaver in Sydney. Angry was the celebrity DJ that night and after our performance we received a bottle of Jack Daniels backstage along with a message, ‘great gig regards Angry’,” he said.
“A couple of years later I received a call from Angry while he was touring the along with ZZ Top and Aerosmith and he asked “do you have a passport?” Robin Riley, a friend and a great player had just left the band.
“I was reluctant due to the circumstances and I was already working with Jimmy Barnes’s brother John Swan and his band Swanee.”
“I was really enjoying working with these guys but soon after, I met with Angry and Robbie Williams, his manager, and entered a never-to-be-forgotten period of my musical journey.”
He co-wrote a bunch of songs with Angry Anderson over the following few years and appeared on Southern Stars and Beats of a Single Drum.
Meyer then moved onto blues band, Chain.
“I had been a fan of Chain since day one and regular guitarist Phil Manning was ill so Matt Taylor gave me a call, I had just left Rose Tattoo and was a little undecided about it at first, but once we started the first tour I loved the opportunity to play Blues, although it took a while to play a more subdued style after years of heavy rock,” he said.
By 1992, Meyer had decided to record his own instrumental album, which scored him West Australian music industry’s Outstanding Album of the Year Award.
Then he was awarded Guitarist of the Year and in ’93 received an award from the West Australian Music Industry Association for his “Outstanding Artistic Contribution to the State through Achievement in the Arts.”
He was inducted into WA’s Music Industry Hall of Fame in 2003.
You can read Rose Tattoo’s full statement below and have a listen to ‘Southern Stars’.
