Mark Moffatt, the guitarist, producer and engineer who worked on many seminal Australian recordings, including cuts by The Saints, Keith Urban, Tim Finn and Yothu Yindi, died Friday, September 6th following a battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 74.
From shaping the “raw energy” of The Saints with their groundbreaking punk number “(I’m) Stranded” to producing the global hit “Treaty” by Yothu Yindi, Moffatt “leaves a rich catalogue of success and an incredible legacy on the Australian and the global stage,” reads a message from ARIA. “Mark gave life to sounds that defined generations.”
Raised in Maryborough, he moved to Brisbane, then relocated – by boat – to the UK to work on London’s Denmark Street for several years. When he found himself back in Brisbane in 1976, Moffatt slotted himself behind the desk producing The Saints’ “(I’m) Stranded,” a song that triggered a movement.
Production stints with EMI and TCS Studios in Melbourne paved a path to Sydney in 1980, where he was tapped as Festival Records’ in-house producer, working on some of the biggest names in Australian music for more than a decade.
Moving to Nashville in 1996, the music man was APRA AMCOS’ inaugural Nashville member relations representative from his appointment in 2014, until he retired from the role in June 2024, during which time he worked tirelessly “to create opportunities for both resident and visiting APRA AMCOS members,” reads a statement from the PRO.
He was awarded the CMA Global Achievement Award for his efforts.
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“Thank you for the unforgettable music and wide-ranging contributions to Australian music,” reads the ARIA statement.
Musicians and entrepreneurs saluted the award-winning creative, including Phil Barton, Clare Reynolds, Michael Chase, and Jim Moginie.
“I worked with him on a couple of Neil Murray’s albums,” recounts Moginie. “Such a lovely bloke from Bundaberg (lately of Nashville) that deep down loved Gram Parsons and The New Riders of The Purple Sage. Vale Moff.”
“Mark was a dear friend and colleague and will be sorely missed both in Nashville and in his home country. We offer our deepest condolences to his wife Lindsey, stepdaughter Dana, son Geordie, and his two granddaughters,” comments Dean Ormston, CEO of APRA AMCOS.
“Mark offered unfaltering support to countless members making their way to Nashville over the years, providing them with networking opportunities and connections to engage with key players in their respective genres. His legacy will forever live on with those members, and through his incredible music.”
Moffatt remarkably produced more tracks than any other single producer in the APRA Top 30, published in 2001 to celebrate APRA’s 75th anniversary.
Moffatt, says Adam Townsend, director, writer services at APRA AMCOS, “is without a doubt a legend of our industry and more importantly, a kind and wonderful person to have known. I was lucky enough to work with Mark for the past decade and he was always an incredibly supportive person, who taught me the important art of being selfless. Many will be saddened by this news, and we want to extend our condolences to our Nashville members and Mark’s family.”
At the time of his death, Moffatt was putting the finishing touches on a full album for KILO, a band he formed with Australian rock singer John “Swanee” Swan, for which they have already released several music videos.
A celebration of his life is being planned and more details will be provided shortly, reads a statement from APRA AMCOS.
