Mark Moffatt, a legend of a music producer and engineer, has passed away. Per Billboard, Moffatt died after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. The Australian-born producer may not have been as visible to the public, but his contributions to music are vast and profound. His first major collaboration was in Brisbane with The Saints, producing their (I'm) Stranded album.
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From the Australian rock band, Moffatt would transition to Festival Records, becoming an in-house producer. He'd go on to work with the biggest, most successful musicians to come out of Australia. At his most prolific, Moffatt would mentor and nurture a young Keith Urban. His proudest work, however, came working with Yothu Yindi, another Australian group. Speaking to The Music, he spoke about how transformative working with the group ended up being.
"This was life-changing, really. ... I spent time with the band and learned their tribal beliefs. ... I remember when Treaty was out, and we were still working on the album, I was with the band at Tullamarine airport, and these white schoolkids came running up to these Aboriginal guys to ask for their autographs. That was a very special moment."
Mark Moffatt, Legendary Music Producer, Passes Away At 74
The APRA AMCOS organization posted a heartfelt message about Moffatt on its Instagram page. "It was amazing to celebrate Mark's achievements back in June when he officially stepped down as our APRA Nashville representative, a role in which he held for 10 years. He is without a doubt a legend of our industry and more importantly, a kind and wonderful person to have known. I know many of you will be saddened by this news today and we want to extend our condolences to you all and Mark's family."
Additionally, a message celebrating Moffatt's life and impact was posted on Moffatt's Facebook page. "Moffatt was one of the most experienced and respected producers to emerge from Australia. He was also an accomplished musician, engineer, writer, and a Grammy nominee. Producing more tracks in the APRA Top 30 Songs of All Time than any other single producer, Moffatt produced an astonishing 15 ARIA Hall of Fame inductees."
