Legendary The Saints and Keith Urban producer Mark Moffatt dies, age 74

Mark Moffatt, the producer behind records by Keith Urban, The Saints and more, has died aged 74.

News of his passing was shared on his Facebook page last week (September 6), and contained a touching statement from his wife Lindsey. “Mark Moffatt, lifelong musician and producer who devoted his life to music, died Friday September 6 at age 74 in Nashville, Tennessee,” it read.

“He had battled pancreatic cancer for more than a year. As much as Moffatt loved his music, his first love was his family. He is survived by his wife, Lindsey, step-daughter Dana and two granddaughters—the loves of his life—his son Geordie, and extended family in Australia,” she added, going on to list some of his biggest achievements.

Born in Maryborough, Queensland, Moffatt kicked off his career when he moved to Brisbane, and then later relocated to London, working on Denmark Street – better recognised as ‘Tin Pan Alley’ – for several years.

He was regarded as one of the most integral names in the world of production to come from Australia. Throughout his career, he helped create more tracks than any other producer in the APRA Top 30 Australian songs. He also worked alongside 15 ARIA Hall of Fame inductees.

Moving back to Brisbane from London in 1976, he famously worked on The Saints’ song ‘(I’m) Stranded’, which became an essential of the punk scene.

In a new statement following news of Moffatt’s passing, the ARIA recalled how the producer was one of the first to champion a young Keith Urban and also worked on the Yothu Yindi hit ‘Treaty’ – creating a “rich catalogue of success and an incredible legacy on the Australian and the global stage”. They also added: “Mark gave life to sounds that defined generations.”

Moffatt moved to Nashville in the mid-’90s, and worked as the APRA AMCOS’ inaugural Nashville member relations representative between 2014 and June 2024. Shortly before his death, he was working on an album for the Australian rock band KILO, a group he formed with John ‘Swanee’ Swan (as per Billboard).

According to the outlet, a celebration of his life and career is currently in the works, with more details set to be shared at a later date.