Celebrated Aboriginal musician Archie Roach has died in hospital aged 66 after a long battle with illness.
The Gunditjmara-Bundjalung elder’s death was confirmed in a statement from his sons Amos and Eban Roach, distributed by the late singer’s management agency the Mushroom Group on Saturday.
“We are so proud of everything our dad achieved in his remarkable life,” the pair said.
“He was a healer and unifying force. His music brought people together.”
They said their father would want his many fans to know how much he loved them for their support throughout his career.
Roach died at Warrnambool Base Hospital after a long illness, surrounded by his family and loved ones.
“We thank all the staff who have cared for Archie over the past month,” his sons said.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Australia had “lost a brilliant talent, a powerful and prolific national truth teller.”
“Archie’s music drew from a well of trauma and pain, but it flowed with a beauty and a resonance that moved us all,” Albanese said in a social media post.
“We grieve for his death, we honour his life and we hold to the hope that his words, his music and his indomitable spirit will live on to guide us and inspire us.”
A private ceremony will follow Roach’s death and his family have requested privacy, but they gave permission for his name, image and music to continue to be used so his legacy will inspire others.
Indigenous Australians Minister Linda Burney said Roach’s contribution to the country at a time when society was “waking up to the stolen generations” was remarkable.
Roach was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in 2020.
He rose to prominence with the release of his debut single Took the Children Away in 1990.
The song reflected his experience as a member of the stolen generation and earned him ARIA nominations for breakthrough artist and an award for best new talent at the 1991 awards.
It was added to the National Film and Sound Archive in 2013.
