John ‘Tatt’ Dalzell, the bassist for the popular 1980s rock band Johnny Diesel and the Injectors, has passed away at the age of 66. He was a well-loved figure in Australian music.
Mark Lizotte, who performs as Diesel, shared some heartbreaking news on his social media accounts on Wednesday.
No details, including the cause of death, have been made public as yet.
‘RIP John Dalzell,’ Lizotte said in his Instagram tribute, which he also shared to Facebook.
He went on to express gratitude for the music they created together, remembering the hard work, emotional moments, and good times they shared. He described the person as incredibly kind and sent his condolences and love to their family.
Noise, a music blog, reported that the band Johnny Diesel and the Injectors took their name from Dalzell’s last name.
In 1986, the musician from Perth teamed up with Lizotte – Jimmy Barnes’ brother-in-law, who is from the US – to create a hard rock band in Perth, Western Australia.
He won admiration for his bass sound from followers and peers alike.
Following successful performances in Perth, Dalzell and his group moved to Sydney.
The band rapidly gained popularity in Sydney’s lively music community and signed a record deal in 1988 after opening for Jimmy Barnes on tour.
The band traveled to the United States to record their debut album, which reached number two on the Australian ARIA chart in 1989.
The album went on to win an ARIA award for being the best-selling album, having sold 280,000 copies – a remarkably high number for an Australian record at that time.
Dalzell won plaudits for his memorable bass line on the band’s hit single Don’t Need Love.
Following the breakup of Johnny and The Injectors in 1991, Diesel began working as a solo artist. Noise Dalzell’s strong bass playing had previously been a key part of the band’s distinctive sound.
He reportedly moved to the Northern Territory in later years.
He also had stints playing with the bands Innocent Bystanders and Living Sounds Of Love.
Lizotte’s heartfelt post prompted a wave of tributes to Dalzell from fans and musicians alike, including a simple blue heart emoji from popular songwriter Nathan Cavaleri.
Mick Evans from the band Prairie Oysters in Melbourne shared the news of John’s passing, saying he was one of the kindest people he met while touring. He also sent his condolences to Mark.
This is incredibly sad news. He was a talented member of the band Johnny Diesel and the Injectors. It’s heartbreaking to lose someone so young.
Someone shared on Facebook that they were immediately captivated by the beginning of The Injectors’ song ‘Don’t Need Love’ and became a lifelong fan. They also expressed their sadness over the passing of John, known as the original Johnny Diesel.
It’s common for incredibly talented musicians behind famous songs and riffs to remain relatively unknown to the general public. A prime example is the iconic bassline in ‘Don’t Need Love’ – it’s instantly recognizable and will be remembered for years to come. It’s been a challenging time for the Australian music scene recently.
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2026-01-29 10:48