Hard-living Australian rock band Rose Tattoo have suffered another loss, with the death today of former bassist Ian Rilen.
Founding guitarist Pete Wells died in March this year, months before the band whose hits included We Can't Be Beaten and Scarred for Life were inducted into the ARIA hall of fame.
Rilen, a father of four who also led the band X, and more recently Ian Rilen and the Love Addicts, passed away today after a battle with bladder cancer.
He co-wrote one of the band's biggest hits, Bad Boy For Love. His former manager Ian Wedd said it was a metaphor for his life.
"When Ian pumped the bass, you felt it hit your guts," he said. "Lip jutting out, low to the ground stance, grinding you into submission."
Cold Chisel songwriter Don Walker earlier called him "a national treasure".
Just two weeks ago the cream of Australia's rock fraternity joined forces in Melbourne to help the ailing rocker.
Nick Barker performed Tom Petty's Waiting is the Hardest Part and said Rilen taught him to hang his guitar strap lower; Paul Kelly played St Kilda to King's Cross; and Rilen's X bandmate Steve Lucas performed a moving version of John Lennon's Mother.
Rilen, 58, was took sick to attend the night, which raised $40,000.
