ARIA-nominated singer-songwriter Mick Hart dies aged 50

Mick Hart, the ARIA-nominated singer-songwriter who developed a following in Australia and Europe with songs like ‘Still The Flowers Bloom’, has passed away in Sydney, aged 50.

Hart, who counted Ben Harper among his admirers, was born in Gunnedah, NSW.

His debut album Still The Flowers Bloom was produced by Midnight Oil's Jim Moginie and released in 2001 through Mushroom Records.

The follow up, Upside Down In The Full Face of Optimism, received national airplay and was nominated for Best Blues & Roots Album at the 2002 ARIA Awards.

His other albums included No Compromise (2004), Finding Home (2007), What Lies Beneath (2009), Side By Side (2012), Under A Vacant Sky (2014), and Awake (2019).

The soulful folk-rocker also had a side-project called Monkey Boy.

From the release of his first album, he started touring through Europe and established a following there.

So much so that he lived in Paris and Lille for a few years, as well as in London.

“I didn’t speak a word of French, so I had to quickly learn through one of those ‘speak a language’ cassettes,” he recalled.

“I made the move to get out of my comfort zone in Australia and force me to learn.

“My travels through Europe gave my Australian sound a certain cosmopolitan flavour, which  think made them stand out.”

Among those paying tribute to Hart was Perth’s award-winning troubadour Carus Thompson.

“He gave me my first gig at the 12 Bar in London and we did a heap of gigs together and hung out over the years.

“He was a really nice guy And hard working muso... gave it a real crack in the music scene and always tried to get his music out there.”