Midnight Oil’s beating heart, Rob Hirst, dead at 70 after pancreatic cancer battle

”Now that I’ve started counting back in life rather than counting forward, the days are even more precious,” Hirst said in one of his final interviews and added:

“I still wake in the night with lyrics and melodies. Musical insomnia. If you’re a songwriter, blessed or cursed, it’s always there. Maybe there’s a couple more songs. You never say never.”

Sadly, there would be no more songs, as the beloved musician passed away in January 2026 at the age of 70. Following the announcement of his death, his daughter O’Shea shared a brief but emotional tribute to her father.

“There are no words right now to describe the feeling of losing this great friend and Father. We are all just…. heartbroken. Love you so much Dad, J💙,” she wrote. Continue reading…