Australian music icon Mark Kennedy, the rhythmic powerhouse behind Spectrum, Marcia Hines, and Leo Sayer, has passed away in Victoria following a long illness.
by Paul Cashmere
The Australian music community is in mourning following the passing of Mark Kennedy, one of the most technically gifted and influential drummers in the nation’s history. Kennedy passed away on 21 February 2026 at McCulloch House, the palliative care unit at the Monash Medical Centre in Clayton, Victoria. He was 74.
Leo Sayer, who worked with Kennedy for over two decades, confirmed the news in a moving tribute. Kennedy had been battling terminal illness for several months.
“Vale Mark Kennedy, my drummer for 21 years,” Leo Sayer said. “We shared many great moments together onstage and offstage and Mark was such a great pal. He was one of the best I ever sung with, as good, technically and feel-wise as any of the guys I recorded or performed with over the years. I know I’ll be joined by most of Australia’s musicians and indeed the whole music industry and music fans downunder in saying it’s a great loss to us all.”
Born in Melbourne on 20 August 1951, Kennedy was a classically trained pianist, studying at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music for six years before finding his true calling behind the drum kit. His professional journey began in 1968 with the band Gallery, alongside guitarist Bill Putt.
In 1969, Kennedy and Putt joined forces with Mike Rudd and Lee Neale to form the seminal progressive rock group Spectrum. Although he left the band shortly before their debut album, Spectrum Part One, was released, his drumming is immortalised on the iconic Australian number one hit “I’ll Be Gone”. Mike Rudd later recalled that Kennedy’s virtuosity often stole the show, noting that his drum solos were a major drawcard for the band’s early audience.
Throughout the 1970s, Kennedy became the “go-to” drummer for the elite of Australian rock and jazz-fusion. He formed King Harvest with Leo De Castro and Duncan McGuire, and later joined Doug Parkinson In Focus. His partnership with bassist Duncan McGuire became legendary, with the pair regarded as one of the finest rhythm sections the country has ever produced.
In 1973, the duo teamed up with Ray Burton to form the trio Burton, McGuire & Kennedy, which eventually evolved into the acclaimed jazz-fusion outfit Ayers Rock. The group achieved significant international notice, recording their second album, Beyond, in Los Angeles in 1976.
Kennedy’s career took a commercial turn in the mid-70s when he joined Marcia Hines’ band. He played on every one of her albums from Shining (1976) to Love Sides (1983). It was Kennedy who famously fought for the song “You” to be recorded after producer Robie Porter had initially rejected it. The song went on to become Marcia Hines’ highest-charting single, reaching number two on the charts.
His versatility saw him contribute to a staggering array of projects. In 1983, his percussion work appeared on the Duran Duran album Seven And The Ragged Tiger. By 1985, he was recruited by Men At Work to play on their third album, Two Hearts, subsequently touring the world with the band.
Kennedy’s resume reads like a history of Australian contemporary music, featuring stints or sessions with Renée Geyer, Jim Keays, Jimmy Barnes, Billy Thorpe, Glenn Shorrock, Brian Cadd, Max Merritt, and Kevin Borich. In the 1990s, he was a member of the supergroup Blazing Salads with Brian Cadd and Glenn Shorrock.
Despite his technical prowess, Kennedy remained humble about his craft. In a 2000 interview with Drummer Magazine, he noted, “the best drummers are musicians who play the drums, not like the tradesman kind of mentality, the better guys are the guys who understand where the music is, the voicing of it and get amongst it and create a language.”
Kennedy remained active until the very end. His final performance took place in December 2024, appearing with Leo Sayer at the Meredith Music Festival in Victoria.
Leo Sayer noted that Kennedy passed away peacefully, with a smile on his face, surrounded by the thoughts of his wife Dori and his many friends.
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