Peter Garrett is best known to music fans as the frontman of the long-running Australian band Midnight Oil, earning platinum awards during the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s before launching a political career during the 21st century. He was born on April 16, 1953, in the suburbs of Sydney, Australia. After forming Midnight Oil in 1973, he became one of the continent's most celebrated rock stars, reaching Number 1 on the ARIA Chart with 1984's Red Sails in the Sunset, 1987's Diesel and Dust, and 1990's Blue Sky Mining. The band enjoyed commercial success abroad, too, earning Top 10 hits in multiple countries with singles like "Beds Are Burning" and "Blue Sky Mine." When Midnight Oil announced its hiatus in 2002, Garrett briefly moved into politics, holding several administrative positions as a Member of House of Representatives before concluding his parliamentary career in 2016. That same year, he rejoined Midnight Oil and made his solo debut with A Version of Now, which reached number 3 on the Australian Albums chart. After hitting the top of the Australian charts with Midnight Oil's comeback albums The Makarrata Project and Resist during the early 2020s, Garrett resumed his solo career with The True North, which hit number 17 in Australia in 2024.
