70s rock legend Peter De Jong has died, prompting an outpouring of tributes from heartbroken fans (Image: Instagram/genr8ent)
Peter De Jong, the rock musician celebrated for his work with Heroes and a string of late-1960s chart successes, has died, his agency has confirmed. The performer was also remembered for appearing on the final night of Newcastle’s Star Hotel shortly before the infamous 1979 riot. No cause of death has been made public.
Genr8ent announced the news on Instagram, sharing a touching photo of De Jong with his wife alongside an emotional message to fans. The statement began: “It’s with great sadness to announce the passing of Pete De Jong.
Peter De Jong was a key figure in the formation of rock band Heroes (Image: Supplied)
“A devoted husband, a loving father, an industry legend, plus a wonderful human. Words cannot express how deeply shocked we all are. I’ll cherish our last phone call on Sunday, 30th August 2026.”
“Take care, my friend, until we meet again. The funeral will be on Friday, 18th September 2026. I’ll let everyone know when we get more details.” It didn’t take long for fans to flock to the comments section to share their sympathies and fond memories.
Band misbehave penned: “We shared many a stage back in the 80s with The Globes supporting The Heroes!! Pete would always let us know that even we can be Heroes just for one day! Heart of gold and such a talent.”
Another agreed: “A gentleman of the industry. Will be missed by many”, with a third chiming in with: “He was such a rock legend. He will be sorely missed.” Brought up in the country, the De Jong family came to live in Toronto, Lake Macquarie.
They gained national stardom when they played at the Star Hotel on the night of its closure in 1979 (Image: Supplied)
He discovered his passion for music at school, with the star bursting onto the music scene in 1971 when his band Armageddon won the Newcastle Battle of the Sounds for two consecutive years.
Initially a three-piece band, Armageddon consisted of De Jong, Paul Matters on the base and Les Gully on the drums. It was at the final of the Battle of the Sounds that Peter met Mark Tinson, a member of the band Bluegrass, and they became lifelong friends.
In 1977, he teamed up with Tinno, bass player Jim Porteous and drummer Phil Screen to form the band, Heroes. The band built up a loyal following, playing a set of incredible covers and original tunes. They gained national stardom when they played at the Star Hotel on the night of its closure in 1979.
Speaking about the historic night, he previously told music historian Jack Hodgins: “There was so much energy in the room that we probably played harder and better than we usually did just because of the circumstance. We had no idea of the extent of what was going on until we finished the gig and then went out into King Street.
“That’s when we went, ‘Oh, this is something else’. I was a couple of metres away from where they rolled the police car over and set that on fire, the guys dragging their mates out of the paddy wagon, fighting with the coppers, the whole thing.”
Following the explosive riot, the band signed a record deal and recorded their debut self-titled album with music moguls Harry Vanda and George Young at the famous Albert Studios, the home of AC/DC. The album included chart-topping hits such as Baby’s Had A Taste, Back To The Love, and The Star and The Slaughter.
At the height of their fame, the band appeared on the hit TV show Countdown and inspired a second album, which was eventually released in 2015. Peter and his Heroes bandmates paved the way for future rock bands such as The Screaming Jets and Silverchair. He is survived by his wife, Andre, and his daughters, Olivia and Nicola.