Sydney Singer Jack Colwell Dies Age 34 - Star Observer

The Australian LGBTQIA+ and music community is grieving the tragic loss of beloved singer-songwriter Jack Colwell, who passed away at the age of 34 this week.

Known for his raw emotionality and unflinching authenticity, Jack Colwell was loved by many within both the Australian music industry and the queer community.

Jack Colwell was an independent artist who self-funded much of his work, including his acclaimed 2020 debut album Swandream.

The album, produced by close friend and collaborator Sarah Blasko, earned widespread praise for its emotional depth and unique sound.

Colwell’s work had a deep and lasting impact, particularly within Australia’s queer community.

His debut single, Don’t Cry Those Tears, was released in 2015, marking the beginning of his artistic partnership with Blasko, who described Colwell as “one of my favourite people in the whole wide world, who possessed the charm of a thousand princes and a musical spirit like no other.”

She added, “Good night darling Jack, changed forever by your presence.”

In his final social media post just days before his death, Colwell expressed his excitement about his upcoming second album, writing,

“I’ve been saying for ages that LP2 will be with you soon, and that day isn’t too far off.”

Queer musician and close friend Brendan Maclean, recalled how they both “came out before coming out was cool.”

In an obituary he told the Guardian that the pair were “Pitted against each other as ‘the two up-and-coming gay songwriters of Sydney’, we loathed each other from the start,” however described the emotional toll of their journey’s as something that brought them together eventually.

Maclean added, “Where I concerned myself with sounding and looking pretty, [Jack] was unafraid to bark, belt and scream.”

Colwell’s fierce stage presence often left audiences captivated, and at times, even “terrified” by his intensity.

Australian comedian Gen Fricker who attended school with Colwell took to social media to mourn her friend, stating he was her “first best friend I have spent nearly two thirds of my life loving him … I am devastated and furious.”