01/06/2026
Singer, songwriter and musician Diesel was born Mark Denis Lizotte in Fall River, Massachusetts, on this day in 1966 (May 31)
Diesel emigrated to Western Australia with his family when he was only five, and played with fellow Western Australian and future Baby Animal Suze DeMarchi in The Kind when he was in his mid-teens.
He later came to prominence when his Perth band Johnny Diesel & the Injectors moved to Sydney and began playing supports for The Choirboys and The Radiators, coming to the attention of Jimmy Barnes’ wife Jane, and through her recommendation, Diesel was hired to work on Barnes' third solo album, “Freight Train Heart”.
When Barnes took to the road to tour the album, Diesel was retained as lead guitarist, while Johnny Diesel & the Injectors were the opening act.
It was the beginning of a long and ongoing relationship between Diesel and Barnes. The relationship would later become personal as well as professional, with Diesel and Barnes becoming brothers in law after Diesel married Jep (Jane Barnes' sister) in 1989.
The self-titled debut album, “Johnny Diesel & the Injectors”, was recorded in Memphis, Tennessee, and was a huge hit, going to #2 on the charts, and producing three Top 10 singles, including “Soul Revival”, “Don’t Need Love”, and “Cry in Shame”.
Diesel later went solo in 1991, and his 1992 release “Tip of My Tongue" reached #4, becoming his highest charting single, with his debut solo album “Hepfidelity” going to #1.
He has continued to record and perform over the decades since, and in 2018 Diesel celebrated 30 years in the industry with the release of a 30-track compilation album, “30: The Greatest Hits”.
Diesel has also produced an album by Richard Clapton and one by Vika and Linda Bull, and has won six ARIA Music Awards with three for 'Best Male Artist' in 1993, 1994 and 1995.
Click on the link below to watch “Cry in Shame”:
https://youtu.be/UwLVHsg6OhM
, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
, , , ,
