Michael Hutchence
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Michael Kelland John Hutchence (January 22, 1960–November 22, 1997) was the lead singer of the Australian rock band, INXS. He was born in Sydney, but was raised in Hong Kong. He began performing at the age of eight in a local toy store commercial.
The Hutchence family eventually returned to Sydney, and it was there that Hutchence joined Andrew Farriss and Garry Gary Beers in forming a group which would ultimately become INXS. In 1980, the group put out their first single, Simple Simon. With the 1983 release of their third album, Shabooh Shoobah, the band became international stars.
In 1987, following several more successful INXS albums, Hutchence appeared in the Australian movie Dogs In Space. This was followed by the album Max Q, a collaboration with Australian post-punk pioneer Ollie Olsen. In 1990, he played Percy Shelley in Roger Corman's Frankenstein Unbound.
INXS spent the mid-1990s trying to develop a successful new album after a series of less-than-spectacular releases. During this time, Hutchence had an affair with British TV host Paula Yates, who was then the wife of singer Bob Geldof. The tabloid newspapers made them front-page news. Hutchence and Yates had a daughter, Heavenly Hiraani Tiger Lily.
A new INXS release, 1997's Elegantly Wasted, had barely come out when Hutchence was found dead in a hotel room of the Ritz-Carlton in Double Bay in Sydney, the victim of an apparent hanging. The New South Wales coroner determined his death was a suicide, but some rumors circulated that it was an accident (perhaps while attempting autoerotic asphyxiation). None of the rumors were ever proven to be true.
His long-in-the-works solo album, Michael Hutchence, was finally released in 1999, as was his third movie, Limp.
In summer 2005, a new show will feature the members of INXS looking for a new singer to replace the late Hutchence. The title of the show, airing on CBS, will be called Rock Star: INXS.
Tributes
The 2000 U2 album All That You Can't Leave Behind includes a song titled "Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out Of", which Hutchence's friend Bono wrote about his suicide. The song is written in the form of an argument about suicide in which Bono tries to convince Hutch of the act's foolishness. Bono characterized the song as a good old row between friends which he felt guilty that he never got to have with Hutch.
Singer Simon Le Bon of Duran Duran, a friend of both Hutchence and Yates, also wrote a song for him; it was recorded in 1996 and released on the album Medazzaland only a month before Hutchence's death. "Michael, You've Got A Lot To Answer For" included these lyrics:
- Trust you to get caught up in somebody's war; you'll come out of it all intact, I'm sure.
- Just remember what friends were put here for;
- Michael, you've got a lot to answer for, and I know that you're gonna call... if you need me.
External links
- Michael Hutchence Memorial Website (http://www.michaelhutchence.org/) a tribute from his family, created by Kelland Hutchence, Michael's father
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- The official coroner's report, regarding Hutchence's death (http://www.thei.aust.com/music98/hutchcor.html)
- Another memorial site (http://www.geocities.com/Colosseum/Track/7994/INXS.html)
- The official Michael Hutchence Tribute website (http://www.michaelhutchenceinfo.com/) maintained by his sister, Tinade:Michael Hutchencenl:Michael Hutchence