Michael Hutchence 1960 - 1997
By Andrew Humphreys
Michael Hutchence,
lead singer of INXS, was found dead in his Sydney hotel room on Saturday,
November 22. He was 37-years-old. Hutchence's body was discovered by a maid
at the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Double Bay, naked and hanging by a belt attached
to the self-closing mechanism behind the door in the entrance hall to the
fifth-floor room. Despite early rumours in British tabloids suggesting that
Hutchence had died after a night of wild partying with various women in
his room or as a result of a bizarre auto-erotic sex act, Sydney detectives
have closed their investigation.
No suicide note was found but detectives preparing
a report for the coroner have stated that the death was in no way suspicious.
Glebe Coroner's Court has released preliminary autopsy results which show
that Hutchence died from suffocation caused by hanging. A  post mortem is likely to concentrate on toxicology tests. A variety
of prescription drugs - including Prozac - was found in the room. However,
police have stated that no illegal substances were found.
Hutchence spent Friday night having dinner with
his father, Kelland Hutchence, and stepmother Susan. Reports suggest he
was in good spirits. After dinner, Hutchence returned to the Ritz-Carlton
where he met actor Kym Wilson and her boyfriend Andrew Rayment in the hotel
bar. It is believed that the three returned to Hutchence's room, drinking
and talking until Wilson and Rayment left at 4.45 am. There has been much
speculation and rumour as to Wilson's role in Hutchence's final moments.
Her statement to the police has not been released but it has been reported
that she has sold her story to Women's Day magazine.
Telephone records from Hutchence's room reveal that
he died between 9.00 am and noon, when his body was discovered. At 9.00
am, Hutchence telephoned former girlfriend Michelle Bennett and left a message
on her answering machine. The content and message itself has so far been
withheld by police but British tabloids have reported Hutchence's message
was: "Are you there? Need to talk I want to talk It's 7.00 am Ring
me Goodnight." (It was in fact 9.00 am). Bennett tried to contact Hutchence
at the hotel, leaving a message under the door when he did not answer a
phone call or her knocking.
Hutchence and INXS had been rehearsing at the ABC's
Gore Hill Studios in preparation for the band's "Lose Your Head"
tour of Australia, which was to celebrate the 20th anniversary of INXS and
promote the band's current album, Elegantly Wasted. The tour was due to
begin in Wollongong on Tuesday, November 25.
The members of INXS learned of the death at the
rehearsal studio where they were waiting for Hutchence to arrive. The following
day, they issued a short press release. It read, "The band members
of INXS are all in extreme shock at the loss of their dear friend and lead
singer Michael Hutchence. Their love and sympathy go out to Michael Hutchence's
family."
Michael Hutchence was born in Sydney on January 22, 1960. He spent much
of his childhood with his family in Hong Kong, returning to Sydney in 1972.
His parents  separated in 1975 and Hutchence spent the next two years in California
with his mother, make-up artist Patricia Glassop, returning to Australia
in 1977. Just 17-years-old, Hutchence formed a band with school-mate Andrew
Farriss, his brothers Jon and Tim, Gary Beers and Kirk Pengilly. When the
Farriss family moved to Perth, the band (known then as "The Farriss
Brothers") moved with them, spending a year in Perth before returning
to Sydney's northern beaches in 1979. The band made its live debut as INXS
(the name was apparently suggested by a member of Midnight Oil's road crew)
that same year.
INXS signed with independent label Deluxe Records
and manager Chris Murphy and released its debut album, the eponymously titled
INXS, in 1980. Underneath the Colours, the band's second album (produced
by Richard Clapton) was released in 1981. Three singles - "Just Keep
Walking", "Stay Young" and a cover of the Loved Ones' "The
Loved One" - established INXS as rising stars. The band's third album,
1982's Shabooh Shoobah, reached number five in the Australian charts and
hit the US Top Ten. Murphy was determined to establish INXS as a major international
act and INXS began an aggressive and ambitious push into the US. They did
it the only way they knew how: by hopping onto a bus and touring. The songwriting
partnership of Hutchence and Andrew Farriss would take care of the rest,
combining with English Producer Chris Thomas to produce a string of hits. |
