1. Michael Kelland John Hutchence was an Australian singer and songwriter.
44 Facts About Michael Hutchence
1. 2.
Michael Hutchence was the co-founder, lead singer and lyricist of the rock band INXS from 1977 until his death in 1997.
3.
Michael Hutchence was known for his string of love affairs with actresses, models and singers and his private life was often covered in the international press.
4.
Michael Hutchence had a daughter with Welsh television presenter Paula Yates.
5.
Michael Hutchence died by suicide in a Sydney hotel room on 22 November 1997 at the age of 37.
6.
Michael Hutchence was born in the Crows Nest suburb of Sydney on 22 January 1960, the son of make-up artist Patricia Glassop and businessman Kelland Frank "Kell" Hutchence.
7.
Michael Hutchence showed promise as a swimmer before badly breaking his arm.
8.
Michael Hutchence then began to show interest in poetry and performed his first song in a local toy store commercial.
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Michael Hutchence later attended King George V School during his early teens.
10.
Michael Hutchence attended Davidson High School, where he met and befriended Andrew Farriss.
11.
Farriss convinced Michael Hutchence to join his band, Doctor Dolphin, alongside their classmates Kent Kerny and Neil Sanders.
12.
Michael Hutchence's parents separated when he was 15 and he lived with his mother and half-sister in California for a short time in 1976.
13.
Michael Hutchence joined on vocals and Beers on bass, while Kirk Pengilly joined on guitar and saxophone.
14.
Michael Hutchence became the main spokesman for the band, and co-wrote almost all of the band's songs with Andrew Farriss.
15.
Michael Hutchence recorded "Speed Kills", written by Don Walker of hard rockers Cold Chisel, for the soundtrack to the 1982 film Freedom, directed by Scott Hicks.
16.
The cassette included a cover version of Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazlewood's hit "Jackson", which Michael Hutchence sang as a duet with Jenny Morris, a backing singer for The Swing sessions.
17.
Michael Hutchence provided vocals for new wave band Beargarden's 1985 single release.
18.
In 1986, Michael Hutchence played Sam, the male lead in the Australian film Dogs in Space, directed by long-time INXS music video collaborator Richard Lowenstein.
19.
Divinyls' lead singer Chrissy Amphlett enjoyed the tour and reconnected with Michael Hutchence, stating that "[he] was a sweet man, who said in one interview that he wanted me to have his baby".
20.
In 1987, Michael Hutchence provided vocals for Richard Clapton's album Glory Road, which was produced by Jon Farriss.
21.
In 1989, Michael Hutchence collaborated further with Olsen for the Max Q project and was joined by members of Olsen's previous groups including Whirlywirld, No and Orchestra of Skin and Bone.
22.
Max Q showed Michael Hutchence exploring the darker side of his music and, with Olsen, he created "one of the most innovative dance music albums of the decade".
23.
In 1990, Michael Hutchence portrayed nineteenth-century Romantic poet Percy Shelley in Roger Corman's film version of Frankenstein Unbound, which was based on a science fiction time travel story of the same name written by Brian Aldiss.
24.
Michael Hutchence won Best International Artist at the 1991 BRIT Awards with INXS winning the related group award.
25.
Michael Hutchence provided vocals for pub rockers Noiseworks' album Love Versus Money.
26.
The band took time off to rest and be with their families, while Michael Hutchence remained in the public eye through his romances.
27.
Michael Hutchence commenced work on a self-titled solo album in the mid-1990s.
28.
Michael Hutchence was romantically linked to Australian singer and actress Kylie Minogue, American singer Belinda Carlisle, Danish model Helena Christensen and Australian actress Kym Wilson.
29.
The taxi driver assaulted Michael Hutchence, causing him to fall backwards and hit his head on the pavement; he suffered a fractured skull.
30.
Michael Hutchence did not immediately seek medical assistance for the injury and waited several days before seeing a doctor.
31.
Michael Hutchence was left with brain damage and almost completely lost his sense of smell, as well as losing a significant amount of his sense of taste.
32.
Media scrutiny was intense, and Michael Hutchence assaulted a photographer who had followed them.
33.
In September 1996, Yates and Michael Hutchence made headlines when they were arrested for suspicion of drug possession after the family nanny reportedly found a small amount of opium in a shoebox underneath their bed.
34.
On 22 November 1997, at the age of 37, Michael Hutchence was found dead in his room at the Ritz-Carlton hotel in the Double Bay suburb of Sydney.
35.
Geldof's police statements and evidence to the coroner indicated he did receive a call from Michael Hutchence, who was "hectoring and abusive and threatening" during their phone conversation.
36.
Michael Hutchence had used his snakeskin belt to tie a knot on the automatic door closer at the top of the door, and had strained his head forward into the loop so hard that the buckle had broken.
37.
The report ruled that Michael Hutchence's death was suicide while depressed and under the influence of alcohol and other drugs.
38.
On 27 November 1997, Michael Hutchence's funeral was held at St Andrew's Cathedral in Sydney and was attended by 600 people, including his family, bandmates, Paula Yates and their daughter, Michael Hutchence's favourite singer, Tom Jones, and former girlfriends Kylie Minogue and Helena Christensen.
39.
Michael Hutchence's casket was carried out of the cathedral by members of INXS and his younger brother, Rhett; "Never Tear Us Apart" was played in the background.
40.
Nick Cave, a friend of Michael Hutchence, performed his 1997 song "Into My Arms" during the funeral and requested that television cameras be switched off.
41.
Michael Hutchence's parents asked that in lieu of flowers, donations should be sent to UNICEF and the Starlight Foundation.
42.
Michael Hutchence was cremated and his ashes were divided into thirds between his parents, his siblings and Yates and their daughter, following a battle between his family and Yates that started over Michael Hutchence's wish to be cremated.
43.
Hutchence's solo album, Michael Hutchence, was released in October 1999.
44.
Michael Hutchence had started on the album in 1995, recording songs in between INXS sessions; he had last worked on it three days before his death.