He Was Wild At Heart
With his work in INXS and on his own, Michael Hutchence became a household name throughout Australia and beyond—until his wild lifestyle caught up to him.
1. He Had A Humble Birth
The man who would become one of the biggest names in music to come out of Australia had a more mundane upbringing. Before he was selling out concerts and partying with A-listers, Michael Hutchence was born in Sydney, the younger of two siblings, to a make-up artist and a businessman in 1960.
He didn’t spend his whole life down under, though.
2. They Relocated
While Hutchence was still young, the family drastically changed their lives. After moving to Brisbane for a few years in line with his father’s business, they packed everything up and left for Hong Kong.
Even this early on, he showed skill in other prospects.
3. He Had Other Options
Had he not been a singer, Hutchence could have been an athlete—if something hadn’t cut his career short. While in Hong Kong, he started exhibiting a great talent for swimming, which might have led somewhere if he hadn’t severely broken his arm.
Despite this loss, he began to display a different talent.
4. He Showed Promise
Although he had an athlete’s aptitude, it later became clear that Hutchence also possessed an artist’s spirit. During these early years, he grew to love poetry, which turned into songwriting.
This led to a substantial first gig for someone so young.
5. He Had His First Performance
Most artists just starting out wait a long time for someone to give them a chance, however, Hutchence was different. His first gig was performing a song in a toy commercial, albeit for a local store.
Never ones for stagnancy, the family moved once again.
6. They Went Home
While his family may have enjoyed themselves in Hong Kong, there’s no place like home. In 1972, the Hutchences moved back to Australia, settling into a place in the Belrose suburb of Sydney. This was a good decision, otherwise INXS may not exist.
7. He Made A Fateful Friend
Many great music groups tend to meet each other while at school, and INXS was no different. While at Davidson High School, Hutchence met a boy named Andrew Farriss after the latter had stopped a fight from happening. The two became fast friends.
Fortunately, they had a common interest.
8. They Started Playing Music
As they became friends, Michael Hutchence and Andrew Farriss bonded over their love of music. Hutchence would often go over to Andrew’s house to jam, mostly with Andrew’s brothers, Jon and Tim.
However, they didn’t stop there.
9. He Joined Their Band
Andrew and his brothers were clearly impressed by Hutchence’s musicality, so they asked him to join their band. Already consisting of the three brothers, along with several classmates and friends—including bassist Garry Beers—the band went by Doctor Dolphin.
While they were joining together, two other people in Hutchence’s life were doing the opposite.
10. They Separated
Unluckily for him, Hutchence’s moving days weren’t over, and his next trip came at the cost of his parents. In 1975, his mother and father separated, and he went to California with his mom and older half-sister.
While he was gone, the music group carried on.
11. They Made A New Group
While Hutchence was gone, Andrew, Jon, and Tim formed a different band—aptly named The Farriss Brothers. Andrew was on keyboards, Tim was lead guitar, and Jon was on drums. Still, the group wasn’t complete yet.
12. They Reunited
Thankfully, Hutchence eventually returned to Sydney, where he met up with the Farris’. They received him with open arms and he joined the band once again on vocals. Around the same time, Garry Beers joined back up on bass and a boy named Kirk Pengilly joined on guitar and saxophone.
It wasn’t long until they made themselves known to the world.
13. They Made Their First Performance
It was the same year, in 1977, that the Farriss brothers got their first official gig. On August 16, they performed at a Sydney suburb called Whale Beach, debuting their music for the masses.
Shortly after this, they started going by a different name.
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14. They Had A Different Name
While they began as the Farriss Brothers and would later find their true name, they spent a bit of time being called The Vegetables. This wasn’t just a name, as they also regularly played their song, “We Are the Vegetables”.
Eventually, they took their final form.
15. They Rebranded
The members of The Vegetables were fans of another Australian rock band called Midnight Oil and knew their manager personally. In fact, this is how they learned of a suggestion from one of Midnight Oil’s crew for them to rename to INXS, inspired by the names of another group called XTC and a jam company called IXL.
After this, they truly hit the ground running.
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16. They Pumped Out Material
Throughout 1980, INXS kept chugging along and establishing themselves through their material. After releasing the single, "Simple Simon/We Are the Vegetables," they came out with "Just Keep Walking," and later, their self-titled debut album in October.
Much of this success was due to two members in particular.
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17. They Did A Lot Of The Work
While Hutchence became the frontman and spokesperson for INXS, he didn’t carry the creative weight alone. He and Andrew Farriss wrote most of the group’s songs together, and a year later, they released their next bit of material.
18. It Didn’t Take Them Long
Unlike their first album, INXS created their second one—Underneath the Colours—in a much smaller time frame. In 1981, they went back to the studio and recorded their album in under a month.
However, this wasn’t to their detriment.
19. They Thrived Under Constraint
According to Hutchence, the shorter time they had to create their album was actually to their benefit. In his words, they had no space to “go off on all sorts of tangents," and could get it done without fuss.
Through all this, Hutchence didn’t put all his eggs in one basket.
20. He Did His Own Thing
Although INXS rose to fame and success, Hutchence didn’t limit his creativity to the band. For the movie Freedom, Hutchence recorded the song “Speed Kills”. He released this in 1982 as his first solo single.
After a few years, Hutchence would move beyond just singing for films.
21. He Moved To Films
By 1986, Hutchence was able to add “actor” to his resume. For the film Dogs in Space, the writers wrote the lead character with him in mind. Hutchence starred in the movie, which followed a group of misfit friends sharing a house.
Thankfully, this change to acting didn’t take away from his music.
22. He Still Contributed Musically
Although this was Hutchence’s debut acting gig, he couldn’t stay away from the musical side of production. Apart from playing a musician in Dogs in Space, he worked on four songs for its soundtrack.
Later that year, the band’s management pushed them into another long gig.
23. They Went On The Road
Just as their fame continued to surge, those in charge barely allowed INXS any time to take a break. Even while they were supposed to be resting for eight months, their management signed them up for the Australian Made tour toward the end of 1986.
While performing all over the place and meeting different people, Hutchence ran into a familiar face.
24. They Reconnected
Since the Australian Made tour featured several musicians from down under, Hutchence ran into an old friend. Having been close to singer Chrissy Amphlett, the two were able to catch up and chat. Amphlett described Hutchence as a “sweet man” and revealed he wanted to have a child with her.
It was shortly after this that INXS made its biggest leap so far.
25. They Released Their Biggest Album Yet
INXS was already a well-known group in Australia, but in 1987, their reputation expanded. With the release of their album Kick, the band entered the heights of global favor as it reached the top of the charts in various countries from the UK to the US. It also spawned one of their most iconic songs, “Need You Tonight”.
Part of the band’s popularity was due to Huchence’s performance.
26. It Was Mysteriously Enthralling
According to the book 1001 Songs, many praised the single “Need You Tonight” as strangely alluring. In Toby Creswell’s opinion, while the song’s lyrics were basic, Hutchence’s performance had a subtle hypnotism, cementing INXS as a “sexy and funky” rock band.
Everyone loved them—and it showed when it came to awards season.
27. They Swept The Awards
Illustrating their worldwide fame, when the MTV Video Music Awards came around in 1988, INXS’s name came up several times. The music video for "Need You Tonight/Mediate" allowed them to take home five awards.
Outside of INXS, Hutchence found fame with a different group as well.
28. He Joined A New Group
As the next year rolled around, Hutchence collaborated with Ollie Olsen, whom he had previously worked with on Dogs in Space. They formed the band Max Q, releasing one self-titled album and a few singles from 1989 to 1990.
Through this new avenue, Hutchence displayed a new side of himself.
29. He Showed A Different Part Of Him
While his time with Max Q wasn’t long, Hutchence was able to use the new project to show another side of his personality. Fans and critics praised the music for its darker tone, having been influenced by Hutchence since most of it came from him.
This led to even more acclaim from listeners worldwide.
30. He Was Endlessly Praised
Beyond showing Hutchence’s darker side, the album Max Q made a lasting impact on Hutchence’s personal legacy. Many raved about the album’s innovation, especially his “extraordinary” performance.
However, he was also loved by someone else, who served as an inspiration for his work in INXS.
31. His Girlfriend inspired him
In 1990, INXS released the hit single “Suicide Blonde,” which stemmed from a personal inspiration of Hutchence. He was dating another Australian singer—Kylie Minogue—about whom he and Andrew Farriss wrote the song. The title referenced how Minogue had described her appearance when she acted in The Delinquents.
Like his girlfriend, Hutchence would continue with his on-screen work.
32. He Had Another Film Role
Also that year, the film Frankenstein Unbound was released and featured Hutchence in his second film appearance. He played Percy Shelley, the husband of Frankenstein’s author—Mary Shelley.
All of these things paid off, and the public loved him.
33. He Won An Award
With the arrival of the 1991 BRIT Awards, INXS won the award for Best International Group, but they weren’t the only ones honored. Hutchence won Best International Male Solo Artist, having been up against Jon Bon Jovi and Prince.
But following this, it seems the public had had enough of INXS.
34. Their Fame Diminished
In November 1993, INXS released the album Full Moon, Dirty Hearts to a somewhat lackluster reception. Around the world, the success of the album and the group itself declined, allowing them to take a step back.
Still, for other reasons, the public eye remained on Hutchence.
35. He Stayed In The Spotlight
Although the rest of the band took their moment of diminished fame as an excuse to rest and spend time at home, Hutchence refused. Apart from working on a solo album, the media kept him relevant due to the various women he dated.
This was no list of nobodies, mind you.
36. He Dated Many
Hutchence’s personal life was just as fast-paced as his professional life, and the press was all over it. Beyond Kylie Minogue, the media followed his relationships with singer Belinda Carlisle, the model Helena Christensen, and actress Kym Wilson.
Aside from his dating life, he started to gain a different sort of notoriety.
37. He Got A Reputation
As his career continued, Hutchence’s lifestyle became more scrutinized by the media, who labeled him the "wild man of rock". Much of this was due to his public use of illicit substances, and his tendency to get into brawls.
One such altercation had more of a lasting effect.
38. He Got In A Fight
Everyone knew of Hutchence’s belligerent attitude, but one incident was worse than the others. In 1992, an angry taxi driver pushed him down in Copenhagen, during which Hutchence fractured his skull on the pavement.
Following this, he didn’t take the proper measures.
39. He Avoided His Injury
The smart thing to do with injuries, especially head injuries, is to see a doctor as soon as possible. In Hutchence’s case, however, he ignored his fracture for multiple days before finally getting it checked out.
Sadly, this delay had its consequences.
40. His Injury Was Revealed
Once he visited a doctor, Hutchence found out that he had suffered from severe brain damage. While he would recover, the damage led to him losing almost all of his senses of taste and smell.
As those around him would see, this injury took a larger toll.
41. His Attitude Was Affected
As he made his slow recovery following the injury, his demeanor seemed only to decline. He was prone to fits of anger, between which he would suffer from extended periods of depression.
Luckily, he soon met someone who made him at least a little happier.
42. He Met Someone New
In the latter half of the 1990s, Hutchence found another girlfriend in someone he had known for a while. TV personality Paula Yates met Hutchence in 1985, and about 10 years later, entered a relationship with him.
Their relationship was kept secret, but not for long.
43. They Were Found Out
Although Paula Yates got together with Hutchence, the two tried to keep it quiet. Still, they were under suspicion, which wasn’t made any better when she interviewed the singer in 1994. The public soon found out about their relationship, which was all the more unseemly.
44. She Was Committed
Hutchence’s romances had always been the subject of gossip, but his relationship with Yates was especially scandalous. She was already married to the singer of the Boomtown Rats, Bob Geldof, and had three daughters with him.
This affair led to another violent incident.
45. He Fought Someone Else
The paparazzi were all over Hutchence and Yates, which was a bad combination with Hutchence’s already volatile temper. He eventually snapped, going after a photographer who wouldn’t leave them alone.
Despite the turmoil, Hutchence and Yates were intent on being together—especially after they became parents.
46. They Had A Child
In July 1996, just a few months after Yates finalized her divorce from Bob Geldof, she and Hutchence welcomed a new addition to their family. Yates gave birth to their only child, naming her Heavenly Hiraani Tiger Lily, or just Tiger Lily, as they called her.
However, they weren’t exactly the best role models.
47. They Were Detained
Even as they started a family, Hutchence and Yates couldn’t escape their scandals. Later that year, their nanny went to law enforcement claiming that she had found opium beneath the couple’s bed. As a result, officers came and took the two into custody.
48. It Didn’t Stick
It was the word of Hutchence and Yates against their nanny, and fame quickly won out. Whether or not the claim had actually been true, the charges were dropped as there was insufficient evidence.
However, the worst was yet to come.
49. He Was Found In His Room
Tragically, Hutchence’s demons would catch up to him before long, and the world said goodbye to a unique soul. He passed on in November 1997, being found in his Sydney hotel room by one of the maids.
The cause was clear and eventually confirmed.
50. He Did It To Himself
To anyone who found out about Hutchence’s passing, it was plain what had been the cause. However, a year later, an autopsy made it official that in a drug and drink-fueled state of mind, he had taken his own life.
It’s made even more devastating considering the future he had in store.
51. He Had Big Plans
In the year before his passing, Hutchence and his band were on the cusp of some big plans. They released their album Elegantly Wasted in April and began a world tour in its wake, with another tour about to start.
To make things worse, some more important plans had fallen through leading up to his passing.
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52. He Was Expecting A Visit
One fact stood out as the investigation pushed forward on the events leading up to Hutchence’s passing. He and Yates had planned for her to visit him while he was on tour, bringing their daughter and Yates’ three other daughters along.
As per this investigation, the law turned to the last people to speak with Hutchence.
53. They Gave Statements
Looking at those more closely involved with Hutchence, law enforcement questioned Paula Yates and Bob Geldof. The two of them gave statements, detailing their phone conversations with Hutchence before his passing.
It was in these conversations that Hutchence met a stark disappointment.
54. He Found Out It Wasn’t Possible
In his conversations with Yates, Hutchence was told the disheartening truth. Bob Geldof had commenced litigation to fight for custody of his children, and prevent the visit from happening. As the hearing had been adjourned until December, Geldof had succeeded.
Needless to say, Hutchence didn’t take this news well.
55. He Was Inconsolable
According to Yates, Hutchence broke down when he heard the news. During the phone call, he seemed truly hopeless and frightened, and told her he wasn’t sure how he would “live without seeing Tiger”.
Still, he intended to fight for it.
56. He Wanted To Try
Although Hutchence was in the pits of despair, he wanted to try and fight back. Calling Geldof, he pleaded with him to let the visit happen. Geldof refused, contributing to his official statement.
As for the investigation, there wasn’t anything to suggest otherwise.
57. They Supported His Statement
Apart from Geldof’s statement to law enforcement, several other factors corroborated his telling of events. The coroner supported his story based on the evidence found, including the person in the next room who heard Hutchence arguing over the phone.
But as it happened, Geldof wasn’t the last person to speak with Hutchence.
58. He Called Someone Else
Trying to cope with the situation, Hutchence later called his previous girlfriend, Michele Bennett. Like Yates’ statement, Bennett told law enforcement of Hutchence’s broken disposition and noted that he asked her to see him.
Feeling compassion for Hutchence, she obliged.
59. She Visited Him
After her troubling phone conversation with Hutchence, Bennett felt compelled to check on him. Visiting his hotel room like he had asked, Bennett knocked on the door. Unfortunately, there was no response, as Hutchence had already passed.
With the investigation over, his family had time to mourn.
60. They Had His Funeral
Five days after his passing, Hutchence’s family held his funeral in Sydney. Among the guests were his closest friends and family, including the members of INXS, Paula Yates, and his daughter.
However, this wasn’t a private affair.
61. It Was Shown Live
Apart from the 600 guests who attended Hutchence’s funeral, a larger audience witnessed the service. Australian television broadcasted it live to allow the larger public to mourn with his friends and family.
Fitting for his fame, the attendance list was full of big names.
62. He Had Famous Guests
Along with the members of INXS, Hutchence’s funeral naturally had several high-profile attendees. His previous girlfriends—Helena Christensen and Kylie Minogue—showed up, along with such names as Tom Jones and Nick Cave.
In the end, his oldest friends stuck by him.
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63. They Carried Him Out
When it came time for Hutchence’s funeral to end, his family relied on those who loved him most. Carrying his casket out of the doors were all the members of INXS, along with his younger brother Rhett.
With the whole world watching, his parents had one request.
64. They Made A Request
Even in the face of this devastating loss, Hutchence’s parents wanted to bring some good out of it. Rather than accepting flowers from those sending their respects, his parents asked people to donate to the Starlight Foundation and UNICEF.
As for his remains, his family honored his wishes.
65. He Was Cremated
Following his memorial, instead of burial, Hutchence’s family elected to cremate him as per his wishes. Afterward, his ashes were split up between Yates and their daughter, his siblings, and his parents.
A testament to her devotion, Yates still held on to Hutchence.
66. She Kept Him Close
Some may have seen Yates’ relationship with Hutchence as intense or strange, but there’s no denying that she loved him. This was further evidenced by her choosing to place his ashes in a cushion for her to sleep with.
Tragically, her own demons would catch up before long.
67. She Sadly Passed
Three years after Hutchence’s passing, Paula Yates sadly joined him, leaving behind their only daughter. Having accidentally overdosed, she was found still with Tiger Lily, only four years old at the time.
Thankfully, their daughter wasn’t left with just anyone afterward.
68. She Was Adopted
Following his ex-wife’s passing, Bob Geldof took Tiger Lily in as a foster child. He clearly wanted to do everything he could, and in 2007, he adopted and raised her with his and Yates’ three other daughters.
Even though she was so young, she would no doubt grow up to hear how impactful her father was.
69. He Was Dangerous
Remember when Hutchence was struggling with his brain injury? Well, his outbursts of anger grew beyond yelling, and on a few occasions, became much more violent. During recording sessions, he would get into physical altercations with all of his bandmates—once, he even threatened Garry Beers with a knife.
70. He Was One Of The Best
In life, Michael Hutchence was an endlessly complicated person, and he wasn’t shy about it. Despite all his mistakes and scandals, he is most remembered for his exceptional talent as a musician. Once again, in Toby Creswell’s opinion, "Hutchence was, without question, one of the truly great frontmen”.