Michael Hutchence – The Australian Rock Legend
Almost exactly 24 years have passed since Australian rock legend and INXS’s lead singer Michael Hutchence died.
Being an extraordinary talent, Hutchence gifted us with magnificent hits, such as “Never Tear Us Apart”, “New Sensation”, and “Mystify.”
Gone but not forgotten, we still praise his legacy of exceptional contributions to the world of rock music.
A look back on his life
Michael Hutchence was born on the 22nd of January 1960, a year of civil rights, revolution and diversity.
Growing up in Australia’s great cities Sydney and Brisbane, he and his family later moved to Hong Kong, where he discovered his deep passion for poetry and songwriting.
On the 16th of August 1977, the 17-year-old Hutchence gave his first debut with his newly formed band, “The Farriss Brothers”, back in Sydney before being renamed to INXS.
Along with Tim, Andrew and Jon Farriss, he performed with Garry Beers and Kirk Pengilly and landed a hit on the Kent Music Report Singles Chart by releasing the famous song “Just Keep Walking” in 1980.
From then on, the band was unstoppable.
Releasing memorable albums, such as Underneath the Colours, The Swing and Listen Like Thieves, quickly brought the band a deal with Atco Records, a US-American record label. Songs like “Devil Inside”, ” Need you tonight”, and “Never tear us apart” even made it to the U.S top ten.
Michael Hutchence and his band paved the way for a stylish groove in the rock multiverse that soon turned into a heavy-shaped alternate rock, inspiring many fans worldwide.
Celebrating its ascendency, the band rapidly evolved out of the shadow of Australia’s pub scene and into the great club of historic music legends.
Being described as “Stonesy” and “Jagger-esque” by the pop culture magazine Rolling Stones gave Michael Hutchence and INXS an accurate reputation as international superstars.
Another great project of Michael Hutchence was the band Max Q.
Together with friend Ollie Olsen, an Australian music composer from Melbourne, the “Don’t Change” singer created the spin-off group in 1989. Max Q was guided by a crowd of musicians from the famous Melbourne underground scene, which allowed the creation of electronic and house styles inside the songs.
Even though Max Q never played any live concerts, the duo created hits such as “Way of the World” and “Sometimes” and even got their album gold certified.
The humble yet passionate and authentic Michael Hutchence was confronted with a traumatic experience after being attacked by a taxi driver in Copenhagen in 1992, leaving him without his sense of smell and taste.
His bandmates at INXS described this incident as “it changed everything for him; he kinda lost his way and forgot who he was.”
Following this episode of conflict, Hutchence found his passion in the newly discovered Grunge music, leaving Full Moon and Dirty Hearts “off the records” and ignored by modern pop and rock culture.
The early year of his death was marked by a happy Michael, who yet struggled with finding himself back into the world of authentic and genuine music.
During a world tour for INXS‘s release of Elegantly Wasted in 1997, Hutchence was found dead in his hotel apartment in Sydney, later being titled as suicide.
His death left the world of celebrated rock in deep sorrow and grief.
Michael Hutchence is a legend that is gone but not forgotten, and his successes, such as “Never Tear Us Apart” and “Beautiful Girl”, still inspire us today. With his hits, he left a legacy behind that continuously perpetuates years after his death, inspiring millions of people around the globe.
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