Paul Hester
It was 2005 when news broke of the tragic passing of Paul Hester.
Anyone growing up in Australia or New Zealand in the ’70s and ’80s would know him, he was the drummer in Split Enz and Crowded House. What wasn’t very well known, in the years leading up to his passing he had been suffering from depression.
Prior to his passing, he lost his mother and his marriage broke down. Paul was found in Elsternwick Park, where he committed suicide. Ambulance officers tried to resuscitate him, but he was dead when they arrived.
The news broke, when Hester’s friend and president of the Split Enz and Crowded House fan clubs broke the news to fans via email.
Birth name: Paul Newell Hester
Also known as: Hessie
Born: 8 January 1959
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Died: 26 March 2005 (aged 46)
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Genres: Rock, pop rock, jangle pop, indie rock, alternative rock, new wave
Occupation(s): Musician, songwriter
Instruments: Drums, percussion, vocals, keyboards, guitar
Years active: 1976–2005
Associated acts: Crowded House, Split Enz, Deckchairs Overboard, Tarmac Adam, The Wiggles, The Holy Toledos
Paul Hester was not the original drummer in Split Enz. Paul joined in 1983 and contributed to their final album by writing the track “This is massive”, released in 1984.
In Dec 1984 Split Enz had disbanded and Paul and Neil Finn decided to form a new band.
Initially, the new band was called the Mullane’s, they recruited Nick Seymour to play Bass and Craig Hooper on Guitars.
They signed with Capitol Records in the US and Capitol didn’t like their name so the name was changed to Crowded House.
Im pretty sure, without Paul Hestor Crowded House would never have been, and most defiantly not as successful without him.
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