http://www.uq.edu.au/~zzdshack updated D Shackleton 23:11 AEST

Michael Hutchence. Born Sydney 22 Jan 1960. Died Sydney 22 Nov 1997.

Latest News Snippets (26 Nov 1997):
**Australian television broadcast of the funeral being held 27 Nov 97 click here
*British press speculating kinky sex game caused Hutchence death, perhaps purely on the fact that MH was found hung naked in his room, but coronial inquiry statement made no mention of anything of a sexual nature. (no links available)
*U2 tribute to MH featured during their concert in Texas (no links available)

(Apologies for the lack of an update on the 25 November due to work commitments - the news will be added upon confirming details)
More snippets HERE...

Wish to send your tributes, condolences, or even your favourite INXS songs and why? Click here.

Michael Hutchence 1960-1997, lead singer, INXS. Almost 38 years after his birth on 22 January 1960, his death was announced to the world today, Saturday 22 November, 1997. Perhaps to some, Michael Hutchence is INXS. Perhaps to others INXS is Michael Hutchence. To me, Michael was the heart of INXS, the other band members the soul, an important characterisation of the band that always meant INXS were never INXS without both it's heart and soul. I will sadly miss the band in it's completeness, and thank one and all for the many memories and years of enjoyment from the skills of their art.

Three bands formed the sounds of the 80's as I experienced them...:
Crowded House, U2 ...and INXS. They collectively represent my childhood music, my influences, and the memories of all times good and bad, though overwhelmingly, the good times. To suddenly find that on the eve of their Australian east coast tour, that Michael Hutchence has died, denying many of us the eagerly awaited chance to see INXS live, is tragic. I pass my deepest sympathies to the fellow band members of 20 long and fruitful years, and most importantly, to his girlfriend Paula and their child.

It seems poetic and yet final that his birthplace of Sydney, Australia, should also be his final residency.

To quote from 'Burn for You':
"Tilt my hat, at the sun, and the shadows they burn dark... Light me, and I'll burn for you, and the love song never stops"

May the love song never stop...

click any pic' for the official band biography site (some browsers will show each member's identity; hold your mouse over each pic')

News of the death - how Saturday 22nd November, 1997 unfolded:

The early reports of his death filtered through on television and radio about 1300 hours, AEST (Sydney) time.The news announced that he had been found dead in his hotel room at the exclusive Sydney Ritz Carlton Hotel. There was initial press speculation that he had suffered a drug overdose, but these theories were later replaced with the news that his death was in fact suicide, by hanging himself.

Police in a later press conference stated that his prescribed medication was found in the room, but that no illegal drugs had been found in his hotel room. They were not pursuing the investigation as having suspicious grounds, and that a leather belt had been removed from the room for analysis. Michael's body was relocated under police escort to the morgue, and there has been no mention of any form of farewell note.

Later came newsreels of INXS, replaying for us the initial videos of INXS, originally formed in Perth, and radio stations playing "Burn for You" as a tribute.

People from all around the world flocked to the #INXS channel of efnet IRC on the net from that moment on. Some came to offer condolences, some came to confirm the sudden news, others came to discuss their theories on why this had happened.

It was interesting to note that the most common question besides "is it true?", was "why did he do this?".

Clearly, it came as a shock to all. Having witnessed the band rehearsal (filmed less than 24 hours prior to his death), of a very relaxed M.H. joking about, it is hardly credible that the man would have any reason in the world to end early his life. The preparations of the upcoming Australian east-coast tour, and the seemingly more peaceful life for Michael and Paula, particularly after the comparative storm of the court custody case and the police raid, there seems little apparent reason to most of us as for any motive - which simply due to it's unanticipated nature makes it all the more shocking.

Paula Yates is believed to be enroute to Australia, although there have been conflicting reports as to the accuracy of this.
[update 24 Nov 97 - Paula and their child Heavenly arrived in Sydney ABC News link #3]

"I send a message, hope it gets through..."
Comments / Updates / What was your favourite INXS song(s) and why?:

There are three ways that you can send your messages, thoughts, wishes and tributes to our collators, so that we can post them here on the web. 1) Click HERE to jump to Kat's Tribute form 2) Jump on Effnet IRC and type your message in the #INXS channel 3) E-mail me. David Shackleton <david.s@mailbox.uq.edu.au> ...the Official INXS website now reports (24 Nov 97) the following: Condolences via e-mail: in2xs@inxs.com Cards and letters to: (no they haven't mentioned an Australian address) IN2XS P.O. Box 460207 San Francisco, CA 94146

In the silence I think of you, I send a message and hope it gets through, Think of the distance, Think of the miles, All of the valleys could take a while. I miss the people, I miss the fun, You're my apparition, and She's my only one. And I imagine you're standing here, It's subliminal so inspirational, Man of the world for all the good reasons, Take away the pain and drink the wine. (I send a message from INXS 'The Swing' 1984)

In the news:

25 Nov 1997
**Paula Yates blames Geldof for Hutchence death
24 Nov 1997
****Coronial inquiry complete, cause of death declared as hanging, but still awaiting confirmation of suicide, pending toxicology reports (refer ABC link #3)
**Official INXS website finally acknowledges death, with statement and biography (refer Official INXS Obituary link)
23 Nov 1997
***Australian Tour will be cancelled (damn! but no surpass) (refer American ABC News Obituary link)
*Want to send your tributes, condolences, or even your favourite INXS songs and why? Click here.
**The INXS band members have submitted a press release, revealing their state of extreme shock, and have appealed for privacy from the media.(refer ABC link #2)
** Australian radio stations are running tribute programs, rough details here.
** Police have deferred the official naming of the body found in the Ritz-Carlton hotel (Sydney) to the coronial inquiry on Monday (refer Yahoo! link #3)
**Paula Yates is on her way from the UK. Many people had assumed the couple were married, but were due to marry this coming January in Tahiti (Bora Bora to be specific).(refer ABC link #2 and Yahoo! link #5)
22 Nov 1997
* The local press have long ago announced his death, (ABC link #1) (presumably as the deferred police statement is perhaps merely a formality) .
* Police hold a press conference that a 37 year old Australian was found hanged in the exclusive Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Sydney, stating that a belt has been sent away for analysis, and stressing that only prescription medicine recovered from the room, that no illegal drugs were found, and there was no one registered at the Ritz as 'Michael Hutchence'.(Yahoo! link #1)
* Many are in shock, but the question on everyone's lips is "why?".... It's unlikely that we'll have an answer, at least today anyway.

Australian television:

Harry M Miller is handling at the request of the Hutchence family, the media affairs of Michael's funeral.Channel 7 will be broadcasting live the funeral, which will be available to other networks according to the ABC NEWS report. He has appealed for calm at the funeral, in light of the family's concerns that it will turn into a media circus. At this stage, the broadcast appears to be scheduled for 14:00 or 14:30 AEST on 27th November (unconfirmed as yet). It is rumoured that Paula Yates has taken her wedding dress (in which she was due to marry Michael in January) and dyed it black, and will wear this to the funeral (unconfirmed as yet).

Australian radio listeners:

Radio stations around the country have announced tribute programs going to air, most planning to start this on Sunday, 23rd November, at 12:00 midday local to each city, of 1 to 2 hours duration.Stations confirmed so far include the Austereo Today-FM network, and the Triple-M network. Further details were not available at the time of this update [23Nov97 06:00 AEST]. Triple-J ran a tribute after the Silverchair feature last night, but Kingsmill may feature something more this afternoon with 1997. If you have more details, e-mail them to me.

Links:

Text (lyrics excepted) Copyright (c) 1997 D Shackleton.
Thanks to all who helped - special thanks to Kathryn Goyne, and Adrian Sportelli.
Un-thanks to the jerks who pride themselves on flooding the channel.