Michael Kelland John Hutchence

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Michael Hutchence was born in Sydney, son of Kelland ("Kell") and Patricia Hutchence, but was subsequently raised in Hong Kong. He began performing at the age of eight in a local toy store commercial.

The family eventually returned to Sydney in Hutchence's late teens, and it was there that Hutchence befriended Andrew Farriss at Davidson High School on Sydney's Northern Beaches. Shortly, Michael and Andrew joined with Andrew's brothers Tim and Jon, as well as friends Garry Gary Beers and Kirk Pengilly to form their first band, The Farriss Brothers, which would ultimately become INXS.

When, in 1979, the Farriss family moved to Perth, Western Australia, the rest of the band followed, returning to Sydney soon after. In 1980, the group released their first album, INXS, and put out their first single, "Simple Simon," which was soon followed by their first moderate Australian hit, "Just Keep Walking." During the 1980s, he resided at the apartment block at the end of Kirketon Road, Darlinghurst, Sydney.

Hutchence became the main spokesperson for the band and gained a reputation as an enigmatic, sensual frontman, although his close friends and family always maintained he was much more introverted than his onstage persona. A talented lyricist, he co-wrote almost all of INXS' songs with Andrew Farriss, who has attributed his own success as a songwriter to Hutchence's 'genius.'

In 1987, following several increasingly successful INXS albums, Hutchence appeared in the Australian movie Dogs in Space, directed by long-time INXS music video collaborator, Richard Lowenstein. In the film, some events are from Lowenstein's life when sharing a home with friend Sam Sejavka, played by Hutchence. In 1989, he released the album Max Q, a collaboration with Australian post-punk pioneer Ollie Olsen. In 1990, he played Percy Shelley in Roger Corman's Frankenstein Unbound.

Hutchence's private life was often reported in the Australian and international press, with a string of love affairs with prominent actresses, models and singers, including Kym Wilson and Helena Christensen. Other brief romances included Berlin lead singer Terri Nunn,[1] supermodels Elle MacPherson, April Ashley[2] and Go-Go's lead singer Belinda Carlisle.

In 1990, INXS released X, which spawned more international hits such as "Suicide Blonde", "Disappear" and "Bitter Tears". A live album, Live Baby Live, followed in 1991.

Welcome To Wherever You Are was released in 1992 to little chart success. That same year, Hutchence was involved in an altercation with a taxi driver in Denmark. He suffered a blow to the head and consequently lost his sense of smell and, partially, his sense of taste. Some media reports also said he crashed his bicycle on a curb and suffered damage as well. This made him depressed and more aggressive. According to INXS band mate, Garry Gary Beers, Michael pulled a knife on him and threatened to kill him. This incident occurred during the recording of INXS' 1993 album, Full Moon Dirty Hearts.

The INXS album, Elegantly Wasted, was released in April 1997. Hutchence and INXS went on a world tour. The final leg of the tour was to be in Australia in November and December. However, on the morning of November 22, 1997, Hutchence, aged 37, was found dead in his room at the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Double Bay, Sydney (now the Stamford Plaza). A belt found at the scene suggested that he had died by hanging.

The coroner of New South Wales determined that Hutchence's death was the result of suicide, but analysis of the witness statements in the coroner's report, the lack of a suicide note and other anecdotal evidence, such as the fact that Hutchence was found nude, has led some—including Hutchence's brother and other close relatives—to suggest that the death may have resulted from autoerotic asphyxiation[3].

Kym Wilson and her then boyfriend Andrew Reyment were the last people to see Michael alive.

Michael Hutchence's coffin was carried out of St. Andrew's Cathedral by members of the band and his younger brother Rhett. "Never Tear Us Apart" was played in the background. Nick Cave played "Into My Arms" during Hutchence's funeral and demanded that television cameras be switched off during the performance. Bono of the rock band U2 , a good friend of Hutchence, wrote a song, "Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out Of", which is interpreted as an intervention with him.