I'm surprised I've survived, and so are a lot of my friends.'. During the second call at 9.54am the deceased commenced to cry and according to Ms Bennett sounded 'very upset'. Sir Bob soon became legal guardian of Tiger Lily and later legally adopted her. Bob Geldof (left) gained full custody over Michael Hutchences daughter after Paula Yates died of a heroin overdose in 2000. the truth about Mama Cass Elliots death. Hutchence's partner Paula Yates claimed a year before her own death her lover likely died accidentally while choking himself for sexual pleasure, as the pair had engaged in similar sex games. Born on January 22, 1960, in Sydney, Australia, Michael Kelland John Hutchence was an introverted child. The rehearsal was to be the last one prior to the start of the tour and was quite important. But Hutchence felt restricted by the creative limits of pop and yearned to express his integrity as an artist, even striking out as a solo performer during the mid-90s. Mr Hutchence Sr could offer no explanation as to why his son would take his own life. After Hutchence failed to appear for a morning appointment . Michael Hutchence was found naked, kneeling, and facing his hotel room door with his belt secured to the automatic enclosure and tied around his neck. The band spent much of the following five years touring around the world and recording another hit album X, which featured the popular songs Suicide Blonde and Disappear. In 1992, however, Hutchence suffered an accident he never truly recovered from. "He's actually re-enacting his own childhood and trying to make it work. But though he appeared to be in good spirits, Hutchence was reportedly also in distress. For those in need of support, call Lifeline on 13 11 14. Hutchence was apparently upset when he spoke to another former girlfriend, Michele Bennett, at 9.54am. Now an award . 7. When he spoke, he was in pain., In high school, Hutchence met his future bandmate Andrew Farriss, and the two went on to form INXS with two other Farriss brothers Tim and Jon in 1977. It was here that the bands charismatic frontman Hutchence and the teenage fan first became friends. After learning about the tragic death of Michael Hutchence, the lead singer of INXS, read about the mysterious death of Jimi Hendrix. On consideration of the entirety of the evidence I am satisfied Hutchence was in a severe depressed state on the morning of November 22, 1997. I got to spend some time with the band while working for Adelaide Now. Describing him as a "sponge who soaked up all the stuff around him", Lowenstein explains Hutchence's appetite to learn stemmed from his early start in showbiz. "Michael had very violent moments," guitarist Kirk Pengilly recalled. This story has been shared 146,672 times. He left no suicide note. It was tough for him. Troup wasnt so sure they should go through with it. So why hide his injuries, and suffer in silence? Michael Putland/Getty Images Nearly 20 years after his death, charismatic INXS lead singer Michael Hutchence will be the. While visiting a girlfriend in Copenhagen, Denmark, Hutchence got into a fight with a taxi driver that left him with permanent brain damage. He began taking a lot of Prozac Traumatic brain injury is something that we know about now through football players. I was concerned, she said. Rhett has objected to any material other than what has already been released being made publicly available. Hutchence had two large contusions and permanent areas of damage in his frontal lobes. An analysis report of Hutchence's blood indicates the presence of alcohol, cocaine, Prozac and prescription drugs. The only other person who knew - his then girlfriend supermodel Helena Christensen - had been sworn to secrecy. Hutchence's final few phone calls were erratic and emotional. Hutchence did not sound depressed during the conversation. They have to go out and get an education, and he was that kind of guy.". But the Canadian musician's lower lows are the . Register, Join the conversation, you are commenting as Logout. "The one thing she did say was, 'It's very good but you need my dad's music, what can I do?'. The pair's friendship got closer as time went on, Stars in your eyes: Richard is pictured with Hutchence and Rob Lowe (centre right). It was July 13, 1991, and the sold-out Wembley Stadium crowd was the biggest INXS had ever played to. "When we got to Helena and her story, and finally got to the full unedited autopsy report, suddenly everything became clear, that was light bulb moment.". INXS has sold more than 75 million records. Pic: Marc Berry Reid, He battled to balance his pop persona with artistic integrity. Geldof's police statement claims Hutchence was "hectoring and abusive and threatening". I am satisfied that the cause of death was 'hanging'. "He'd burst into tears and say, 'It's all about taste and smell that I'm so depressed If I have a baby, I won't be able to smell my own child.'". His family would later say this accident precipitated the depressed phase that would later lead to his death. Lowenstein explains: "She's an incredibly private person, so I don't feel right saying too much. They loved each other, but in a slightly envious way. Formed in 1977 around the three Farriss brothers Andrew, Tim and Jon and a handful of their mates, by early 1980, INXS had secured a shrewd manager who negotiated the band a five-album record deal. Hutchence's parents split up when he was a child, and he was taken by his mother to move to LA, while his younger brother was left in Sydney with his father. The next year, Listen Like Thieves saw them become international stars, with the frenetic and funky What You Need hitting the US top five single charts. So what really happened that night? Musicians Kirk Pengilly and Michael Hutchence, of the band INXS, perform onstage, Miami, Florida, March 1, 1988. We were meeting different people in the film and TV world in LA. He had also started dating Paula Yates, who was, at the time, married to Boomtown Rats vocalist Bob Geldof. The identity of the deceased, the date and place of death and the manner and cause of death are clearly set out and the time and expense of holding an Inquest is not warranted and therefore such will be dispensed with. From that moment on, all I did was hear about Tiger, said Troup. And yesterday, as distraught Paula began her journey back to Britain with the ashes of her dead lover, the chambermaid who discovered the INXS singer's body spoke for the first time about her horrific experience. It was while interviewing Hutchence's ex-girlfriend, model Christensen, he discovered the full extent of his injuries. The deceased was found at 11.50am naked behind the door to his room. "When Michael hit his head, he came back a different person and I'm sure doctors were prescribing all sorts of weird and wonderful concoctions,'' bassist Garry Garry Beers told Sunday Night in 2014. He lost all sense of taste and smell and his drug and alcohol use increased afterward. Michael Hutchence, the frontman of Australian rock band INXS, was found dead in a hotel room in Sydney on November 22, 1997, aged 37. It was of a short duration and Geldof asked him to call back. The rock star who had a Mick Jagger-meets-Jim Morrison aura captured on hits such as New Sensation and What You Need was just 37 years old. He would carry around a clock with her picture on it and bring it into meetings. "I've f***ing had enough." "He would never do that to anyone, he was always incredibly encouraging of other people. 4. Ms Yates stated that the deceased sounded 'desperate' during the conversation. In November of 1997, Hutchence returned to Sydney to practice with his bandmates for an INXS reunion tour. It's fitting that Hutchence's daughter with Yates, Tiger Lily, has also played her part in the making of the documentary. It was that deeper side to Michael that drew him to U2 star Bono, with the pair forming a connection - albeit a competitive one - during the late 80s. Hutchence sounded as if he was affected by something and was slow and deep. Another picture was also taken at the Opera House just a few days after the group photo there. Get premium, high resolution news photos at Getty Images , updated Tony Harris/PA Images/Getty ImagesPaula Yates (right) and her lawyer Anthony Burton (center) leaving her London home to travel to Sydney after learning of Michael Hutchences death. There is a presumption against suicide. The first was on an answering machine and Hutchence sounded "drunk". He holds dual bachelor's degrees from Pace University and a master's degree from New York University. They released a statement that weekend. On November 22, 1997, INXS frontman Michael Hutchence was found naked and choked to death with a snakeskin belt tied to his hotel door leaving many to wonder if his death was a suicide or an accident. Lowenstein goes on: "For someone who had such a naughty boy reputation he was always in a solid relationship - I couldn't find a gap in where he wasn't in a relationship.". The tragic final days of INXS's Michael Hutchence 'nicest guy in the world' By Chuck Arnold November 22, 2022 8:00am Updated With an alluring Mick Jagger-meets-Jim Morrison aura, Michael. As Oasis were awarded best video trophy by Hutchence, Gallagher called him a "has-been" - a public humiliation that further took its toll on the singer. During the second call at 9.54am, Hutchence began to cry and, according to Ms Bennett, sounded "very upset". 6. Their first three albums established them as one of the top bands in Australia, with each record moving them further up the charts. This was due to a number of factors, including the relationship with Paula Yates and the pressure of the ongoing dispute with Sir Robert Geldof, combined with the effects of the substances that he had ingested at that time. At the time of his death - 20 years ago on Wednesday - the rocker was being treated for depression. Various band members and backing vocalists filed out, and only Kirk Pengilly, Andrew Farriss and the singer remained. ", She was more blunt last week on Today, stating firmly, "There is no way this man would've not taken his life at some stage if there was not some intervention.". The coroner ruled Hutchence committed suicide while under the. 02:57 GMT 19 Nov 2017 Richard's book Michael In Pictures captures some of these occasions. Unmissable episodes of Australias top crime podcast. I therefore discount that manner of death. All three persons consumed alcohol, including vodka, beer and champagne together with cocktails during this time. She also handed over never-before-seen personal filmed footage shot by the couple during their relationship, as well as photos and letters. A coroner found Hutchence killed himself while depressed and under the influence of alcohol and drugs but there was never a public inquest into the INXS frontman's death. He was last prescribed Prozac on November 1, 1997 (three weeks before his death). She explains how he spoke to her on the phone shortly before he rang Geldof, telling her, "I don't know how I'll live without Tiger.". Richard will be attending a get-together for the late singer at the Royal Oak Hotel in Double Bay at 3pm on Sunday. Fifteen years on from the death of Michael Hutchence, INXS has a new lead singer. I am satisfied she was hearing the phone conversation between Hutchence and Geldof. I've come close, though. "Then I can remember sharing a joke with Michael. But he had bad eyesight. "Bono would look at Michael and say, 'Boy I wish I could perform like that' - in that really sensual, true rock star way. It was 11:50 a.m. when a maid found his body. "He was incredibly insecure, and if it had gotten out - even just between the band members - that he had serious damage to the brain, they would have come in and started writing the songs themselves. Kylie Minogue, who dated Hutchence between 1989 and 1991, spent three hours talking to Lowenstein in London, then three more in Australia. Michelle Bennett, a former de facto of Hutchence, received two calls from him that morning. "I'd seen many salacious tabloid-style documentaries, and none of us who knew Michael recognised the person being portrayed.". Those were the findings announced by state Coroner Derrick Hand on Friday morning in New South Wales, Australia. The deceased sounded as if he was affected by something, and was slow and deep. Other standout photos are of Hutchence riding his pushbike down the street and sitting astride his Harley - but while it was inside a recording studio. Hutchence had been hoping Yates would visit Australia with their 16-month-old daughter Tiger Lily and two of her three daughters with Geldof, ahead of the last leg of an INXS world tour. Coroner Derrick Hand retired in 2000 after a distinguished 47-year career in the state's courts. They held high hopes the record would reverse their flagging fortunes, with the title track in particular earmarked for success. 'Michael used to park his Harley outside on the street and parking inspectors used to come past to say he can't do it,' Simpkin said. Michele Bennett has had a successful career as a producer of documentaries, music videos for acts including Prince and Foo Fighters and films including Chopper, about the Melbourne criminal Mark 'Chopper Read'. At the same time, Hutchences career took a big hit when Welcome to Wherever You Are which found the band experimenting with everything from sitars to a 60-piece orchestra flopped by INXS standards, failing to match the heights of the bands previous albums. As a personal friend of the star he admits: "I do find watching it a lot harder than making it". Sadly, there wasn't. Thats why he could do it. The last time that Michael Hutchences manager, Martha Troup, spoke to him on the phone, the INXS frontman was making big plans for the future. The stage was set for 1987's Kick, which sold six million copies in America, spawned four top 10 singles in the States, and turned Michael Hutchence into a rock god. "They're not just sitting down with a journalist who's been commissioned to make a film about Michael, they're sitting down with someone they knew 20 years earlier. Picture: Getty Kylie Minogue has opened up about her relationship with the late INXS frontman, Michael Hutchence, who tragically died aged 37. "Paula had just left the country quickly, something to do with custody of the children. Those close to the singer believe this is what happened to him. In the intervening years they stayed in contact and became good friends. * this is an edited transcript from the inquest into the death of Michael Hutchence. Yates' police statement claimed Hutchence was "frightened and couldn't stand a minute more without his baby". After refusing to move out of the path of a taxi, the irate driver stepped out of his vehicle and punched Hutchence; his head violently hit the kerb, knocking him out. Of course, it doesn't work and of course it's a nightmare. He had apparently hanged himself with his own belt and the buckle broke away and his body was found kneeling on the floor and facing the door. Pic: Marc Berry Reid, Hutchence dated model Helena Christensen for around four years, Richard Lowenstein worked with Hutchence over many years. Michael Hutchence, the lead singer for INXS, was found dead in a Sydney, Australia hotel room on Saturday. He was frightened and couldnt stand a minute more without his baby, said Yates. Then, in a voicemail to his manager Martha Troup at 9:38 the next morning he said: Martha, Michael here, I fucking had enough.. "Michael was really out of himself. "She's done plenty of interviews about Mike, but they've always been with lights, cameras, strange camera men But with me it was like two friends discussing what happened. She stated that she rang the deceased at sometime prior to 5.38am on the 22nd November and he told her he was going to beg Geldof to let the children come out to Australia. A friend of both Geldof and Paula Yates, Belinda Brewin, confirms the substance of the conversation between the two. Online Shocking Pop Star Deaths 18 photos Sep 04, 2015 3:30 PM 1 / 18 Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic Whitney Houston: 1963-2012 One day before the 54th. JD Fortune Became The Lead Singer Of INXS. Mr Martin refers to a note received from the deceased stating that he was "not going to rehearsals today". In the 1990s, next to nothing was known about the dramatic personality changes that can occur as a result of brain injuries. However, there is no forensic or other evidence to substantiate this suggestion. Former INXS lead singer J.D. This call worried Ms Troup and she spoke to John Martin, the tour manager for INXS. Published: 06:18 GMT, 22 November 2015 | Updated: 09:02 GMT, 22 November 2015. He was terribly upset and he said, I dont know how Ill live without seeing Tiger.'. 3. 'Michael may have committed suicide. "And then he gets through 27 and he says, 'I'm a survivor'. It was a short duration and Geldof asked the deceased to call back. Pic: Marc Berry Reid, Hutchence tried to laugh off the slight, but was hurt by Gallagher's words, Hutchence pictured with Yates and her daughters. Richard and his friend went down to find that the band were doing a photo shoot on the back of a truck. A MAN arrested over the death of a woman whose naked body was found floating in western Sydney today was linked to the Bali Nine drug syndicate. Richard jumped in and had a picture taken with them. But Michael at that stage wasn't thinking all that clearly.". However, Some of Richards most prized pictures for his family photo album were taken by someone else as they pictured the young fan and Hutchence together. After recovering in a Danish hospital for a fortnight, Hutchence holed up for a month at home with Christensen, "throwing up blood and pushing away all food". "All of a sudden, it was showtime. It wasn't technically his fortune when he died the mansions, the fleet of luxury vehicles, and even the music he created. In the week leading up to his death, the band was preparing to tour Australia to promote 1997s Elegantly Wasted, which failed to produce any hit singles. Hutchence decided to use the European trip to visit his girlfriend, supermodel Helena Christensen, in Copenhagen. Sir Robert Geldof received two telephone calls from Hutchence, the first about 5.30am. Rolling Stone magazine came calling and offered INXS a cover the only caveat being that Hutchence alone was to be featured. You feel so confident when you have that fame even when you have your insecure moments and Michael was gorgeous, inside and out. She was concerned about his demeanour and told him she would come immediately. Michael Hutchence of INXS photographed in London in 1990. 'It'll be a cross between family, friends and fans. 'It was great because I was able to capture the real Michael that I knew without a publicist or any security. The band debuted at Whale Beach, roughly 25 miles north of Sydney, in August 1977. It has been suggested the death resulted from an act of auto eroticism. Pic: Marc Berry Reid, Kylie shared never-before-seen private videos and photos with the film's director, The bad boy of rock dated the princess of pop for two years. His mother Patricia Glassop was a make-up artist, and his father Kelland Hutchence was a businessman.