Today is the 13th anniversary of the death of Michael Hutchence, former frontman for the Australian band INXS. His death came to a surprise to all of his fans and he is still regarded as one of the most influential singers of my generation. I fell in love with Michael and the rest of the band when I was about 7 years old. My oldest sister was a big fan of their music. This was right around the time that Kick was released. She salivated at the mouth when she saw Hutchence in the "Devil Inside" video. From there, I was hooked as well. She is also responsible for my infatuation with Duran Duran all of these years. It was a match made in heaven with songs like "Don't Change", "Listen Like Thieves", "Never Tear us Apart", how could you not love their sound?
I recently read their autobiography and was so moved by the story of true brotherhood. Those guys were all in it together from the very beginning and never let any outside forces, like the record companies, come in between them and their duty of creating great music. I never had the opportunity of seeing them perform live, so like the rest of the world, I'm left with only live footage from before Michael's passing.
Michael passed away on November 22, 1997. He was in a hotel room completely blitzed out on a mixture of drugs and alcohol. It has been speculated that Michael killed himself during a bout with sexual autoeroticism, but I don't believe that. Especially after reading the book and learning of his state of mind he was in, only someone that has experienced that sense of desperation can maybe truly understand the situation. Michael left behind a daughter, Tiger Lily, that day as well as his bandmates/brothers. His legacy continues on to this day and his fans still miss him very much.
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