The 22nd November means many different things to many people. It was the day in 1963 that John F Kennedy was assassinated. It is Thanksgiving Day in the US (whenever it falls on Thursday). In the Christian Roman Church calendar it is still celebrated as Saint Cecilia Day, who is the Patron Saint of poetry and music.

For many adoring INXS fans it is the tragic day seven years ago that Michael Hutchence lost his life. Bono and U2 where preparing to perform in San Antonio, Texas, that day when word came through about Michael’s death. Gutted by the news, Bono struggled through the concert making several references to his dear friend. “Hutch, where are you?” he cried. Over the past seven years Bono has frequently mentioned Michael at U2 concerts. He has dedicated many songs to Michael and has regularly finished the evening with a track of Michael and INXS playing over the PA system. Bono even completed the recording of the song, “Slide Away” on Michael’s solo album, as well as dedicating the Grammy award winning “Stuck in a Moment” to his friend’s memory. We too have some special material to dedicate to Michael this month.

Recently we stumbled onto an old demo track of “Deliver Me”. Michael and Andrew had recorded it in Crescent Moon Studios in Miami in 1994. We have called this track “The Miami Session”. I have researched extensively what now forms the second article in our series on “How Hutch Composed a Song”, and all that is included is to my knowledge accurate. I have tried to recapture that moment in time. We approached INXS Management some months ago with a view to having Andrew take part in this years Special Feature. Andrew was enthusiastic to help and we are delighted to have included his exclusive interview with Nathan Hull and Dan Jones on Michael’s Memorial Site this November 22nd.

We are also privileged to have V2 Records’ support to bring you six great tracks from Michael’s solo work. “Possibilities” was Kell’s favourite. Relax, close your eyes, and listen to a great song. We wish to thank Daniel from www.dgpics.com for permission to use the bright smiling picture of Michael on the “News” page. He reports it was taken in an interview in 1987. When Kell first saw this picture, I remember he sighed. It was his favorite picture. Thanks to Susie Hutchence, Mario and Jacqui Ferrari who complete the team at www.michaelhutchence.org. Mario and Jacqui have worked hard on producing this month’s very special features, including the Flash introduction of Michael, with pictures taken at Open Air Festival, St Gall, in Switzerland in 1997. We also thank Dan Jones for his informative article on Max Q. We have been able to officially stream audio tracks from the album. Finally a big thanks to the INXS team whose continued support is invaluable.

This year the third Saturday in November became even more serene as I received the sad news that my dear sister, Jeanette, had passed away. I am about to board a flight from London to Sydney to attend her funeral so I will miss the 22nd November. It will just disappear… just like all our problems disappear when we focus on the precious memories of loved ones that are no longer with us.

Two days after the Miami Session, Michael was reflecting in his room at the Caracas Hilton, in Venezuela. That day he wrote down his thoughts, some of which I will share with you now.

“I have had a thousand rooms but I am homeless”. And of those who had stayed in that room before him he said, “We shared the same space in our loneliness”. Being a creative person on the road has it’s down times, particularly following a period of intensive, creative, outpouring. After Michael left us Bono wisely admonished us all to think more often about our friends. “Make that phone call, send that email”, he said. So, who can you message today to say, “Hi, I am just thinking about you”?

Seven years are considered in the Judeo-Christian Old Testament to be a time of perfecting under trial. The rest from the struggle becomes the sabbatical year. Perhaps this year will be a sabbatical year of peace and rest from struggles for Michael’s family. We hope you enjoy the new materials in memory of the incredibly talented Michael Hutchence. We dedicate them also to his adorable daughter, Tiger Lily.

Ian Patterson
For Susie, Mario and Jacqui

 

Saturday, 20 November 2004, 8 pm at the Hard Rock Cafe, 121 Crown Street, Darlinghurst, Sydney, Australia. For further information contact Ange: phone 0414 554 122.

The full streams to each Max Q track including the rare Love Man B-side are now available. For those who don’t have the album take a listen and realise that this album was way ahead of it’s time.

We are pleased to announce the launch of the re-styled Official Michael Hutchence Memorial Site.

We hope you approve of the lighter appearance, the new articles and media files. There is more to come! Much credit must go to Mario and Jacqui Ferrari who are always so willing and diligent in keeping Michael’s Site running in more ways than most people realise. We are also celebrating this month, five years since our team, led by our dearly departed Kelland Hutchence, banded together to launch www.michaelhutchence.org.

It was in the immensely difficult months following Michael’s death that Kell commenced communicating with Michael’s friends and fans around the world. To enable him to do this, it was necessary to help him set up on the Internet, to assist him with the learning curve and with all that that entailed. Kell never gave up on the task, as it was so important to him that he help others who were also grieving, and to ensure that his son’s legacy would live on. It was during all the computer “tech support” calls from Kell that I suggested we work on a virtual perpetual memorial site for Michael. Kell was very encouraged by the prospect, and so over the coming months we commenced writing and collecting content from Michael’s family and friends. Kelland, Tina and Rhett Hutchence, Andrew Farriss, Bono, Jimmy Barnes, Jenny Morris, Richard Lowenstein, Helena Christensen, Greg Perano and many others helped by contributing heartfelt thoughts. Sadly Paula never managed to contribute and her passing was a sorrow upon a sorrow.

During those early days Kell also conducted a number of online talks with Michael’s fans as well as meeting with those that would travel from around the world to visit him in Sydney. He gained much comfort through comforting others. It was around this time that I introduced Kell to Mario and Jackie Ferrari, two devotees of Michael and INXS, who had build an INXS fan site from their professional digital publishing office in Switzerland. Mario and Jacqui from day one were committed to seeing Michael’s Memorial Site completed, and thus played a vital role with us in the layout, design and realisation of Michael’s Site. I have many fond memories of Kell, Susie, Mario, Jackie and I in project meetings around cups of coffee at Dee Bee’s restaurant in Double Bay. It is partly due to the latter’s Web professionalism that this site has won numerous awards and has been archived by the Australian National Library in Canberra as an Australian cultural treasure.

I must admit I was devoted to seeing Kell heal from terrible grief and the Memorial Website seemed a very worthwhile project for him to divert his attentions into. At the same time we set about organising the first Memorial Service for Michael which took place in November, 1998. We continued those services every year while Kell was alive. He saw the last service in November, 2002 via video from his hospital bed. He hoped that fans would continue to gather to celebrate Michael’s birthday every 22nd January. We are in debt to Ange Perou for her ongoing support as Fan Club President in coordinating these gatherings. It was also Kell’s wish that we all carry on with our work in maintaining and expanding Michael’s Memorial Site. Susie Hutchence is faithfully realising her husband’s vision with her support and leadership at www.michaelhutchence.org

I sometimes wonder what Michael would have thought of all this, given that he was not particularly fond of the Internet. But Memorials are more for those left behind and it is a natural and healthy way of coping with such great loss. It is a joy to us that these pages are open to the whole world to see, and hundreds of thousands have visited this site since it’s inception. Thousand have encouraged us with heart-warming stories of momentary encounters with Michael, or with edifying stories of how Michael’s music and that of INXS have stirred their spirit in times of discouragement. It is also a delight to welcome, in very increasing numbers, younger audiences who are discovering the music of INXS and Hutch the Legend for the very first time. Sometimes it is by way of their parents, other times it is through the media or stumbling upon this site.

There is one Beautiful Girl yet to grow into Michael’s Memorial Site, and when she arrives it will be a rich legacy for her to enjoy. And if she so chooses, she may well fulfil her Grandaddio’s vision by taking leadship here… and thereby illuminating her Daddy’s Shining Star for many years to come.

Ian Patterson
Co-Director
For Susie Hutchence, Mario and Jacqui Ferrari

 

Precious Princess whose spirit is so young, innocent and care-free. Out of the phoenix of such sad loss your life will be lovingly shaped and moulded by the caring grace of God. You are adored and treasured always. Happy Birthday Tiger!

You lived each day as an adventure. Your mind never stopped ticking over as to what you could achieve next. You loved life with a passion and you were always generous with your time to those you gave strength to along the way. You never lost your dignity, your heart of love or your hope in the future. You were a gentleman, an intellectual, a husband, a father, a grandfather, a brother, a friend. Your smile was kind, warm and genuine. You will always be joyfully celebrated and sadly missed. Happy birthday Kell.

Sometimes it is hard to know how to write about Michael Kelland Hutchence. There is such a dilemma of joy and heartache about him. His spirit was so strong that many of us still feel the deep loss of his presence after more than 6 years on. Last night I re-visited the recently re-packaged “Live Baby Live” DVD and was reminded of his amazing gift to capture and excite an audience. His own description of his compositions as “morality songs” is heart-warming to reflect upon. He intentionally wrote to lift people’s spirits and to have them ponder on some aspect of our human plight, as well as to share part of his own heart. If you really want to be reminded of his uniqueness, spend time this 22nd January watching the above DVD. You will be taken back to a time when INXS ruled the airwaves around the world and Michael was shining so brightly. Try to listen to other material like the “Listen Like Thieves” album with the song that adorns Michael’s memorial stone, “Shine Like It Does”. Rhett found those original hand written lyrics amongst some things of Michael’s and so Kell decided to have them set in bronze. Those words are fixed to his stone so that they may remain many years.

Yes, it is all positive, uplifting music and you will come away feeling fortunate that we have such tangible parts of Michael as a lasting memorial to him, as well as memories of an era when the world seemed to be just that little more innocent. Doesn’t it seem a crazy, more heartless place since 9/11? And all this recent sorrow may prompt us to pray for the thousands of families who have lost loved ones in the above atrocity, as well as in Afghanistan, and Iraq (over 500 US soldiers have died in recent months, not to forget the many British soldieers and thousands of Iraqis) while masses of people are mourning loved ones lost in the incomprehensible, devastating earthquake in Iran.

May God speed the day we can truly sing …

I’m standing here on the ground
The sky above won’t fall down
See no evil in all directions
Resolution of happiness
Things have been dark
For too long

So this January 22nd, it may be also timely to ponder the question Michael sang of in “Dancing On the Jetty”…

Watch the world argue with itself
Who’s going to teach me peace and happiness?

God knows.

Blessings to you sweet, adorable Tiger
…and happy 44th, Michael!

From Ian,
On behalf of the Hutchence family and
all the Team at MichaelHutchence.org

Thursday, 22nd January, 2004, 8 pm, at Hard Rock Café, 121 Crown Street, Darlinghurst, Sydney, Australia

Come join us in a friendly Michael Celebration by having a meal or perhaps a drink or two. There will be lots of stories exchanged and INXS music and videos being played throughout the night. Happy hour for drinks is from 4 pm to 7pm followed by live performances from young local talent until 10 pm interspersed with music from INXS. Then from 10 pm till late, rock to INXS and more INXS!

RSVP: Ange
Ph: 0414 554 122 ASAP

Or please call the Hard Rock Café direct to make your own personal booking on 02 9331 1116 …but hey, we want to hear from you if you intend rocking up on the night

Christmas in the Western world is traditionally a time for families to be together to celebrate love, joy and peace.

Of all the times in the year that loneliness may strike, Christmas Eve is particularly a hard time to be away from family. Yet this Christmas many of our family and friends at www.michaelhutchence.org are feeling the pain and sorrow of separation from loved ones. Some are separated by oceans, others by eternal passing. We like to think that all who regular visit here are part of a larger family of friends held together by a common bond of love, respect and admiration for the music and personhood of Michael Kelland Hutchence. We hope somehow that being part of this community will help you experience the warmth and love of family this Christmas and that you will enter into the true spirit of the season which is accepting the precious gift of Jesus.

Christmas is always a story of new hope and fresh beginnings, a time to be thankful for the gift of life in this world and faith for eternal keeping in the next.

We wish the adorable Tiger a special greeting this year and also to Susie and Rhett who are particularly needing our prayers at this time. Big hugs to you all!

Merry Christmas everyone from the team at www.michaelhutchence.org and we hope your Christmas cheer will, as Michael put it, “shine like it does into every heart” around you.

Mario, Jacqui and Ian

Today we pay homage to a wonderful person, Kelland Hutchence, Michael’s father who left us on 12th December, 2002.

His courage and determination were qualities all too rare in our present world. He could be tough and gentle at the same time. He was passionate about life and lived every second of it to make it count. He adored his wife and family, respected and honoured his friends, was a warrior for the exploited and abused and was never too busy to write off a letter or make a phone call to defend a human right. He loved people, loved the excitement of challenges, and despite growing older in years, Kell never lost a young heart. He was immensely proud of his children and grandchildren, rejoiced over them, wept over them, celebrated them. He was generous and kind, warm hearted, light hearted. He travelled the world and by the time he left this world he had discovered spiritual truths that would guarantee him peace for eternity. So sadly missed, so fondly remembered. Love and peace to you Kell.