Memorial Gathering – 3 pm Saturday, 25th November 2000
Northern Suburbs, Memorial Gardens, North Ryde, Sydney

It was truly a picture perfect day with the sun beaming down through the tall colourful trees which surround Michael’s memorial nestled in amongst the verdant grounds of this beautiful resting place. Family, close friends, and many fans gathered to pay their respects to our beloved Michael.

Beautiful flowers adorned the memorial and one of the bunches of flowers which caught my eye was left there by Kell and Susie Hutchence who were in attendance and who had also visited the memorial earlier on the 22nd November. Their flowers were made up of Irises and Tiger Lilies and there was a card saying “To our darling Michael – forever in our thoughts – we love you and miss you – “Stay Young”. Love, Dad, Susie and Rhett.

Kell told us he had a nice chat with Michael and had said hello to Paula and asked the good Lord to watch over Tiger. There were many beautiful colourful flowers on the ground in front of the memorial together with candles and lots of grieving messages. We had gathered to celebrate Michael’s life and to honour the third anniversary of his death… we also reflected on the wonderful music he had given to the world and the nature of his free spirit and sweet soul which had touched many hearts… we thought also of Paula and her tragic death…. of beautiful Tiger Lily and her sisters Fifi, Peaches and Pixie.

The memorial site was surrounded by lots of warm hearts offering their love and respect to Michael, Paula and their families. Our highly respected mutual friend Dennis Patterson said a beautiful prayer for Michael, Paula and for their families friends and fans around the world and Kell addressed the gathering with some reflective thoughts about his famous and beloved son.

Erana Clark, who sang at Michael’s scattering of the ashes service on Sydney Harbour on his birthday on 22nd January 1998, and who used to be a back-up singer to Michael, sang a beautiful and heartfelt rendition of “Amazing Grace” which was greeted by a gentle gust of wind that touched us all at that moment.

We were also honoured to have the very talented Mark Williams sing a very beautiful song for Michael. Kell and Susie beamed with love and gratitude to the crowd and greeted all and sundry. A few of Michael’s close friends were in attendance and this made the event very special.

A heartfelt thank you to those who travelled from overseas – Mary from Holland, Joyce from Canada, Britt from USA, others from interstate and those who religiously attend for Michael each year. Our warmest thanks to the person who placed two beautiful metal candle sticks on each side of the memorial – they are truly very beautiful.

Coincidentally, in late October the BBC TV documentary unit in London had contacted Kell about wanting to shoot footage at the memorial site on 22 November for a documentary on Michael to be included in a series they are doing called Rock Shrines. Normally, Kell would not have wanted any TV intrusion on this hallowed day but after getting some assurances from Kate Patten the producer, it was agreed they could shoot some footage providing their presence was unobtrusive. Kate was true to her word and the crew shot a lot of footage and did numerous interviews handling these in a very reverend manner. This series is due out early in the new year.

It had been a most memorial day and I thanked the crowd for sharing their love with us all. We then moved on to Milk Beach at Vaucluse on Sydney harbour to commemorate the spreading of Michael’s ashes on the harbour back in 1998.

Ange Perou.

“Sad” is a word to describe feelings of sorrow, grief for someone you have lost. It is a legitimate and important emotion. You can’t really feel loss unless you have loved first. If you want to avoid the “sad” emotion, then never love someone in the first place. The more we love someone, the more sorrow we feel if that person is taken from us.

Michael was loved and admired by so many people… and today is the third anniversary of the day he left us. So around the world, on this day, there is a feeling of sorrow. This year our sorrow is added to by the passing of Michael’s love, Paula Yates.

Our love and prayers go out today to dear little Tiger, to dear Kell and Susie, Rhett, Patricia and Tina, and all of Michael’s extended family, the beautiful guys in INXS, and Michael’s closest friends. May God continue to heal the broken hearted, may we all look forward with hope, and may that hope help sustain a precious little girl.

We are privileged to bring you exclusive photos of our precious little girl (Note: the pictures have been moved to the pictures section). We pray her infectious smile will lift your spirits on what is a particularly hard day for us all.

On the third anniversary of the sad passing of Michael Hutchence, family, friends and fans will assemble at Michael’s memorial to pay homage to one of the greatest international rock musicians of our time. This year will sadly be a time of remembering Paula, Michael’s Love and Tiger’s treasured Mum.

You are warmly invited to join us around Michael’s stone at 3:00 pm on Saturday 25th November. Located in the Memorial Gardens of the Northern Suburbs Crematorium, Delhi Rd North Ryde, the site is becoming a place of pilgrimage as an increasing number of fans from around the world come to visit.

Michael’s lasting legacy is about to become the subject of a new documentary scheduled for release next year. A BBC Digital Television crew fly into Sydney next month to coincide with the anniversary. They are filming the final segment of a documentary on Rock Shrines and wish to interview fans at the 25th November gathering around Michael’s stone. The documentary has the support of Michael’s Dad who feels if they are going to make a documentary, this is the one to cooperate with. With filming completed by the BBC on John Lennon, Jim Morrison and Jimi Hendrix, Michael’s anniversary will give opportunity for the world to see the huge impact he and his music has had on people from vastly different backgrounds.

Kelland and Susie Hutchence have expressed their deepest condolences following the tragic passing of Paula Yates, their beloved son’s partner, and mother to their beloved granddaughter, Tiger Lilly. “It is a very, very sad loss and compounds sorrow upon sorrow for all the family,” Kelland Hutchence has told close friends. “I know I will probably not sleep tonight”. The news became known to Kell at a particularly hard time, as he is recovering after several days in a Sydney hospital suffering from an acute bronchitis attack. All our love and prayers are with little Tiger, who we pray God will watch over, protect and comfort as she faces enormous challenges in the future.

with big hugs and kisses to my Grand-daughter Tiger Lily on this her 4th Birthday. Much love from Grandpa Kell & Susie in Sydney.

Best wishes also from Jacqueline, Dennis, Mario and all the fans.

Our best wishes go out to Kell “Daddio” Hutchence. We wish you a wonderful day.

Since Kelland Hutchence, the father of rock icon Michael Hutchence, opened his son’s award winning www.michaelhutchence.org Memorial Website, tens of thousands of fans around the globe have logged on to browse through a virtual memorial fashioned with graphics, text, video and sound files. The website forms a lasting tribute to Michael Hutchence’s life and music. A moving aspect of the memorial is the thousands of warm tributes left in the site’s guest book.

So overwhelming has been the response that Kelland has collaborated with Swiss web designers Mario and Jacky Ferrari and INXS enthusiast Ange Perou to form the Official Michael Hutchence Fan Club. The common vision is to bring together in cyber space Michael’s dedicated friends and fans from around the world in a spirit of adoration and celebration. The Fan Club will be officially launched on Thursday 8th June, 2000 as part of a festive activities celebrating the reopening of Sydney’s Hard Rock Café.

Closed since being damaged by a serious fire in July 1999, the Hard Rock Café is also playing its part to honour Michael as one of the world’s greatest rock performers. In front of an audience of invited guests, a spectacular ceiling mural will be unveiled that pays homage to a number of timeless “rock heaven” legends including Elvis Presley, Jimi Hendrix, John Lennon, Michael Hutchence and Kurt Cobain. The rock legends are all painted as angels with wings and halos – a spiritual reminder of their remarkable talent and the devoted love their fans still have for them. Aussies are justifiably very proud that their own Michael is up there with the best of them.

We wish to thank Jonas Olander, General Manager of the Hard Rock Cafe and Marketing Manager Victoria Moss, for their kindness and thoughtfulness in displaying some of Michael’s memorabilia as well as for their vision in placing Michael in the “ceiling of rock angels”.

Applications to the fanclub can be made through a new website which will be announced shortly at www.michaelhutchence.org.

Ange Perou
President
Michael Hutchence Fan Club

Host
Please welcome Kelland Hutchence, father of INXS frontman, Michael Hutchence.

Kelland Hutchence
It’s a great pleasure to be invited to participate in this little talk, and I hope I can give the sort of answers you might be looking for. And it just feels so nice to be part of this program.

honey_crash
the music of michael and inxs will be forever linked with my youth – do you find other people have the same reaction to michael’s music?

Kelland Hutchence
Very much, honestly, we are two years down the trek since Mike left us, and I never cease to get poems, letters and photos from people and even CD’s that they’ve done of concerts and things. There is such a great swell of admiration and love for Mike it really touches my heart.
And a lot of the songs I think are evergreen and will go on forever, and it’s nice to know.

Reaccion
Hello, I saw your son’s BEHINDE THE MUSIC on Vh1… I enjoyed it.

Kelland Hutchence
I just thought it was the best production I’d ever seen of a documentary on Michael. It really covered Michael’s life in such a way, it made me so proud. The producer Seth Cohen, he rang me to ask me what I thought, I was full of admiration, I thought it was beautifully produced, nicely edited, and I thought it told Mike’s story much better than any other documentary I’d ever seen.

zooey_franny
did you have any role in the production of the new michael hutchence album?

Kelland Hutchence
No, not really. Mike worked on this album for two or three years in various parts of the world. I never knew it was going to come out and I don’t know if Michael did either. But due to the wonderful support of Danny Saber in LA and Andy Gill in London, I think it was beautifully arranged, and beautifully engineered. And Bono helped out on the last track, and it was just magic. It was the only track that was a little incomplete, and he came in and did the solo with Mike, and it was beautiful. He actually finished it off, he and Danny and Andy finished it off very appropriately.

U2gator
I love what Bono said describing him as “Oxygen- the world was a dizzier place because of him”… How would you describe what he meant to you?

Kelland Hutchence
He was oxygen to me too. You need guys, not just because he was my darling son, he was just full of great thoughts and great humility. He only had to enter a room and things seem to change. There was a lot of vibes that people liked that he seemed to emit. Bono described it very nicely. Mike was very shy actually, not at all pretentious, and just a regular guy when you knocked around town.

benjohnst
kelland, did michael get any of his musical abilities from his family? are there other musicians in the family?

Kelland Hutchence
Well, yes, when I looked back on things, my mother was a very good soprano, actually, she was not professional, but she used to sing in church and little festivals things like that. One of his long lost aunties was a fine singer, she lived in England, but yes, I think he got it from my side of the family, he didn’t get it from me! I’m purely an under the shower singer.

csuchanick
Kelland, I have seen the website, and it is MAGICAL!!!

Kelland Hutchence
Yes, we think it’s very special, it’s taken a year or more to put together. And thanks to Mario Ferrari and Jacqui Ferrari and Dennis Patterson and myself, the design was done by Mario and Jaqui and I think it was put together very beautiful. There are over 55,000 people who have visited it since October. But those people have revisited over 1.5 million times. And the average time spent on the site is over 13 minutes. It has won two awards, and we are very proud of that. I am very proud that it means something spiritual and beautiful to the fans.

manolis_varnassinger
did you encourage for michael to be a singer or it was something that he did it on his own

Kelland Hutchence
It was really something he did on his own. When INXS was the Farriss Brothers, that’s how they started off, they used to rehearse in my garage in Sidney, made a lot of noise! He just started singing when they were rehearsing their little band, trying to get a sound. And lo and behold we found that Michael had a pretty good voice. I think it was as much a surprise to Michael as it was to us! silverchair_shayla_2000 asks: What was it like to be the father of a rock star? LOL! Well, you know, it had a lot of exciting moments.
Michael was wonderfully generous, he would fly us to concerts around the world. We really did enjoy going to the concerts and visiting him backstage, and the fun of it all after the concert was finished. We loved it. It was a great privilege to be a dad to such a fine artist.

faerychyld
I just wanted to express my sympathy for your loss..I was him in concert once and was touched by the passion he put out on that stage for all us fans..wanted to let you know how much it was enjoyed and appreciated…

Kelland Hutchence
Thank you. He did give a lot, and was a dedicated entertainer.

Kelland Hutchence
I’m glad he touched your heart like he did a lot of other people.

thegift72
no doubt all the songs are your favourite… but is there one that stands out for you, from the album?

Kelland Hutchence
Yes. I just love Possibiliites. I do love them all, but I think Possibilities I play more than most.

Kelland Hutchence
And the other one I love, too, is All I’m Saying. And of course the one with Bono, Slide Away, is just unbelievable.

spyoflove_au
Kell out of all the INXS albums which one is your Fave ?

Kelland Hutchence
I think, I’d have to go for Kick. There were many good albums, but that was the best seller. There were others that had good music on them that didn’t take off the same way, like Elegantly Wasted.

tpiaggio
Do you have the song “Jingle Bells” recorded by Mike when he was a kid?

Kelland Hutchence
LOL! No, as a matter of fact, I don’t, and I’m trying to do something about that. He did that in Hong Kong when he was a young guy. It’s been lost in time, I’m trying to contact the advertising agency that he did that for, I’d love to get a tape of that or something.

benjohnst
kelland, are there any charities or causes that Michael championed that people can give memorial donations to?

Kelland Hutchence
Yes. Michael was very active in Amnesty International, Green Peace. And we have a charity foundation in Australia called Starlight. Michael did a lot of, and took a great interest in disadvantaged kids. He helped one of those foundations in Sidney called Noffs Foundation.

darci30_2000
Michael is loved and missed many

jack02_99
Kick is an awesome album……never tear us apart, mystify…..

blubberpop
I believe inxs influenced a whole generation of music, how did Michael feel about this awesome resposibility?

Kelland Hutchence
The hard challenge of always trying to create something as good as or better than the last album was always very taxing for Michael. He took the challenge very seriously. They were quite a unique band, there is no doubt about it.

malt84
Do you know if there will be any more single’s off the new album?

Kelland Hutchence
For the U.S., I don’t actually know.

malt84
The new album is genious. All of Michaels music is wonderfull. I have never reacted to anyone’s music like I do to INXS and Michael. I have been a fan for 3 years, and I will continue to be one for many years to come. So thank you so much for doing your part in creating him! and do you know if any of the songs in the new album are about anything in particular? Thank you so much for reading my post!

Kelland Hutchence
My pleasure!

jendav75
Is it true that ‘Into My Arms’ was played at his funeral? And, if so, how did Michael and Nick Cave become friends?

Kelland Hutchence
Nick Cave was about to release that number Into My Arms but he had not yet released. But he was good enough to play it in St. Andrew’s Cathedral in Sidney. And it was a very touching moment. But they had to block out all radio and TV of that song because of copyrights and one thing or another. I was really touched by what he did. Michael and he became very good friends in London where they were both based. And saw a lot of each other from what I understand, and had a lot of mutual interests in music.

anjelic99
grandaddio, what are your feelings on the band continuing under the name INXS, and with other lead singers??

Kelland Hutchence
I have no problem with INXS continuing at all, it’s not really up to me. I’ve always said to them they should continue because they are such an excellent band. All I would not like to see is somebody imitating Michael. But if they get another singer, particularly a girl singer, I think it would be a great idea.

ckdye
How did you feel at outpour of emotions as the world reacted to the death of Michael?

Kelland Hutchence
Naturally it’s very hard to accept all that has happened. It was a very hard time. I get used to it now because I’m a very spiritual person myself. I never feel that Michael is very far away. I think he found peace and happiness at last. I think it was a great loss to me, his family and his friends and fans. It was a big shock. But I think we’ve got great music that can live on forever. Particularly with the solo album which becomes really a memorial to him. And it is beautiful music, in my opinion, lovely lyrics.

Host
Thank you so much for joining us today – Kelland

Kelland Hutchence
It’s been a pleasure, and thank you very much. All my very best, thank you to all the people who came to the chat room, and thank you for loving my son. It’s very nice to have this personal sort of chat

lseventeen
I saw Michael and INXS opening for Adam Ant a long time ago. I remember thinking who the hell was this beautiful guy. Michael and the band stole the show. Eventhough Adam jumped into a plexis glass water tank.The performance of INXS stayed with me long after the concert. They were no opening band. I remember the power and passion that came out of Michael. I just wanted his dad to know.

csuchanick
Kelland- the website is MAGICAL!!!!

tpiaggio
Daddio, Mike had a inmense heart full of love…

blubberpop
Their music was so clear and free, thats what I loved about it

jack02_99
i just want to say that his(INXS) music will be forever with me….. “Kiss the Dirt (falling down the mountains)” is escially awesome….and shows their talent

anjelic99
Thank you Kell!

S_S_XX_Y_S_P_O_T_ou812
Sorry for your loss, Sir and may his voice always carry on for the next generations to come to hear just how wonderful his singing truely was

spyoflove_au
seeya Kell thanks for giving up your time to chat with us we apreciate it 🙂

KAYLAZMA
WE LOVE YOU!!

csuchanick
He will always ‘stay young’….

Host
Thanks so much for stopping by tonight to chat with Kelland Hutchence, Michael Hutchence’s father. Until next time…

Here is Kell’s schedule:

February 21
CFNY 102.1 FM (Toronto) 5 PM

February 22
WKOC 93.7 FM (Virginia) 5:30 AM
KCTY 106.9 FM (Omaha) 5 PM

February 23
WFNX 101.7 FM (Boston) 6.30 – 6.45 AM
WXRV 92.5 FM (Boston) 6.50 – 7.05 AM
WNNX 99x FM (Atlanta) 7.15 – 7.30 AM

The video for “A Straight Line” from Michael Hutchence’s album which will be released in the US on 22nd February 2000, was added today to VH-1’s playlist.

V2 Records has set up a listening party to help promote the US release of Michael Hutchence’s solo album. It takes place on Tuesday, Feb. 8th at 8 PM EST on Yahoo!’s music affiliate Broadcast.com. They will stream the album, and immediately following is a Yahoo! Chat with Kelland Hutchence at 9 PM EST.

From Kelland Hutchence and Family
To our beloved Michael – happy birthday greetings on this your fortieth. We all miss you so deeply son – it just isn’t the same without you around – but today we are going to celebrate your life and play your music loud and clear. Thank you for those wonderful meaningful songs and the happy memories which we cherish so much. God bless you and keep you in love and peace.

From Ian
A hot Australian westerly wind blew across the park as I sat alone on the bench in front of Michael’s memorial stone. The air was crisp and dry. I read the bronze script over and over as if somehow this would bring understanding. It didn’t. The peace and serenity of this place washed over me and I felt the closeness of a caring God. I prayed that Michael would know this peace too. I took out a card from my wallet and wrote a little note to him – a simple “Happy birthday Michael”. Today Michael is 40. I thought back to two years ago as we gathered on the “Ambience” to spread his ashes and still felt the same sense of loss. In an instant I could imagine him with his impish grin, swaying his locks into the wind as he belted out a song that melted all in earshot. I hoped that the joy he brought to so many on those INXS tours would somehow be always valued – that he would always be valued. Remembered as a precious soul who captured the hearts of multitudes. And I thought about his birth and I thought about his death. Birth then death. Today we celebrate his birth the – day he was gifted with life. That is a precious thought. You can only have death because there was the gift of life first. Happy 40th, Michael. You will stay young after all.

We wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Joyous New Year – let us hope that the new millennium will bring forth more meaningful peace and goodwill to all and that the lives of the underprivileged will be much improved. Thank you for honouring Michael by visiting him and we know that he joins us in our seasonal greetings to you.

Kelland, Dennis, Mario and Jacqueline

View a short documentary on the making of Michael’s solo album with Michael, Andy Gill and Danny Saber. Courtesy of V2 Records (Note: Documentary has moved to the Work section)

01.12.1999
The wonderful poem Greg Perano wrote and read out at the scattering of the ashes ceremony has been added to the ashes ceremony part of the site.

22.11.1999
In the afternoon Kelland Hutchence and fans gathered at the Memorial Site at Memorial Gardens in North Ryde.

21.11.1999
Kelland Hutchence will appear in the inxsweb.com chat room on Monday 3pm EST, 9pm CET (7am Tuesday in Sydney) to talk with fans and answer questions.

20.11.1999
Today Kelland Hutchence talked to the Swiss fans on Swiss radio DRS3 about his beloved son Michael. Click here to listen to his message (RealAudio).

Re: Michael Kelland Hutchence and the Second Anniversary of his death on 22nd November 1999

The family wish to advise that there will be no memorial service at the Northern Suburbs Memorial Gardens this year but friends and fans are invited to visit the memorial gardens where a new bronze bust of Michael has been located.

For those wanting to send flowers, please send them to Michael Hutchence c/o Memorial Gardens, Delhi Rd., North Ryde NSW.

On Sunday 21st November the family will be attending the normal Sunday evening service at 6:30pm, at St. Andrew’s Cathedral, Sydney, the church where Michael’s funeral service was held. Friends and fans are invited to attend. The family will also be attending Michael’s memorial site on Monday 22nd November.

It may be of interest to learn that the memorial website at http://www.michaelhutchence.org has had 27,000 visitors since the site was launched on 11th October 1999 and statistics show that those visitors have collectively made over one million hits to the website, spending an average of 13:30 minutes viewing the site. Some seven hundred letters of tribute have been written into the onsite guest book. The website has also received two international web awards for its high standard of presentation and content.