Why aren’t the Hong Kong radio stations playing more INXS? Mike, Andrew, Tim – they’re so good!!”. In 1985, living in Hong Kong, Jeremy and I met Susie and Kell Hutchence. As a manager at WEA Hong Kong, the local record label for INXS, I would very often be asked this question by Kell. Almost daily. This was around the time of Listen Like Thieves. Michael was living in Hong Kong at the time, in Tai Tam. Both Susie and Kell adored Michael, Kell was his biggest fan. Over the next 12 years Jeremy and I came to know Michael through his Dad and Step Mum. Kell never stopped asking me about the music business. He wanted to better understand Michael’s life. Kell was a fan of everything Michael did. May be not Dogs in Space, but Kell laughed it off. Kell laughed a lot. At the start of 1997, we knew all about Michael’s solo recordings in LA, his steps into acting, his plans for a new direction. After he died, on this day 20 years ago, his solo album was eventually released. His bereaved Dad asked me, “Why aren’t the radio stations playing more of Michael’s solo album? It’s the best music he’s ever made”. Michael, the world misses you, none more than your proud Dad did.
Jane English
22 November 2017