Official Statements

On behalf of the entire Hutchence family, we are extrememly shocked and deeply saddened by the sudden death of our son.

Michael was an inspiring talent who touched many people around the world with his work and will be greatly missed.

To us, and everyone else close to him, he was a vibrant human being, with an immense heart full of love.

As we try to come to terms with our tragedy, we ask that the media please respect the memory of Michael and leave us to grieve in peace.

Kelland Hutchence and Patricia Glassop

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The band members of INXS are all in extreme shock at the loss of their dear friend, Michael Hutchence. Their love and sympathy go out to Michael’s family. They ask that the media please, in the time of extreme grief, act with courtesy and grace, and respect both Michael Hutchence’s family’s privacy, as well as their own.

At this point in time they have no further comment.

On behalf of INXS

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There are no words to express the loss of someone like Michael. He was an amazingly kind and loving soul who touched the hearts of all who knew him. His was a unique and unrivalled talent which greatly inspired many. We were blessed to have Michael in this world and he will be forever missed and loved.

Martha Troup, INXS Manager

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Michael Hutchence and INXS made an immense impact on my and my family’s life. A piece of our hearts was sliced away yesterday on the news of Michael’s death.

I will always remember vividly the night Michael and I sat up into the wee hours of the morning in some strange hotel somewhere in the world, philosophising on when it would be that a generation with thought to all people and the planet would take charge of politics.

The sad thing is we calculated that although we would be grandparents by then we would still be alive to see the change.

CM Murphy, former Manager of INXS

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The manager of INXS, Matha Troup, and the five band members, Tim Farriss, Andrew Farriss, Garry Gary Beers, Kirk Pengilly and John Farriss, wish it to be known that the band is not auditioning for replacement singers following the recent death of their close friend and professional colleague, Michael Hutchence, as reported in last weekend’s Sidney Sun Herald.

The article that ran in the newspaper has released an unprecedented flood of media and public inquires (some wanting to audition) which the band fell is necessary to stem.

The band is still deep in a mourning phase of grief and request that media speculation about their future plans be put aside for the time being. They have currently made no other plans other than to take a big break.

Shawn Deacon, Publicist for INXS

We were flying between shows and someone called and told me about Michael’s death. I still haven’t figured out quite how I feel about it. I don’t know whether I’m angry or guilty… You always think if it’s a mate that there was something you could have done. I still find it hard to figure it all out, because I had a conversation with him not that long ago where we talked about something like this, and we both agreed how dumb and selfish it would be, and Hutch was not at all selfish.

Bono said that he and Hutchence were neighbors in France and that their personality differences helped to fuel their friendship. ‘He was a nice guy to be around. He was very light, whereas I don’t think I’m the easiest person to be around, so we balanced each other out. But I hadn’t seen him for a while, because we were both off doing our thing. I’m finding the whole thing very hard to understand…’

Bono, U2

If I had to pick one star who was destined for an early death, I would never have chosen Hutchence, despite his obvious love of the high life, the relentless drug rumours and the early morning police raid at Paula’s pad. I have been trying to make sense of it ever since I heard the shocking news. I’m honestly very distressed. I had known Michael casually for several years. He was friendly and sociable and I liked him very much. He was one of those people you meet and feel that you’ve known for ever. The last time I saw him was at a Versace fashion dinner. He came and sat at our table and introduced himself to the guests. My young friend Benny, who lives and works in the real world, laughed and said: ‘I think we all know who you are!’ Hutchence played the big pop star on stage and in the media but one-to-one he was a very sweet, normal man. With his band INXS, he also made some timeless music – like the brilliant and funky Need You Tonight with its haunting chant, ‘I’m lonely, cause I’m not sleeping.’ How sad that someone so young, handsome and talented has died in this way.

Boy George

I had the pleasure of going out and getting very drunk with Michael Hutchence about four years ago and I think it’s pretty tragic. It’s a great shame really. I do think he was genuinely a good bloke, Michael Hutchence.

For example, the world, or certainly Britain, seemed to be deeply shocked when Princess Diana died, but I thought it was a false kind of shock. I think people were shocked when Princess Diana died because of her image – and her PR machine that shoved this idea of this princess down our throats for so long that some of us started to believe it – and I think essentially that Princess Diana was no great loss to the human race, but having met Michael Hutchence I think it is something of a loss.

Justin Currie, Del Amitri

Poor, late Michael Hutchence. I liked him very much. I thought he was very good and I certainly liked the music that band made; INXS was a very good band. What a tragedy. He was going to get married and he was going on a tour and everything. Did you hear anything about Prozac? Some people have said that Prozac is, for some people – very few – a suicide drug.

Ray Manzarek (†), The Doors

Sometimes lead singers relate only to other lead singers. It’s kind of this ego thing. But Michael wasn’t like that at all. He was a really sweet guy, a very nice guy to everyone he met. He was the consummate pop star. And he had so much fun with it all. I really miss that about him. I love having people like that around, and there really aren’t many like him, people with his kind of spunk.

Larry Mullen, U2