1x94 - Behind the Music

Michael Hutchence became an international rock and roll superstar in the 1980s, fronting the Australian pop band, INXS. And though his celebrity never faded, his impact on the pop music charts certainly did. In the '90s, Hutchence turned into a target for the tabloid press, who were much more interested in who he was dating, than what kind of music he was recording. A freak accident in '92 robbed Hutchence of his senses of taste and smell and initiated a depression that continued for years. In the mid '90s, Hutchence had an affair with Paula Yates, the wife of Sir Bob Geldof, which would result in the birth of his daughter, Heavenly Hiraani Tiger Lily. However, the public scandal surrounding his affair with Yates, and Yates' divorce/ custody battles with Geldof (over their 3 children) were too much for him to bear, and Hutchence 's depression worsened. In November of '97, Hutchence and INXS returned to Australia for the last leg of their 20th Anniversary tour. He was found dead on November 22nd, in his Sydney hotel room. Interviews include: Hutchence 's father, Kell; his brother, Rhett; his mother, Patricia Glassop; his sister, Tina. Hutchence 's good friends Greg Perano and Nick Conroy, as well as U2 frontman, Bono, who knew Hutchence for years and sang on his solo album (on one track called, "Slide Away"), due out in February 2000. Plus, Martha Troup, one of INXS's longtime managers, and David Fricke, a senior editor at Rolling Stone Magazine.