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INXS remain inextricably associated with Michael Hutchence, the charismatic singer who fronted the band for two decades before dieing suddenly in 1997 at the age of .... The three Farriss brothers (Andrew, Jon and Tim) originally formed the band during the punk era, mixing rock with ska and reggae, but it was Hutchence who gave them the appeal that ultimately made them international stars as they adopted a funkier, more dance-orientated style.
Though steeped in the rock & roll showmanship of The Rolling Stones and The Doors, the band's funky new wave pop had big crossover appeal to the younger MTV audience and with Hutchence quickly becoming a teen heartthrob, they scored a string of massive hits including 'Devil Inside', 'New Sensation', 'Never Tear Us Apart' and the US number one single 'Need You Tonight'. Albums 'Kick' in 1987 and 'X' in 1990 captured the band at their pinnacle and they scored another two US top ten hits with 'Suicide Blonde' and 'Disappear', but tabloid scrutiny surrounding Hutchence's high profile relationships with the likes of Kylie Minogue and Paula Yates, started to cause tension. The band released their tenth studio album 'Elegantly Wasted' in 1997, but later that year Hutchence was found dead in his hotel room in Sydney in a suspected suicide. After his death, the other members of the band took a long break before returning to action with a series of guest singers, including Jimmy Barnes, Terence Trent D'Arby and Jon Stevens.
In 2005 INXS took part in a reality TV show to find a permanent replacement for Hutchence, resulting in the recruitment of Canadian singer J.D. Fortune and the album 'Switch'. Fortune subsequently left INXS in 2009, but he guested with them again on stage in 2010, returning later as the permanent front man. An album titled 'Original Sin' was released in 2010 as a tribute to Hutchence and it featured collaborations with, among others, Rob Thomas, Ben Harper and Gabriella Cilmi. After an extensive tour to promote the album, Fortune announced that he was leaving the band again and he was replaced by Ciaran Gribbin. While supporting Matchbox Twenty on the Australian leg of their tour in 2012, INXS announced that after 35 years they were calling it a day.
Artist biography compiled by BDS/West 10. All rights reserved
