RARE VINTAGE AMERICAN ROCK STAR: Michael Hutchence and INXS Publicity Photo

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RARE VINTAGE AMERICAN ROCK STAR: Michael Hutchence and INXS Publicity Photo
8 x 10 Publicity Photo of Michael Hutchence and INXS. By Eric Watson. NOTE: we have additional INXS photos from the same era, circa 1992.
Michael Kelland John Hutchence (22 January 1960 – 22 November 1997) was an Australian musician and actor. He was a founding member, lead singer and lyricist of rock band INXS from 1977 until his death in 1997. He was a member of short-lived pop rock group Max Q and recorded solo material which was released posthumously. He acted in feature films, including Dogs in Space (1986), Frankenstein Unbound (1990) and Limp (1997). According to rock-music historian Ian McFarlane, "Hutchence was the archetypal rock showman. He exuded an overtly sexual, macho cool with his flowing locks, and lithe and exuberant stage movements."[2] Hutchence won the 'Best International Artist' at the 1991 BRIT Awards with INXS winning the related group award.
His private life was often reported in the Australian and international press, with a string of love affairs with prominent actresses, models and singers. Hutchence's relationship with UK television presenter Paula Yatesbegan while she was married to musician and Live Aid organiser Bob Geldof. Geldof and Yates divorced in 1996. During July of the same year, Hutchence and Yates had a daughter, Heavenly Hiraani Tiger Lily.
On the morning of 22 November 1997, Hutchence was found dead in his hotel room in Sydney. His death was reported by the New South Wales Coroner to be the result of suicide. In 2000, Yates died of a heroin overdose. The couple's daughter was placed in Geldof's custody with her half-sisters. .
INXS (/ˌɪnɛksˈɛs/ IN-eks-ESS) were an Australian rock band, formed as The Farriss Brothers in 1977 in Sydney, New South Wales.[1][2] They began playing covers in Western Australian pubs and clubs, occasionally playing some of their original music. Mainstays were main composer and keyboardist Andrew Farriss, drummer Jon Farriss, guitarists Tim Farriss and Kirk Pengilly, bassist Garry Gary Beers and main lyricist and vocalist Michael Hutchence.[3] For twenty years, INXS was fronted by Hutchence, whose "sultry good looks" and magnetic stage presence made him the focal point of the band.[1][3] Initially known for their new wave/pop style, the band later developed a harder pub rock style that included funk and dance elements.[1]
In 1980, INXS first charted in their native Australia with their debut self-titled album, but later garnered moderate success in other countries with Shabooh Shoobah and a single, "The One Thing". Though The Swing brought more success from around the world, its single "Original Sin" was even greater commercially, becoming their first number-one single. They would later achieve international success with a series of hit recordings through later in the 1980s and the 1990s, including the albums Listen Like Thieves, Kick, and X, and the singles "What You Need", "Need You Tonight", "Devil Inside", "Never Tear Us Apart", and "Suicide Blonde".[4][5][6][7]
In the 1990s, INXS achieved a greater fan following through Hutchence's romance with fellow Australian singer Kylie Minogue, and achieved greater acclaim in the United Kingdom. However, starting with Welcome to Wherever You Are, in 1992, they achieved less success in the United States. After Hutchence was found dead in his hotel suite in Sydney in November 1997, the band did not perform publicly for a year.[1] They made appearances with several guest singers, including Jimmy Barnes, Terence Trent D'Arby and Jon Stevens; Stevens formally joined the band for a tour and recording session in 2002.[2] In 2005, members of INXS participated in Rock Star: INXS, a reality television series broadcast worldwide, culminating in the selection of their new lead singer, Canadian J.D. Fortune. With Fortune, the band released "Pretty Vegas" and "Afterglow" as singles, and the album Switch.[6][7][8]
In late 2010, the band recorded and released Original Sin, a tribute album, featuring guest artists such as Kavyen Temperley (of Eskimo Joe) and Ben Harper. In September 2011, the band announced that Irish singer-songwriter Ciaran Gribbin had replaced Fortune as their lead vocalist ahead of a planned tour of South America, Australia and Europe later in the year.[9] On November 11, 2012, during their performance as support act to Matchbox Twenty at Perth Arena, Australia, INXS announced that the performance would be their last, though they did not officially announce a permanent band retirement.
INXS won six Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) awards including three for 'Best Group' in 1987, 1989 and 1992,[10] and was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in 2001.[11][12] INXS has sold over 50 million records worldwide.[13]
Eric Watson (9 September 1955 – 18 March 2012) was an English photographer.[1]
Watson was born in Newcastle. He moved to London in 1974 and studied fine art at Hornsey Art College from 1977-1980,[1] where his contemporaries included Adam Ant.[2] He became an assistant to the photographer Red Saunders in 1980 and soon branched out as a photographer in his own right, primarily in the pop music business. From 1981 to 1986 he was one of the main photographers for "Smash Hits" magazine where his friend Neil Tennant was assistant editor.
When Tennant formed the Pet Shop Boys with Chris Lowe, Watson took the first photographs of them and was their main photographer and video director from 1984 to 1991.[citation needed] Watson was much in demand as a pop photographer throughout the 1980s.
The first video he directed was "Opportunities (Let's Make Lots of Money)" for Pet Shop Boys in 1985, his co-director being Andy Morahan. He subsequently directed a series of Pet Shop Boys videos, including "Suburbia", "What Have I Done to Deserve This?", "Domino Dancing" and "DJ Culture". He also directed videos for many other pop artists including Holly Johnson and Yaz before concentrating on TV commercials.
He has exhibited his photographs at the Blue Gallery in London and in the "Icons of Pop" exhibition of 1999 at the National Portrait Gallery.[2] His photographs of Pet Shop Boys were displayed at the National Portrait Gallery in London in 2006.
In later years Eric worked as Head of Photography at a small school located in Rye, East Sussex. During his time at that institution he managed to raise the school's photography grades dramatically and inspired a large number of young students.
On 18 March 2012, Watson died after suffering a heart attack
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