Synopsis
It is hard for any family to lose a son, a brother. But for Tina Hutchence and Partricia Glassop, there was little chance for private grief: the news of Michael's shocking death in a Sydney hotel room was almost instantly worldwide news. Since that November day in 1997 they have read tales spun by journalists, lovers and business associates - about the notorious highs and lows of Michael the superstar, and as the doting but unconventional father of Tiger Lily - people who knew Michael for only a fraction of his 37 years, if at all. This intimate biography introduces us to the talented child with a complicated home life, the gifted teen who gravitated into music forming INXS, the young adult whose glamorous girlfriends confided in his mother and sister. Tina and Patricia watched as the man and his music went on to take the world by storm; soon the women on his arm were household names - Kylie Minogue, Helena Christensen, Paula Yates, and some of the relationships very complicated. Many of Michael's oldest friends and associates have spoken for the first time in this book.
Reviews
This odd biography will primarily appeal to hardcore fans of INXS, a wildly successful Australian group of the 1980s whose waning popularity in the 1990s ended abruptly with the 1997 suicide of its charismatic lead singer, Michael Hutchence. Written by the singer's sister and mother, the book combines basic facts of Hutchence's early life and his rise to stardom with an almost too-intimate view of the authors' feelings ("That night I was so exhausted: it felt as if all of my emotions had been drained and laid on the sidewalk for strangers to trample"). Payback is the book's primary raison d'?tre: the authors have clearly not forgiven the singer's management for attempting to bilk him out of money, his various girlfriends especially the late Paula Yates, Bob Geldof's ex for spreading rumors that Hutchence's suicide was some mysterious and kinky sexual adventure gone wrong, and the Australian media for hounding the grieving family. The narrative, split between the sister and the mother, repeats itself frequently, especially about the singer's childhood; a more conventional biographical style (or a professional co-writer) could have sidestepped that problem. Also, while INXS was popular, the authors are too close to make any hard critical judgments about the band's merit. However, the last 80 pages or so, which detail not only the horrible, secretive financial management given to Hutchence but also his family's difficult and expensive efforts to find out the truth, is a gripping tale that every would-be pop star should read. Photos. (July 1)
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.
As lead singer and frontman of the internationally popular Australian rock group INXS, Michael Hutchence cultivated the image of a sex symbol living the high life. In this heartfelt and intimate book, his sister Tina and mother, Patricia, look back at a life entangled in multiple personal relationships, complex financial arrangements, and increasingly erratic behavior, which overshadowed and eventually overwhelmed his music. All of these factors, explored thoroughly by the authors, culminated in Hutchence's suicide by hanging in a Melbourne, Australia, hotel room in 1997. Subsequently, the world media (as well as lovers and business associates) had a field day with the sometimes sordid details of the singer's personal life. This biography effectively balances that record, in addition to being a statement of familial love. Though well written, it will not find much of an audience outside of INXS diehards, who are few and far between in the States. A marginal purchase for all but the most comprehensive rock music collections. David M. Turkalow, Suffolk Univ. Law Sch. Lib., Boston
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
