Just a man? Hardly. Simply put, Michael Hutchence was one of the most talented and charismatic performers in rock and roll - ever. His accomplishments in music in general and importance to INXS in particular, cannot be overstated. A highly creative soul with many special talents who is now sadly gone - Michael's star burned brightly, but faded far too soon.

Born January 22, 1960 in Sydney and raised and schooled in Hong Kong as a young boy, Michael returned to Australia and the Northern suburbs of Sydney in 1972. It was at Davidson High School in Frenchs Forest that he met Andrew Farriss, and developed a close working friendship that would last the rest of his life. That friendship would lead to joining a band (Doctor Dolphin) with aspiring musician Andrew, and eventually forming The Farriss Brothers with Garry Gary Beers, Kirk Pengilly, Tim Farriss and Jon Farriss in 1977. After two years as The Farriss Brothers the group name would change to INXS and stay solid for the next two decades. Aside from being a natural singer and frontman from the start, Michael was also a sensitive 'artist' with poetic and literary interests - a combination that would serve him well throughout his illustrious career.

In 1982, while after two albums with INXS, Michael struck out on the first of many guest turns with other recording artists. The bracing 'Speed Kills' with Don Walker of Cold Chisel was included in Scott Hicks' (Shine) Australian cult film and soundtrack, Freedom, as was another track, the quiet 'Forest Theme.' Production work for Beargarden in 1985 remains unreleased, but served as another step forward. A one-off single project in 1985 called Flame Fortune, with tracks 'Sex Symbol' and 'Jungle Boy' was co-produced by Michael, Andrew Farriss and Mark Opitz.

"Michael Hutchence is the sweetest boy I've ever met." Kylie Minogue

Constantly compared to Mick Jagger and Jim Morrison, but influenced by Iggy Pop and Nick Cave, Michael cut a wild tear leading INXS from height to height during their journey to the top. Like all timeless performers, Michael made the moment - whether it was on record or on stage. While recording The Swing in England during 1983, producer Nick Launay said about Michael; "He had this incredible ability to walk into the studio and make a track sound so... exciting." Producer Chris Thomas had similar sentiments about the making of Kick in 1987; "Michael was very driven. He had an ambition and a sense of what was right. That album couldn't have been made without his intuition - it led that record."

Largely co-writing most of INXS's repertoire of hits and classic songs with Andrew, Michael blossomed into a powerful rock singer and lyricist with a zest and flair to match the bands rich internal musical dynamics. The winning formula in place, there was nowhere to go but up for INXS, and Michael happily led the parade. But records and tours weren't all that Michael Hutchence was interested in...

Michael's early curiosity with acting led to a key part in the Australian movie, Dogs In Space directed by alternative filmmaker and INXS videographer Richard Lowenstein. The film, a sort of punk coming-of-age drama that also featured some of Michael's first recorded solo work ('Rooms For The Memory' in 1985, was a Number 1 hit single in Australia), got Michael good notices. Also 'Frankenstein Unbound' in 1989, directed by Hollywood legend Roger Corman, gave Michael confidence to tackle like-minded projects during INXS downtime.

Appearances on Ecco Homo's 'Motorcycle Baby' (song and video), Richard Clapton's Glory Road album (backing vocals) and Noiseworks' 'Take You Higher' cover (backing vocals) were mild diversions from 1987 to 1990, but the most important leap for Michael 'the artist' came in the form of collaborative concept album Max Q. Created with underground Melbourne musician Ollie Olsen (writer of 'Rooms For The Memory') the enigmatic record quietly slipped on the scene in late 1989. The apocalyptic 'Way Of The World' and engaging 'Sometimes,' both released as singles, framed the album as a pleasing cross between Japan and Talking Heads. Not a huge commercial hit, the project fulfilled Michael's musical wanderlust for new horizons, which would in turn inform future INXS endeavors.

Michael's personal life through this period also stretched far and wide, with a primary Hong Kong residency and globetrotting obligations that took him from Sydney to New York and London with increasing frequency. Liasons were hard to maintain, but the professional demands on Michael did not limit his quests, and the trail of relationships and short term romances were not hard to follow due to the building fascination with Michael and the media. Kylie Minogue and Helena Christiansen were among his paramours, but Michael stayed a bachelor through it all.

In the mid-'90s, Michael went into a series of interesting side projects in the form of songs for films (covers of Iggy Pop's 'The Passenger' for Batman Forever and Eric Bourdon & War's 'Spill The Wine' for Barbwire), album projects (Symphonic Music of The Rolling Stones 'Under My Thumb'), and collaborations with diverse recording artists such as NRBQ ('Baby Let's Play House' for Elvis tribute album It's Now Or Never), Aska and Chage ('Red Hill') and The Heads ('The King Is Gone'). Also at this time, a tentative solo album with producers Tim Simenon (Bomb the Bass) and Andy Gill (Gang Of Four) was being formulated that would be put aside in favor of returning to work with INXS.

1996 brought a new 'creation' of Michael's into the world - a baby daughter. Heavenly Hiraani Tiger Lily (or "Tiger" for short) was the light of Michael's life. Together with her mother Paula Yates, Michael was starting a new family and things were good. Band activities resumed with writing, recording and touring through 1997 until something terrible happened. On November 22, while about to start a tour of Australia with INXS, Michael tragically died. Dumbstruck by the circumstances, fans grieved for an important icon now lost, and the band mourned for a friend now departed.

"Michael was very driven. He had an ambition and a sense of what was right. Kick couldn't have been made with out his intuition - it led that record." Chris Thomas

After Michael's sudden death, time was needed to make sense of what remained. Michael's wish to finish his long-delayed solo album would be fulfilled by those involved and brought to release in late 1999 (2000 in the US). Bono, a close friend of Michael's in recent years, worked with producer Andy Gill to complete 'Slide Away,' a prophetically key track for the album. Called Michael Hutchence, the album combined a different sensibility of musical approach than that of his INXS output. Utilizing loops and moods to convey atmosphere (similar to Massive Attack or Portishead), the record is a tantalizing experiment - a piece of art. The pumping rock track 'A Straight Line' was released a single to international markets, and Michael's legacy has continued unabated since then with compilations of his most important work with INXS.

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