On This Day, November 22, 1997…
INXS frontman Michael Hutchence was found dead by a maid in his hotel room at the Ritz Carlton in Sydney, Australia. He was 37.
The coroner ruled the rocker’s death a suicide. Alcohol and drugs, including cocaine, Prozac and prescription medicine, were found in his system.
His partner at the time, TV personality Paula Yates, told police that prior to Hutchence’s death she had informed him she wouldn’t be able to fly home to Australia with their daughter because her custody hearing with ex Bob Geldof had been pushed back, which upset him.
In a 1999 interview, Yates had suggested that Hutchence’s death may have been the result of autoerotic asphyxiation.
INXS had a string of hits in the mid-’80s to early ’90s, including “Need You Tonight,” their only U.S. #1, “What You Need,” “Never Tear Us Apart,” “New Sensation,” and “Suicide Blonde.”
The band went on after Hutchence’s death, touring with guest singers and even starring in a reality series, Rock Star: INXS, to find a new frontman. Their final concert took place in Perth, Australia, in November, 2012.
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