INXS Biography

Beginning as a New Wave-leaning act that embraced hard rock, INXS represented the transition in the late '80s from the synth-pop scene to the alternative rock and grunge that would become prevalent throughout the '90s. INXS' breakthrough album, Kick, was a smash hit, scoring numerous singles and eventually selling millions of copies. But they were a band that quickly fizzled out in the public's eye, carrying on through the '90s and '00s even after they lost their frontman to a tragic accident.The Australian sextet had its roots in a family band called the Farriss Brothers. As the name implies, its three members were keyboardist and guitarist Andrew Farriss, guitarist Tim Farriss and drummer Jon Farriss. They were joined by school buddies Michael Hutchence, who became the band's charismatic frontman, bassist Gary Beers and guitarist/saxophonist Kirk Pengilly.In 1979, the group christened itself INXS and began gigging around in Sydney, impressing a few record execs along the way. Their self-titled debut was followed by three records that made the band modestly successful pop stars in Australia, though critics faulted them for never quite reaching full potential on these early albums. There was some high charting success in America, but it was 1987's Kick that went multi-platinum and made the band superstars.Need You Tonight, The Devil Inside, New Sensation and Never Tear Us Apart were amazing hit singles that couldn't be budged from the stratospheric heights of the Billboard charts. Combined with Hutchence's explosive live performances, the band seemed like it had finally made the big time.But gradually, sales slipped, and the band--Hutchence in particular--began living up to their name. Numerous scandals and failed albums later, Hutchence was found dead of an apparent hanging suicide. The band eventually reformed and carried on with a new vocalist, J.D. Fortune.