Saturday, May 12, 2018

INXS "Elegantly Wasted"

Michael Hutchence of INXS was in Chicago in August 1997 for shows at the Riv and UIC Pavillion to promote his new album and song entitled "Elegantly Wasted". While he was in town, he made the rounds at local radio stations including the one I worked. All afternoon, the staff kept waiting on Hutchence. His handlers  claimed traffic was bad and eventually he arrived at the radio station nearly an hour late. About three months later, Hutchence was dead. INXS continued with new lead singer Jimmy Barnes, Terence Trent D'Arby and Jon Stevens. J.D. Fortune took over in 2005 after a reality TV contest to find the next lead singer of the band. The Fortune-led INXS hit it big with "Pretty Vegas" in 2005.