What do you think?
Rate this book
Michael Hutchence: A Tragic Rock 'N' Roll Story
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
May 13, 2020
I was never a huge fan of INXS but I did enjoy their music. Before starting this review I did a quick Google search on Vincent Lovegrove as I was curious to know if he had penned more biographies as this book was fabulous, I was a little shocked to find that he died in a car accident near Byron Bay, NSW in 2012.
Although this unauthorised biography of INXS frontman Michael Hutchence was penned in 1999 it’s worth reading, it’s well researched and beautifully written. I’ve always been drawn to the lives of the rich and famous and will practically read any memoir/autobiography they have penned. I’m not so keen on biographies as they’re not written by the actual person but in this case I make an exception as for one Michael Hutchence was not alive when this book was written and two Vincent Lovegrove was one of the last journalists to interview him at length before his death.
“Many people have asked me if this book is authorised. My answer has been to ask the question: exactly who is going to authorise this book? Who has the right to authorise the book ? Only Michael, and he is dead. But in attempting to unravel the paradox that was Michael Hutchence, I sought the help of those who thought they knew him best, who knew him the longest, who saw the drama of his life unfold before their very eyes - those who shared the most intimate moments with him. The good, the bad and the ugly.”
An excellent book that shows Michael as a wonderful, caring and generous person. Perhaps, he would be alive today had he not been knocked down on a cobblestone street by a taxi driver which left him with a brain injury (frontal lobe damage). Very sad towards the end of the book
*Book #58/72 of my 2019 coffee table to-read challenge, cont. 2020
Although this unauthorised biography of INXS frontman Michael Hutchence was penned in 1999 it’s worth reading, it’s well researched and beautifully written. I’ve always been drawn to the lives of the rich and famous and will practically read any memoir/autobiography they have penned. I’m not so keen on biographies as they’re not written by the actual person but in this case I make an exception as for one Michael Hutchence was not alive when this book was written and two Vincent Lovegrove was one of the last journalists to interview him at length before his death.
“Many people have asked me if this book is authorised. My answer has been to ask the question: exactly who is going to authorise this book? Who has the right to authorise the book ? Only Michael, and he is dead. But in attempting to unravel the paradox that was Michael Hutchence, I sought the help of those who thought they knew him best, who knew him the longest, who saw the drama of his life unfold before their very eyes - those who shared the most intimate moments with him. The good, the bad and the ugly.”
An excellent book that shows Michael as a wonderful, caring and generous person. Perhaps, he would be alive today had he not been knocked down on a cobblestone street by a taxi driver which left him with a brain injury (frontal lobe damage). Very sad towards the end of the book
*Book #58/72 of my 2019 coffee table to-read challenge, cont. 2020
October 10, 2017
Pack some tissues.
April 4, 2026
I came to this book almost by accident. I was driving with my husband—who is loyal to classic rock radio—when “New Sensation” by INXS came on. Instantly, I remembered briefly reading about Michael Hutchence years ago when I was deep into Kylie Minogue—just that he had died young, and that his girlfriend at the time passed a few years later. At the time, it was just a passing detail.
Reading this biography made me realize just how much I had underestimated the magnitude of his story. It is, quite honestly, one of the most devastating rock tragedies I’ve come across.
One of the reasons I chose this particular book out of the many written about Hutchence is because it felt the most neutral. After his death, it seemed like everyone who knew him had something to say—especially family members. Both his younger brother and older sister published their own accounts, but neither escaped criticism for bias. This book, by contrast, attempts to step back and present a more balanced portrait.
To that end, the author succeeds. Hutchence is portrayed as a deeply multifaceted person—charismatic, magnetic, and profoundly impactful. What stands out most is how consistently well he was spoken of, even by former partners. There’s a clear sense that he was someone who left a lasting impression on nearly everyone he encountered.
However, like many accounts of his life, this book identifies a turning point: the infamous incident in Copenhagen in 1992. From that moment on, Hutchence’s life appears to spiral into a chaotic cycle of excess—heavy substance use, increasingly risky behavior, and emotional instability.
His relationship with Paula Yates is portrayed as both passionate and destructive. What began as an affair—while she was still married to Bob Geldof—quickly became a media spectacle. The British press vilified Hutchence, and the relentless public scrutiny, combined with ongoing custody battles and legal drama, seemed to take a significant toll on him.
The book does lean toward a more critical view of Yates, suggesting she may have been more manipulative and calculating than she publicly appeared. Whether or not that’s entirely fair, it does align with the chaotic dynamic that defined their relationship.
What makes this biography especially haunting is the sense of inevitability that builds as it progresses. Knowing how Hutchence’s story ends casts a shadow over even the brightest moments of his life. And perhaps most striking of all is that this book was written before Yates’ own death—adding another layer of tragedy in retrospect.
By the end, this stands as one of the saddest biographies I’ve read. Not just because of Hutchence’s death, but because of how preventable so much of the downward spiral feels in hindsight.
More than anything, my heart goes out to his daughter, Tiger Lily, who never had the chance to truly know the man her father was—someone described throughout this book as extraordinary, deeply loved, and undeniably talented.
**Final verdict:** This is a deeply moving and sobering read. While not entirely free of perspective, it offers a thoughtful and compelling look at Michael Hutchence’s life, legacy, and tragic unraveling. A must-read for fans of INXS or anyone interested in the darker side of fame.
Reading this biography made me realize just how much I had underestimated the magnitude of his story. It is, quite honestly, one of the most devastating rock tragedies I’ve come across.
One of the reasons I chose this particular book out of the many written about Hutchence is because it felt the most neutral. After his death, it seemed like everyone who knew him had something to say—especially family members. Both his younger brother and older sister published their own accounts, but neither escaped criticism for bias. This book, by contrast, attempts to step back and present a more balanced portrait.
To that end, the author succeeds. Hutchence is portrayed as a deeply multifaceted person—charismatic, magnetic, and profoundly impactful. What stands out most is how consistently well he was spoken of, even by former partners. There’s a clear sense that he was someone who left a lasting impression on nearly everyone he encountered.
However, like many accounts of his life, this book identifies a turning point: the infamous incident in Copenhagen in 1992. From that moment on, Hutchence’s life appears to spiral into a chaotic cycle of excess—heavy substance use, increasingly risky behavior, and emotional instability.
His relationship with Paula Yates is portrayed as both passionate and destructive. What began as an affair—while she was still married to Bob Geldof—quickly became a media spectacle. The British press vilified Hutchence, and the relentless public scrutiny, combined with ongoing custody battles and legal drama, seemed to take a significant toll on him.
The book does lean toward a more critical view of Yates, suggesting she may have been more manipulative and calculating than she publicly appeared. Whether or not that’s entirely fair, it does align with the chaotic dynamic that defined their relationship.
What makes this biography especially haunting is the sense of inevitability that builds as it progresses. Knowing how Hutchence’s story ends casts a shadow over even the brightest moments of his life. And perhaps most striking of all is that this book was written before Yates’ own death—adding another layer of tragedy in retrospect.
By the end, this stands as one of the saddest biographies I’ve read. Not just because of Hutchence’s death, but because of how preventable so much of the downward spiral feels in hindsight.
More than anything, my heart goes out to his daughter, Tiger Lily, who never had the chance to truly know the man her father was—someone described throughout this book as extraordinary, deeply loved, and undeniably talented.
**Final verdict:** This is a deeply moving and sobering read. While not entirely free of perspective, it offers a thoughtful and compelling look at Michael Hutchence’s life, legacy, and tragic unraveling. A must-read for fans of INXS or anyone interested in the darker side of fame.
July 8, 2014
Very beautiful but very depressing as well. It tells you the truth and basically everything. Rest In Peace Michael..<3
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews