It was more of a state event than any other funeral in recent Australian history. Michael Hutchence, the country's most famous rock star, was laid to rest yesterday after a ceremony that functioned as a public memorial service to a man whose untimely death last weekend shocked his family, friends and millions of fans around the world.
"Michael was one of the greatest singers and performers of his generation," said Andy Farriss, a founding member of Hutchence's band INXS. "We are so proud to have worked and played music for so many years with such a talented and gifted man."
Thousands of people gathered outside St Andrew's Cathedral in Sydney and saw his fiancee Paula Yates, the remaining members of INXS and celebrities including Kylie Minogue, Diana Ross and Nick Cave join the congregation. Most were in black but several people, including Hutchence's brother, Rhett, wore colourful clothes in the spirit of the 37-yearold singer's life.
Hutchence was found hanged on Saturday morning at his suite at the Ritz-Carlton hotel, three days after he arrived for the start of INXS's 20th anniversary tour. Police have said there were no suspicious circumstances.
The Dean of Sydney, the Very Rev Boak Jobbins, overturned plans to make the service an invitation-only ceremony and allowed television cameras to broadcast it live. He alluded to the still unclear issues whether and why Hutchence took his own life.
"What was it about this life, the circumstances, its nature, its pressures that it could not be beyond bearing? Funerals bring us face to face with questions life that," he said.
Ms Yates sat in the front row with her 16-month-old daughter, Heavenly Hiraani Tiger Lily. She did not wear, as she had suggested, her wedding dress dyed black but a patterned black silk dress. Her floral tribute, on the singer's coffin, was purple irises and a single tiger lily. A large white wreath from U2 lead singer Bono was in the shape of a claddagh. The INXS song, Never Tear Us Apart, was played.
Hutchence was later cremated at a private family ceremony.