Former Crowded House drummer commits suicide

http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/asiapcf/03/27/hester.suicide.reut/index.html

It’s a shame he has left us. “Don’t Dream It’s Over” I have always considered to be one of the prettiest songs ever to grace the radio.

Very very sad indeed. He played on a lot of music that means a lot to me. He was in Split Enz with the Finns before Crowded House, too; if you get a chance, check out their live album The Living Enz–he really shines on that one.

A Crowded House song to send him off.

:frowning:

Oooh, that makes me feel creepy. When I was younger a lot of people said that I looked like him. It’s too bad to, as they were some great bands.

This is very sad.

From The Age (Melbourne broadsheet):
Drummer committed suicide

Music world mourns an ‘incredible showman’

PAul Hester’s life (photo gallery)

Ach. I’m playing an album of Crowded House music now, and thinking – well, four-letter words, actually.

Lookin’ at the photo gallery TLD linked to … I can’t help thinking Hester looked increasingly strained as the years went on after Crowded House split up. We’ll never know exactly what was going on behind that face when he entered the park. As TLD said – very sad. :frowning:

Crowded House’s music reminds me of home, hope and magic. Their music, like that of Split Enz, belongs to both Australia and New Zealand. The grief spans the Tasman tonight.

Damn. :frowning:

Very Tragic.

I met him. About 15 years ago, just after Woodface came out, a radio station had a contest, where you told them why Crowded House should come to your house. My friends and I made a funny video and won the contest. They came to the house and we had a huge party, after which we all went to their concert. The band I was in at the time practiced in my garage, so we had a whole drumkit and PA and instruments setup there, and they played a couple songs, and I got to jam with them a bit too.

I wouldn’t say I spent a ton of time with Paul Hester that day, but what I did, he seemed like a really nice guy. We talked about a small town in Australia that he owned a house in and I had been in as well (for the life of me I can’t recall the name now now). I still have his signature on a t-shirt; he wrote “Bill you bastard!”

I always liked his drumming style; I can’t think of another drummer of their genre that played regularly with brushes. In one of their songs in concert, he drummed on Neil Finn’s guitar with the brushes while Neil was playing. It was pretty slick.

Quite a loss.

Pretty much headlined the evening news in NZ today. Damn. Damn, damn, damn. I’ve pretty much been thrashing “Distant Sun” on the stereo since I heard. Crowded House were the only band who ever made me cry, as a homesick Kiwi living in Japan.

It is definately a bad year for Drummers.
I wonder what happened to his dogs he was walking.

Sad news. :frowning: Crowded House has always been one of my favourite bands. One of the articles linked above said he left behind two young daughters, too. He must have been quite troubled…

Crowded House is the only rock band I’ve ever bought a ticket to see. Caught them at Deep Ellum Live in Dallas during the Woodface tour. Paul Hester was the clown of the group, and seemed to having an absolute blast indulging in a bit of crowd diving between songs.

Damned shame that that kind of joy didn’t prove a more permanent part of his life.

We’ll miss you Paul, but I hope you’ve found peace at last.
Cranking up Private Universe in tribute.

What a miserable bit of news. I’d always hoped that CH would get back together some day. I remember seeing them at an in store show in SF about a decade ago. Paul was so vibrant and energetic. It’s hard to reconcile that image of him with his tragic end.

Bye, Paul. “Till we see you once again, in a world without end.”

*Anei ra maua e piri tahi nei
E noha tahi nei ko maua aneke
Kei runga a Rangi ko Papa kai raro
E mau tonu nei kai mau tonu ra
*

From Together Alone
© N. Finn, B. Wehl, M. Hart

Go well Paul-just loved Italian Plastic my man…

BB

cry

I agree.

This has never been on the radio, and never would be, but it’s my favorite cover of that song. Nothing would take the place of the original, but this is nice. I was listening to it just last night too.

Happy Rhodes - Don’t Dream It’s Over cover (I have permission to share this artist’s mp3)

For the mods’ benefit, should it be an issue, her permission is on this page. This version was never commercially released, it appeared on a fan-only CD.

If the in-store took place Mar 1994, I was there too; truly awesome.

I never saw them “live” again, this saddens me deeply.

My sympathies to his family, friends, and fans.

Oh my God! That’s horrible. I’ve been such a huge fan. In fact, I have Woodface in my CD player here at work. I can’t believe it. He was so talented and so much fun to watch.

::pushes ‘play’:: :frowning:

Yeah, I think that was the one; downtown SF, in-store (Tower?) with Richard Thompson. The only other time I saw any of them play live was Neil solo in '98. I haven’t seen any of his other tours, because like I said, I was always hoping the next tour would be a reunited CH. Not any more, though.

It seems really strange to me. No-one knew that he was depressed (although he had been in the past). He visited Nick Seymour in Ireland a few weeks ago anf had said that he would see him soon in Melbourne. He took the dogs for a walk. I had hoped for something less heartrending than suicide but now that I read that he had hanged himself who can doubt it.

Years ago a close friend of mine attempted suicide. Late at night after lots of phone calls to friends and family I was laying in the bath. No-one knew where he was but we all believed he was dead. Suddenly it dawned on me how wretched he would have to feel to go off on his own and finish his life. I can’t describe how empty I felt and although my friend turned out to be fine (eventually) I feel the most enormous sorrow for anyone who reaches a place where death is the answer.

I’ve not known what to write since I heard this weekend. Crowded House has always been my favorite band and Paul my favorite member. I’ve been playing their cds nonstop ever since. I’ll always love “Italian Plastic”. I’m finding significance in all of their songs now. I like the lyrics of “The Parting Glass”
“And all the friends that I ever had/are sorry for my going away…”
-Lil

48 hours … now I can play some Crowded House.

Don’t Dream It’s Over

:frowning: