Phee

I've already posted about this in the Aussie thread on the music board, because Crowded House are legends when it comes to the Aussie music scene. But after reading messages from fans at frenz.com, I realised that people all over the world were affected by this, so I figured it warranted a thread in here, too.

from news.com.au:
Shock at music legend's suicide
By staff writers and wires
March 28, 2005



AUSTRALIA'S entertainment industry and music fans are in shock today at the death of former Crowded House drummer Paul Hester, who hanged himself at the weekend.
Hester, 46, the father of two girls, was found dead at Elsternwick Park in Brighton, Melbourne, yesterday, after failing to return from walking his two dogs on Friday night.

Police confirmed the discovery of a body at the park and said there were no suspicious circumstances.

The Metropolitan Ambulance Service said ambulance officers who attended the scene found Hester had "attempted suicide" and suffered "strangulation".

"They attempted resuscitation but he was dead when they arrived. There was nothing they could do," MAS spokeswoman Liraje Memishi said.

Last night, former Crowded House members, singer Neil Finn and bassist Nick Seymour, said they were reeling from the tragedy.

"I am devastated," Finn said. "I have lost one of my best mates." Finn, on tour with his brother Tim, is due to start four dates at the Royal Albert Hall in London, but may postpone the performances to fly to Melbourne today.

Split Enz and Crowded House members were contacted by Peter Green, from Neil Finn's office, yesterday. "I can't imagine a sadder day than today," Mr Green, Hester's long-time friend, said last night.

"I feel for Paul's little girls. We are still, all of us, asking why?"

Mr Green said Hester, a perennial joker on stage and off, had been in good spirits in recent times. "Paul had some dark moments. Some good days and some bad days, like all of us," Mr Green said.

Hester had returned from Dublin two weeks ago, where he enjoyed an upbeat visit with former Crowdies bassist, Nick Seymour.

"It was all good," Seymour said from Dublin last night. "The last words Paul told me were: 'I love you, mate. See you in town (Melbourne) in a month'."

"We have lost a mate," Mr Green said. "We have lost the heart and soul of Crowded House.

"I know how much Paul loved his kids, I know how much he loved life. None of this makes sense. Anyone who saw Hessie at his finest knew he grabbed life by the balls.

"People who worked with Paul are in tatters. Neil Finn wants to come home, but we have urged him to stay in London and do the shows for Paul."

Hester quit Crowded House in 1994, but had reinvented himself as a drummer for hire and owner of the Elwood Beach Cafe.

He had his own music chat show, Hessie's Shed, on ABC TV in the late 1990s, was the host of Music Max Sessions, a series of acoustic concerts, on Foxtel and made a number of guest radio and TV appearances, including a semi-regular role on the popular Austereo radio program Martin/Molloy.

He lived in Elwood - a fashionable bayside suburb of Melbourne - with his girlfriend Mardi Sommerfeld and their two daughters aged eight and 10.

With The Daily Telegraph and AAP


and another article:

Star's last hours

By KATHY McCABE and NUI TE KOHA

March 29, 2005

DRAMATIC details of rock star Paul Hester's death, and his recent split with the woman he hoped to marry, were revealed last night.

Friends told how the Crowded House drummer had suffered turmoil in his love life, first the end of his romance with the mother of his two daughters and then parting with New Zealand singer Kashan, whom he had planned to wed in May.

But 46-year-old Hester gave no indication he was distressed about the break-ups when he took his two pet dogs for a walk on Friday night.

He was found dead on Saturday afternoon after he hanged himself from a tree in a popular suburban park.

Friends revealed that Hester's two-year relationship with Kashan had ended in December after they revealed plans to marry in October. He had also split from his long-time partner, Mardi Sommerfeld, the mother of his daughters, aged 8 and 10.

But friends said Hester had been coping well despite previously undergoing eight years of therapy. They discounted that a broken heart caused the dark spiral that ended in death.

Ambulance officers who were called to Melbourne's Elsternwick Park near his home on Saturday battled for 20 minutes to try to revive him.

The officers reported Hester had "attempted suicide" and suffered "strangulation", ambulance spokeswoman Liraje Memishi said. "They attempted resuscitation but he was dead when they arrived. There was nothing they could do."

They declared Hester dead at 1.20pm. There were no suspicious circumstances.

Speaking of his break-up with 33-year-old Kashan, a family member said: "It was an amicable split, but they stayed in contact and on very friendly terms.

"There was talk of marriage further down the track, but nothing was ever formalised. There was nothing sinister in the split. She didn't run off with somebody else. They remained friends.

"Now she is incredibly devastated by this tragedy and, like everybody else, is asking 'Why?' "

Ms Sommerfeld said yesterday: "We would like Paul to be remembered as the loving father he was, and for the way in which he celebrated life.

"The family is very shocked and saddened by the loss of Paul. He will be greatly missed by all who loved him."

Ms Sommerfeld's statement was co-signed by her daughters, and Hester's father Mike, mother Ann, and sister Carolyn.

Friends who spoke to Hester in the weeks before his death said he gave no hint he was struggling with another bout of depression.

General manager of cable music channel Max, Jacqui Riddell, said she had met Hester recently to run through the next round of Max Sessions, a series of intimate concerts featuring top-shelf music acts performing live.

He kicked off the 2005 season last week with the Jack Johnson concert in Centennial Park on March 18.

"He was normal Paul when I had lunch with him. He really loved doing them," Ms Riddell said.

"Paul's passion, wit and warmth have helped make the Max Sessions special.

"Paul leaves a body of work which demonstrates not only his talent, but his commitment to live music in this country. We will miss him dearly."

Another television colleague said Hester had been approached to film a pilot for a new lifestyle program because of the success of the Max Sessions.

"When I spoke to him last week, he was his usual self, joking about mobile phones and how he still didn't understand how to use them," said the colleague. "He loved doing the Sessions for the most part and mostly he was on fire. Some days not so much.

"The great thing about Paul in that role was you may not have known him but almost everyone in the audience would walk away feeling like they did.

"And his musical background enabled him to communicate with the musicians on a very special level."

Hester continued playing after leaving Crowded House in 1994, recording with many of his Melbourne mates.

He performed with former Crowded House members Neil and Tim Finn in November. The obvious joy of the brief reunion fuelled speculation among fans and industry stalwarts that Crowded House may re-form after nine years.

Fans from Australia, the US and Europe rallied online to send their condolences to Hester's family and friends.


RIP, Paul.

- Jen -

this makes me so sad, my friends and i were such crowded house groupies in high school.

RIP paul

Hermia

I'm finding this really hard to come to terms with. Such a huge loss

-Kelly-

I heard about it on the news sad loss

SMG_fan

I always loved crowded house. I just don't get why he did it, there weren't any signs or anything, its just so sad.

Belinda

Phee

It can be really weird when a celebrity dies like this and it affects you more than you thought it would. In Nov '03, one of my fave actors died, in circumstances that are very similar to what happened to Paul, and it hit me really hard. It's almost like you don't feel as though you have the right to mourne them, considering you didn't even know them. But when someone touches your life in any way, and they die like this, it's just heartbreaking.

I keep thinking of Paul's kids, and everyone who knew him. I saw a blurb about the Finn Brothers' show in London last night. I'll see if I can find it again....

Former Crowded House bass player Nick Seymour flew from Dublin to perform with Neil and Tim Finn in London last night in honour of drummer Paul Hester, who committed suicide at the weekend.

The Finn Brothers played on Monday night (London time) in the first of three scheduled concerts at London's Royal Albert Hall.

Seymour joined the brothers on stage for four Crowded House songs at the start of the performance, which was dedicated to Hester.

A lone snare drum with a hat on top paid poignant tribute to the 46-year-old Melburnian who died in an Elsternwick park over the Easter holiday.

The musicians shared several memories about Hester and Neil Finn told the audience that Hester was the best drummer he had ever played with.

Seymour then returned to the stage for an emotional encore.

Neil Finn was reported to have broken down in tears during the Hunters and Collectors classicThrow Your Arms Around Me.

An Australian journalist, who was at the concert, told 3AW he had never been to such an emotional gig.

Neil and Tim Finn have cancelled Tuesday and Wednesday's concerts to fly to Melbourne.

A private funeral is expected to take place for Paul Hester on Friday.

-Kelly-

That's true Jo, what you said
I've also posted the news about the death, at the 80's board on one of the threads

- Jen -

as someone who has suffered depression, i can understand how it feels to just be at the end of your rope...

You would hope that the thought of your children would bring you back from the brink, sadly this time, it didnt...

Milt Palacio

I don't know much about Crowded House, but it's always a little shocking when a celebrity commits suicide.

I was extremely shocked when Jonathan Brandis committed suicide a year or two ago.

Hermia

I think his death has really affected me because he always seemed, publicly at least, to be really happy. It is just so sad and my heart goes out to his family and of course Nick, Neil and Tim. I think it is a true testament to them that they were able to play the concert in London, it must have been incredibly hard to do.

SMG_fan

I've suffered from depression my whole life {atleast it seems that way} and I've even attempted to do this. The thing that makes it hard to believe is that he had two little girls and no one even knew he was depressed. I always find it odd how shocked I get when some one commits suicide even though I've felt like it myself. I always think why? and really I should know why {depression}.


Belinda

Phee

Milt Palacio, JB is the actor I was referring to in my previous post. Hit me like a tonne of bricks.

Judging by the comments I've read from Paul's friends, it wasn't just publicly that he appeared happy and full of life. No one who knew him personally saw it coming, either. If only he had have reached out to someone, anyone, and told them what he was thinking and feeling.

I had the radio on last night and a Crowded House song came on. First one I've heard since Paul's death, and all I could hear was the drums, the rest of the song just kinda zoned out.

*Lauren

I did the same.

As someone suffering from depression ATM, the first time I had suicidal thoguhts? Went straight to the doctor. Life's too good to do something like that, and I don't think a lot of people who do.

SMG_fan

I feel sorry for the people who do, they didn't get the help they really needed and it isn't as easy as just going to a doctor. Sometimes you're so depressed that you can't even think properly, you don't think of anything or how it will effect people around you, everything is clouded and blocked sort of. Its an awful feeling. I've been on a number of different anti depressants for 11 or so years now (since I was 16) and they don't make everything better.

I don't know if Paul was on pills at the time or not, I don't think so, but if he was and he skipped a day or anything, that would have been enough to do it. It's an odd way to do it though, to walk his dogs to a park and then hang himself, it must of been spur of the moment otherwise you would think he'd have gone alone or done it in his home. I presume he must of used his dogs leads though. It just doesn't sound like he had been preparing to do this.

Belinda

Phee

Suicide is one of those topics that most people have a very strong opinion on.

My personal feeling is that I just feel incredibly sad when I hear that someone has taken their own life. It's horrible to imagine that someone can be so consumed by depression that they see death as their only escape.

There's an article in the current WHO mag on Hessie. I read it when I was waiting in line at the supermarket, but didn't buy it, so I can't scan it or anything, unfortunately. Definitely worth checking it out if you're a fan though.

I found this photo on another forum. Not sure who took it, but it's from the Finn Brothers show in London, when they had the drum and hat sitting on the stage in memory of Hessie.