We miss him like crazy, I still see that infectious smile. No one played the drums like Paul - subtle and full of passion.
All of today we will be putting up photos and other pieces around Paul on all our areas.
The sadness is still here but always overshadowed by the fun times that we had.
Missed and never forgotten . A good mate too.
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This was posted on Ch Max's website today under the "On This Day" banner:
MARCH 26th, 2005
2005: Former Crowded House drummer Paul Hester is found dead in Melbourne.
Paul Hester was a beloved figure on the Australian music scene. He came to prominence when he joined Split Enz in 1983, a couple of years before the band eventually broke up. Hester continued playing with Split Enz singer-songwriter Neil Finn in the band that became Crowded House. Onstage, with Crowded House, he was the jester; he would keep the atmosphere light, even as Neil Finn sang desperately sad ballads. And so it wasn’t surprising when Hester eventually got a chance in 1998 to have his own TV show, Hessie’s Shed, on the Australian ABC, and then – as you probably know if you’re reading this on Max’s website! - hosting The MAX Sessions.
However, under the jokes and laughs, there was a darker side to Hester – after a decade of touring with Split Enz and Crowded House, he started to struggle with the lifestyle; he had started seeing a psychiatrist to deal with mental health issues. He quit the band in 1994, before rejoining them for their farewell concert in 1996. In 2005, he had split from the mother of his children, and had been suffering from mood swings, but nobody quite expected him to end his own life. He is still missed by Crowded House fans, his friends, and everyone who worked with him.
Still thinking of him all these years later. Just played the heck out of Together Alone. Still the finest piece of wax ever made and he was instrumental in its making. So so, sad.
And also want to send hugs to those he left behind: Neil, Nick and Mark, all his family and friends. And also to Gryphon.
I am currently going through a lot of Nicks photos and found some wonderful Paul photos so hopefully some will find the light of day in the not too distant future.
I came upon this on FB a week or so ago, it's the fan club Xmaa recording from 1983. Hessie had just joined the End and Tim introduces him as the "court jester":
Sourced: http://www.maxtv.com.au/on-this-day/
Sharing the article here because this page is updated daily & will change tomorrow.
Even after a full decade its hard to believe Paul is gone but as PG has stated above: Never forgotten.