Shit, any low down on why?
I did get an impression of him as quite a livewire, hope is family are coping.

that pretty sad that he could take his own life like that

Paul Hester streaked on stage during a gig in North America
He walked on naked while Neil was singing a solo spot at the piano!

What a guy, aye!
May he always be remembered for the funloving attitude that he brought to Crowded House.

xx

shithouse.
he did seem like the wacky looking one. not to be disrespectful.
lets hope his whanau are fine.

Breaking news on channel 10 Australia

They just said he took his own life- he hung himself in the park

So its not paul crowther who died of a sudden death

A fine chap... It was he that put the zest back into the Enz when they were stagnating back late 83, and in general, he was a laugh and a half... (ever see him playing the fool in the later Split Enz videos and the Crowded house ones) ...a real showman...

The first I heard about it was when TV3 played a few Crowded House videos and during 'Something So Strong" his name and 1959-2005 came up. Anyone who's seen the video will understand why I thought it was a little bit weird/dark/ironic/insensitive. Although I guess a lot of people would want to be remembered as a happy musician in a barn chilling out with some American stereotypes... I would anyway.

Jimi -

I didn't see the three bulletin, I was watching one, but the reason they picked "Something So Strong" is because that's a very "Paul-esque" vid, the CH video that best encapsulates Paul's sense of fun - that and "Don't Dream," the vid headliners picked, which has him ironing!They weren't being insensitive. The channels both made a point of focussing on Paul's simple joy, infectious energy, and big heart. Yes, as Ed Rayner said last night, Paul had a black side, that was a part of his personality - but that's not what he was all about, and I'm sure at a time like this those who knew him would rather dwell on the good times he enjoyed.

As for the American stereotypes in "Strong," that would've been very much up to Capitol at the time. The band were living in LA, they were signed to a major label, and their success depended on them maintaining the image they'd been assigned to (American radio then and now is obsessed with cramming bands into marked cubbyholes.) They were under immense personal pressure by the powers-that-be to maintain that image. The few good men that backed the band at Capitol knew they were taking a huge gamble on a bunch on unknown antipodeons - if CH went down, then they were going down with them. The band's commercial success was vital. It wasn't until after their first release, once they'd proven themselves, that they were able to take more risks, step out on their own, and assert a certain amount of creative control.

The wonderful thing about the people in that band is how little they changed during their time together. From the beginning, they were never an image obsessed band - they were too honest to be cool. And they weren't above looking a bit silly. What they're doing in the "Something So Strong" video might be artificial, but it's no more artificial than what hundreds of indie image-conscious bands are attempting to create. Their sincerity shines through. Crowded House's music was about simple, unaffected joy - even their darkest music soars.

I remember when Neil was on Hessie's Shed with Nick Seymour... reunited on stage again and Paul was telling the story about getting up on stage naked at a Christmas show I think.. and whacking his penis onto the mic asking the crowd to guess the sound... "thud"

RIP Hessie