By: Christie Eliezer
Chris MurphyOne of Australia’s most globally successful artist managers and music entrepreneurs, Chris Murphy, died at his Sugar Bay Ranch home in regional New South Wales Jan. 16 after a brief battle with cancer. He was 67.
Murphy was best known as long time manager and strategist with INXS. He first looked after them from 1979 to 1995, during which time the act went on to sell 50 million records globally. As copied by today’s generation of Australian managers, Murphy aimed from the start to achieve success outside Australia, signing them directly to Atlantic Records in the US and bypassing the Australian subsidiary, and setting up an office in New York in 1983.
The grieving wife of visionary INXS manager Chris Murphy has paid tribute to the meteor of a man who died aged 68 just days after he was diagnosed with cancer.
The legendary music manager, who helped steer INXS to global success, was surrounded by family when he died at home in Ballina, northern NSW, on Saturday.
Caroline Paidasch-Murphy described her late husband as exhausting, tireless and irreplaceable on Sunday, admitting that she isn t sure what [she] will do without him . I ve lost my best friend and never felt more alone, she wrote alongside an old, grainy photograph of Murphy sitting in an empty theatre.
Legendary Australian music entrepreneur Chris Murphy, who steered INXS to global success and resurrected their chart fortunes in recent years, died suddenly on Saturday. The 66-year-old manager, record label owner and television producer was diagnosed with an aggressive cancer before Christmas and died surrounded by his family at his Sugar Bay Ranch property in Ballina. It is with great sadness that the remaining members of INXS mourn the passing of our brother, Chris Murphy. Without Chris s vision, passion and hard work, the INXS story would be totally different, band members Tim, Jon and Andrew Farriss, Kirk Pengilly and Garry Beers said in a statement on Saturday.