Paul Hester | |
|---|---|
 Hester in aCrowded House photoshoot | |
| Background information | |
| Also known as | Hessie |
| Born | Paul Newell Hester (1959-01-08)8 January 1959 |
| Died | 26 March 2005(2005-03-26) (aged 46) Brighton, Victoria, Australia |
| Genres | Rock,pop rock,jangle pop,indie rock,alternative rock,new wave |
| Occupation | Musician |
| Instruments | Drums, percussion, vocals, keyboards |
| Years active | 1976–2005 |
| Formerly of | Crowded House,Split Enz,Deckchairs Overboard,Tarmac Adam,The Wiggles, The Holy Toledos |
Paul Newell Hester (8 January 1959 – 26 March 2005) was an Australian musician and television personality. He was the drummer for the bandSplit Enz from November 1983 until their break-up in December 1984, and co-founding member and drummer of the bandCrowded House.
Hester was the elder of two children (his younger sister is Carolyn). He was born inMelbourne,Victoria, the son of a bushman father and jazz drummer mother.[1] At an early age he was encouraged by his mother to play drums. His extrovert personality did not impress his teachers, and he left school early and attempted various jobs before starting a musical career.[1] Some of the Melbourne bands he played in from 1976 to 1978 included Thunder and Edges. In 1979 he co-founded a Melbourne-based band calledCheks[2] (renamedDeckchairs Overboard when they moved to Sydney in 1982).
He lived withDeborah Conway ofDo-Ré-Mi during the early 1980s,[3] while playing regularly in Love Party.[4] Hester later worked with Conway in Rose Amongst Thorns (1990–1991) and Ultrasound (1995).[5]
At the departure of drummerMal Green fromSplit Enz in 1981, their percussionistNoel Crombie took up the role of drummer. After the release of the Enz albumTime and Tide in 1982, the band took a break to focus on other projects. According to the radio documentaryEnzology, when they reformed in mid-1983, both Finn brothers returned somewhat distracted.Tim Finn had just released the very successful solo albumEscapade, while younger brotherNeil Finn had a child on the way.
The reunion resulted inConflicting Emotions (November 1983), an album which marked the beginning of the end for the band. Before the tour to support the album it was decided that Crombie would return to percussion (something he says he enjoyed more than drumming), and the band would find a new drummer. Hester was auditioned on the advice ofRob Hirst ofMidnight Oil and got the job. In May 1984, founder Tim Finn left Split Enz, and they releasedSee Ya 'Round in November, which included "This is Massive" which was written by Hester. When Split Enz disbanded in December, Hester and Neil Finn decided to start a new group.
Initially, the new band formed by Hester and Neil Finn was named "The Mullanes" and then underwent a few name changes. They recruitedNick Seymour to play bass guitar andCraig Hooper on guitar,[5] Hooper left as they secured a recording contract with Capitol Records in the US. However, Capitol disliked the name and the band changed toCrowded House to record their debuteponymous album,Crowded House in 1986.[5] Other records by Crowded House with Hester are:Temple of Low Men (1988),Woodface (1991),Together Alone (1993), and the Best-of collectionRecurring Dream (1996).
By 1993, Hester was frustrated by the demands of his career and suffered a phobia about leaving to go on tour. On his return to Australia that year, he started to see a psychiatrist.[6] He remained with Crowded House until 1994,[5] when the pressure of touring and the birth of his first daughter made him want to stay home, rather than remain on the road. Hester left mid-way through a 1994 tour of America, forcing the band to recruit British drummerPeter Jones for the rest of the tour. Hester performed with Crowded House at the band's farewell concert on the forecourt of the Sydney Opera House in 1996.[7] As of 2021, Crowded House have sold well over 20 million albums. In November 2016, the band and all of its original members (including Hester) were inducted into the ARIA Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.[8]
Towards the end of his time with Crowded House, Paul produced The Holy Toledos' second album,Blood, and played drums on its first single. It was on his recommendation the band was picked up by Sony.
After leaving Crowded House, Hester appeared on many TV and radio shows in Australia and opened a cafe/restaurant named Beach House Cafe with fellow Melbourne musicianJoe Camilleri inElwood Beach in Melbourne. From 1995 until 1998, Hester appeared regularly on the popular Australian radio showMartin/Molloy. He collaborated with John Clifforth, a former Deckchairs Overboard bandmate and long time friend, in the early 2000's onCraven's Pharmacy where he played drums and instruments on multiple songs.[9][10] He played drums as a session musician for producerRichard Pleasance. One of his final recordings wasSophie Koh's debut albumAll the Pretty Boys.
Hester also briefly worked with the popular Australian children's music groupThe Wiggles in 1998, playing drums on their albumToot Toot! and making a guest appearance on their videoYummy Yummy as Paul the Cook.[11]
During Hester's time with The Wiggles, he also played drums for Australian musician and Yellow Wiggle at the timeGreg Page's solo and debut self-titled album in 1998.
Hester later became involved in a new band called Largest Living Things (1997–2000),[5] withKevin Garant on guitar and Barry Stockley on bass, performing with members of rock groups Crowded House, Split Enz, Midnight Oil, and others. Largest Living Things released a few EPs in Australia featuring songs written and sung by Hester; in contrast to his previous work in Crowded House, Hester played guitar as well as drums. The Largest Living Things featured onMick Molloy's controversial 1999 TV showThe Mick Molloy Show, with Hester as bandleader. Hester co-foundedTarmac Adam with former Crowded House bandmateNick Seymour and Matt O'Donnell, Sean McVitty and Steve Paix in 2001, which released their debut albumHandheld Torch in 2003.[5]
In 1998, Hester hosted his own 10-part TV seriesHessie's Shed onAustralian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).[12] This show gave Hester the room to explore his humorous presenter skills, showcase some friends, reunite with friends fromCrowded House, and play with the house band, Largest Living Things, with Hester now performing from behind the drums and on the guitar.[13][14]
Hester went on to host the intimate concertsThe MAX Sessions. Broadcast onMAX, these intimate concerts, which were mainly recorded at theSydney Opera House, featured a variety of local and international acts. A highlight of the show's concerts saw Hester reunite with former bandmatesNeil Finn andTim Finn for a few songs, backing them on drums, while they were promoting their albumEveryone Is Here.
Hester was in a relationship withDeborah Conway fromDo-Re-Mi in the early 1980s.[3] He later formed a relationship with photographer Mardi Sommerfeld and they had two daughters. They lived in the suburb ofElwood in Melbourne, Victoria.[15] Hester split from Sommerfeld around 2001.[16]
On 26 March 2005, aged 46, Hester died by suicide atElsternwick Park inBrighton, Melbourne, near his home.[3] It was known to family and close friends that he had been suffering fromdepression for a few years prior to his death, and was prone to mood swings.[11] Hester was buried atBlackwood in theCentral Highlands region of Victoria.[17]
His life was commemorated at the2005 ARIA Music Awards, with Neil Finn singing the Crowded House anthem "Better Be Home Soon" along with a mini-biography and footage from his life and achievements.[18] In October 2005, in memory of Hester and to acknowledge his long links with the area, the local Port Phillip Council agreed to name a path alongside the Elwood Canal, the Paul Hester Walk, after him.[19][20]
Hester's girlfriend at the time of his death was New Zealand-based singer Kashan Vincent.[21] In July 2006, Vincent sued his estate, claiming a third of his net worth.[22] Vincent claimed the pair had a relationship for 32 months and, while not cohabiting, were engaged, but had called off their wedding. By May 2007, the lawsuit was resolved out of court, with Vincent receiving a payout, and Hester's two daughters named as the sole beneficiaries of their father's estate.[23]
In 2007, a reformed Crowded House dedicated its albumTime on Earth to Hester.
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