R.I.P. Paul Hester

Former Split Enz/Crowded House drummer Paul Hester has taken his own life.

Hester, 46, the father of two young girls, failed to return from walking his two dogs, Stan and Rose, on Saturday night.
Police later found his body in Elsternwick park near his Melbourne home. They said there were no suspicious circumstances.

Peter Green, President of the Split Enz and Crowded House fanclubs broke the news to fans. "Everyone, sitting here in the office trying to figure out what to write, we are a bit messed up at the moment" his letter reads.
"Last night, our mate, and Crowded House drummer Paul Hester took his own life."

"Over the years Paul has swung the extremes of happiness and sadness, but none of us ever thought this would happen. He loved life too much, and it really seems like a bad dream that we hope we'll wake up from tomorrow."

"It doesn't seem real, but (sadly) it is."

Paul Newell Hester was born in Melbourne on January 8, 1959. His mother Ann was a jazz drummer.

Hester joined Split Enz in 1983 fresh from Deckchairs Overboard. He was recruited into the band with a reference from Midnight Oil's Rob Hirst. His first album with The Enz was 'Conflicting Emotions'. He played on the hits 'Message To My Girl' and 'Strait Old Line.

When Split Enz broke up one album later after 'See Ya Round', Hester stayed with singer/songwriter Neil Finn and together with bass player Nick Seymour, was a founding member of Crowded House.

Last night, the former Crowded House members said they were reeling from the tragedy.

Finn, who is currently on tour with his brother Tim is due to perform four live dates in London, but is considering returning home to Melbourne today to mourn his loss.
"I am devastated," Finn told The Daily Telegraph from London. "I have lost one of my best mates."

Hester recently played with Tarmac Adam, a band featuring his Crowded House band-mate Nick Seymour.
He also hosted The Music Max Sessions for Australia's cable music news channel Music Max.

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After first reading this horrible news, I turned on the Music Max channel and they have devoted the afternoon to The Music Max Sessions.

The first band that I saw was The Finn Brothers, and the first two songs I heard were- Won't Give In and Nothing Wrong With You. I thought that was apt.

Then Paul got on the drums to play one of my favorite Crowded House songs Weather With You. One of the lines in that song is "Everywhere you go, Always take the weather with you"

The weather today is beautiful, so Paul, I hope you did so.