By Chris Hunt

In November of 1997, days before the popular Australian band INXS was about to launch a global tour, lead singer Michael Hutchence hung himself in a hotel room. Add Hutchence to the disturbingly long list of musicians and rock stars who took their own lives. Artists like Hutchence, Kurt Cobain, Nick Drake and Elliot Smith left this world with a ton of wasted talent and clearly many issues. Neil Young once said "it's better to burn out then fade away." A sentiment taken to heart by many in the music industry. Live hard. Die young.

Hutchence was battling depression at the time. He was questioning his own self-worth. He was frequently worrying, and at the time, was stuck in the middle of a nasty child custody case. At rock-bottom, he began drinking while on an array of anti-depressants. Finally, unsure of his place in the world, he put an end to his life at the age of 37.

Bono, a close friend of Hutchence, has expressed guilt over his suicide. Bono talked about a conversation he wished he'd had with the former INXS front-man about how the stupidity of suicide. He imagined the conversation as a breezy chat over a beer. He believed that just a quick talk about how everything would be fine would snap Hutchence out of his funk, but that conversation never happened. In fact, Bono wrote about his feelings in the song "Stuck in a Moment in I Can't Get Out of It" from U2's 2000 album All That You Can't Leave Behind. The song explains Bono's regret in not reaching Hutchence in time and then expresses anger in him for giving up. Nonetheless, although Hutchence is no longer around to hear the song, Bono tries to reassure him that he brought something significant to this world. He sings, "the night you filled with fireworks, they left you with nothing. I am still enchanted by the light you brought to me. I listen through your ears. Through your eyes I can see."

INXS's history is somewhat inconsistent. The band made a huge splash in the 80s with hit songs like "New Sensation" and "Need You Tonight." They also had some achievement in the early 90s with the album Welcome to Wherever You Are, which included "Beautiful Girl" and "Not Enough Time." Through the rest of the 90s, INXS tried to recapture the fame they once had with little success. But the band had millions of fans all over the world and continued to tour with sold-out shows. And in case you forgot, one listen through their "Best Of" album, and you'll quickly recall the many great songs they had. It's a shame that potential for new music and more shows all came to an end when Michael Hutchence took his life.

Or so I thought.

Seven years after his suicide, INXS will be looking for a new lead singer.... on reality television. It's true. Brought to you by the makers of "Survivor," a substitute for your troubled, deceased lead singer. Never mind that Hutchence co-wrote just about every single INXS song. The embodiment of INXS, the front-man, will now be replaced by some reality TV schmoe determined by text messages and someone like Paula Abdul.

Music and reality TV have never quite been the hippest of marriages. Unless you think Clay Aiken and his new Ford Focus (American Idol sponsor) are the new cool, you probably like something a little more edgy. Michael Hutchence had the reputation for, excuse the cliche, living life like a rock star. It seems to me the last place he would ever consider looking for someone to take his place is the reality TV landscape, a space full of talentless, fifteen-minutes-of-fame seekers. The cartwheels he must be doing in his grave.

Furthermore, there is a moral issue with moving forward with a band despite the loss of a key contributor, especially when you consider the circumstances. It must be the most difficult dilemma for a band to play on or call it quits. I'm sure the remaining band members struggled with the decision before approaching Producer Mark Burnett about the idea, but the whole thing seems wrong to me. The loss of Hutchence takes away so much of the personality of the band that no TV contestant could replace. The show even seems disrespectful. Is there a worse way to honor a man who was doubting his place in the world then by finding his stand-in on a glorified game show?

INXS isn't alone. TLC is also enlisting television to find their replacement for Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes, who died in a car accident in 2002. Does the winner's name need to begin with the letter "L," or will the band just change their name all together?

Hopefully this won't be the start of a new trend. It is unlikely that Dave Grohl and Krist Novoselic will be the stars of season two looking for the next Kurt Cobain. But I can't help but think that this is not good for music. I'm sure the struggling band playing at the local bar agrees with me. That band does not have the opportunity for a TV show brazenly promoting them. Unfortunately, in the era of wife swapping and bug eating, the word "shame" is a distant memory in today's entertainment. The best we can do is look for the next INXS and feel sorry for what's left of the current one.