He was the curly-haired bad boy and she was Australia’s golden girl, but Michael Hutchence and Kylie Minogue made iconic, if unlikely, couple.
The pair met in 1989 when the I Should Be So Lucky singer went to an INXS gig in their native Australia and was invited back to his hotel after the show.
Their passionate romance made headlines worldwide, but ahead of the premiere of the new documentary Mystify about the late musician’s rock and roll life, we take a look back at Michael and Kylie’s relationship.
At just 21 years old, Kylie Minogue was dating her Neighbours co-star Jason Donovon when she met Michael Hutchence at that INXS after party.
Their chemistry was instant, with Kylie confirming that the INXS frontman approached her and said, “I don’t know what we should do first, have lunch or have sex”, and admitting she was both intrigued and scared by his bold statement.
“He did ask to kiss me numerous times and I did say no numerous times,” Kylie told A Current Affair in 2014.
Kylie and Michael’s chemistry was there from the start.
(Image: Getty Images)Needless to say, Kylie and Jason ended things and she and Michael embarked on their passionate romance, with the Locomotion singer shedding her good girl image. In fact, Michael and Kylie reportedly joined the Mile High Club on a Qantas first class flight, sitting right behind Aussie PM Bob Hawke!
“Hawke happened to look round and catch a look back – and gave them a wink in the middle of the act. That’s perhaps the sort of thing Kylie wouldn’t have done a couple of years before,” Michael’s good friend Nick Egan recalled.
But in an interview with American journalist Bill Schulz, Kylie stayed tight-lipped and said she would never reveal if the saucy rumours were true.
“I’m not telling. I never told that story. Only Michael and I know what really happened,” she said.
Talk about an Australian power couple!
(Image: Getty Images)But despite their sexual connection and the media declaring he “corrupted Kylie”, Michael always cared deeply for his leading lady.
“He took the blinkers off,” Kylie confessed to Tracy Grimshaw on A Current Affair.
“It was a magical time in my life. You’re becoming a woman, you’ve still got a lot to learn and to have someone like that open your eyes to many many things in a rock and roll way, in a poetic way, in a lovable, humorous, amazing way, obviously it was a great time.
“Even when it was slightly on the wild side, he was always very tender with me. I was a precious little thing to him so amongst the headiness, it was always very sweet.”
“Even when it was slightly on the wild side, he was always very tender with me.”
(Image: Getty Images)The couple dated for two years, but Michael ended things with Kylie via a phone call, leaving the pop princess devastated.
Even Kylie confesses she wasn’t sure what the reason behind the break up was, musing, “Was it work, was it the drugs? I don’t know. He was like a broken man.”
Describing their relationship to Jonathan Ross in 2015, though, she said: “It was all sorts of things, it wasn’t just a great time as I was very sad when it ended but he had an enormous impact on my life.”
The couple called it quits in 1991.
(Image: Getty Images)But despite their romance ending, with Michael going on to date supermodel Helena Christensen, the two remained good friends and Kylie was in attendance at his Sydney funeral in 1997.
She’s spoken numerous times of her special connection with her ex and even paid tribute to him during her 2015 Kiss Me Once tour, by singing the band’s hit single Need You Tonight.
“It was beautiful and amazing and every night when that beat kicked in, I would shut my eyes and say ‘I know you’re gonna like this,'” she revealed. “He was like my guardian angel for that tour.”
WATCH: Kylie Minogue’s sexy rendition of INXS’ hit Need You Tonight. Post continues after video…
Kylie appears in the upcoming documentary, among others who knew Michael well, including Helena Christensen and U2 frontman Bono.
In unseen footage, Kylie confesses that dating Michael “opened up a whole new world” and also reveals that their romance began with the two faxing love letters to each other’s hotels under the false names Gabby Jones and Swordfish.
There’s also a heap of unseen footage featuring videos shot by Michael himself, including a clip of Michael and Kylie on a boat in Hong Kong harbour, discovered by the documentary’s director and Michael’s close friend Richard Lowenstein.
Guess we’ll have to stay tuned to see those!
Mystify: Michael Hutchence will be in theatres from July 4 and will be screening on the ABC in November.
