PAUL HESTER WAS BORN ON THIS DAY IN 1959...Paul Newell Hester (8 January 1959 – 26 March 2005) was an Australian musician and television personality; he was the drummer for the related bands Split Enz and Crowded House.Hester was the older of two children (his younger sister is Carolyn) from Melbourne, Australia. At an early age, he was encouraged by his mother, Anne, to learn to play drums, as she was a jazz drummer. Hester attempted various jobs before starting a musical career. He spent most of his teen years living in the Dandenong Ranges, with the family home on the edge of Sherbrooke Forest at the Sherbrooke/Kallista boundary. Some of his early bands in the late 1970s, which gigged around the eastern suburbs of Melbourne, included: Thunder (possibly his first performance band) 1976–1977 and then Edges 1977–1978. In 1980 he co-founded a Melbourne-based band called Cheks (renamed Deckchairs Overboard when they moved to Sydney in 1982), which also had Cathy McQuade, Ken Campbell and John Clifforth. Hester was living with Deborah Conway of Do-Ré-Mi during the early 1980s, while also playing regularly in Love Party. Hester later worked with Conway in Rose Amongst Thorns (1990–1991) and Ultrasound (1995).After leaving Crowded House, Paul Hester appeared on many TV and radio shows in Australia and opened a cafe/restaurant named Beach House Cafe with fellow Melbourne musician Joe Camilleri in Elwood Beach in Melbourne. From 1995 until 1998, Hester appeared regularly on the popular Australian radio show Martin/Molloy.Hester played drums as a session musician for producer Richard Pleasance. One of his final recordings was Sophie Kohs debut album All the Pretty Boys.Hester also had a recurring role as Paul the Cook on the popular Australian childrens television show, The Wiggles, including his appearance in the Wiggles video on the Disney Channel for Fruit Salad (Yummy Yummy).Another of Hesters major contributions was his consistent efforts on behalf of Indigenous Australian culture. He also worked to publicize the local Melbourne musical scene.On 26 March 2005, aged 46, Hester committed suicide by hanging himself from a tree in a park near his home. He had split from the mother of his two daughters Olive and Sunday (aged 4 and 10 at the time). It was known to family and close friends that he had been suffering from depression for a number of years, and he was known for his extreme mood swings. Hester was buried at Blackwood in the high-country region of Victoria. His life was commemorated at the 2005 Aria Awards, with Neil Finn singing the staple Crowded House anthem solo Better Be Home Soon along with a mini-biography and footage from his life and achievements.In July 2006, Hesters former girlfriend Kashan Vincent sued his estate, claiming a third of his net worth. Vincent claimed the pair had a relationship for 32 months, and while not cohabiting, were engaged, but had called off the wedding. By May 2007, the lawsuit was resolved out of court, with Vincent receiving a payout, and Hesters two daughters described as the sole beneficiaries of their fathers estate...R.I.P.
Posted on: Thu, 08 Jan 2015 00:03:25 +0000
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