Paul Hester
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Paul Newell Hester (8 January 1959 – 26 March 2005) was an Australian musician and television personality. He was the drummer for the band
Split Enz Split Enz were a New Zealand rock band formed in Auckland in 1972 by Tim Finn and Phil Judd and had a variety of other members during its existence. Originally started as a folk-oriented group with quirky art rock stylings, the band built a ...
for a short time in 1984, and co-founding member and drummer of the rock group
Crowded House Crowded House are a rock band, formed in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, in 1985. Its founding members were New Zealander Neil Finn (vocalist, guitarist, primary songwriter) and Australians Paul Hester (drums) and Nick Seymour (bass). Later ban ...
.


Early years

Hester was the older of two children (his younger sister is Carolyn) from Melbourne, Australia born to a bushman father and jazz drummer mother. 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. He spent most of his teen years living in the
Dandenong Ranges The Dandenong Ranges (commonly just The Dandenongs) are a set of low mountain ranges, rising to 633 metres at Mount Dandenong, approximately east of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The ranges consist mostly of rolling hills, steeply weathere ...
, the family home being on the edge of
Sherbrooke Forest Sherbrooke Forest is a wet sclerophyll forest within Dandenong Ranges National Park, 40 km east of Melbourne, in Victoria, Australia, close to the suburb of Belgrave. It lies within an altitude of 220–500 m asl and is dominated by the t ...
at the Sherbrooke/
Kallista Kallista is a locality within Greater Melbourne beyond the Melbourne metropolitan area Urban Growth Boundary, 36 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district, located within the Shire of Yarra Ranges local government area. K ...
boundary. 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 called Cheks (renamed
Deckchairs Overboard Deckchairs Overboard were an Australian pop music band based in Sydney which formed in 1982 and disbanded in 1985. The early line-up featured Ken Campbell on vocals, guitar, and drums; John Clifforth on vocals, guitar, and keyboards; Paul Heste ...
when they moved to Sydney in 1982). He lived with
Deborah Conway Deborah Ann Conway (born 8 August 1959) is an Australian rock singer-songwriter and guitarist, and had a career as a model and actress. She was a founding member of the 1980s rock band Do-Ré-Mi with their top 5 hit "Man Overboard". Conw ...
of Do-Ré-Mi during the early 1980s, while playing regularly in Love Party. Hester later worked with Conway in Rose Amongst Thorns (1990–1991) and Ultrasound (1995).


Split Enz and Crowded House


Split Enz

At the departure of drummer Mal Green from
Split Enz Split Enz were a New Zealand rock band formed in Auckland in 1972 by Tim Finn and Phil Judd and had a variety of other members during its existence. Originally started as a folk-oriented group with quirky art rock stylings, the band built a ...
in 1981, their percussionist
Noel Crombie Geoffrey Noel Crombie (born 17 April 1953) is a New Zealand percussionist and former member of the band Split Enz. He fulfilled multiple roles including costume and hair designer, singer, album cover designer, and music video director. Prior to ...
took up the role of drummer. After the release of the Enz album '' Time and Tide'' in 1982, the band took a break to focus on other projects. According to the radio documentary ''
Enzology Split Enz were a New Zealand rock band formed in Auckland in 1972 by Tim Finn and Phil Judd and had a variety of other members during its existence. Originally started as a folk-oriented group with quirky art rock stylings, the band built ...
'', when they reformed in mid-1983, both Finn brothers returned somewhat distracted.
Tim Finn Brian Timothy Finn (born 25 June 1952) is a New Zealand singer and musician. His musical career includes forming 1970s and 1980s New Zealand rock group Split Enz, a number of solo albums, temporary membership in his brother Neil's band Crowde ...
had just released the very successful solo album '' Escapade'', while younger brother
Neil Finn Neil Mullane Finn (born 27 May 1958) is a New Zealand singer-songwriter and musician who is known for being a member of Crowded House, Split Enz (which he co-fronted with brother Tim), and Fleetwood Mac. Finn rose to prominence in the late ...
had a child on the way. The reunion resulted in '' Conflicting 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 of
Rob Hirst Robert George Hirst (born 3 September 1955) is an Australian musician from Camden, New South Wales. He is a founding member of rock band Midnight Oil on drums, percussion and backing vocals (sometimes lead vocals) from the 1970s until the band t ...
of
Midnight Oil Midnight Oil (known informally as "The Oils") are an Australian rock band composed of Peter Garrett (vocals, harmonica), Rob Hirst (drums), Jim Moginie (guitar, keyboard) and Martin Rotsey (guitar). The group was formed in Sydney in 1972 by ...
and got the job. In June 1984, founder Tim Finn left Split Enz, and they released ''See 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.


Crowded House

Initially, the new band formed by Hester and Neil Finn was named "The Mullanes" and then underwent a few name changes. They recruited
Nick Seymour Nicholas More Seymour (born 9 December 1958) is an Australian musician and record producer. He is the founding bass guitarist and a mainstay of the rock group Crowded House, and is the younger brother of Mark Seymour, singer-songwriter-guitar ...
to play bass guitar and
Craig Hooper Craig Lincoln Hooper (born 23 November 1959) is an Australian musician who was a core member (with Dave Mason) of indie rock band The Reels (1977–1992), and was in bands The Mullanes (the initial incarnation of Crowded House), The Church ( ...
on guitar, Hooper left as they secured a recording contract with Capitol Records in the US. However, Capitol disliked the name and the band changed to
Crowded House Crowded House are a rock band, formed in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, in 1985. Its founding members were New Zealander Neil Finn (vocalist, guitarist, primary songwriter) and Australians Paul Hester (drums) and Nick Seymour (bass). Later ban ...
to record their debut
eponymous An eponym is a person, a place, or a thing after whom or which someone or something is, or is believed to be, named. The adjectives which are derived from the word eponym include ''eponymous'' and ''eponymic''. Usage of the word The term ''epon ...
album, ''
Crowded House Crowded House are a rock band, formed in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, in 1985. Its founding members were New Zealander Neil Finn (vocalist, guitarist, primary songwriter) and Australians Paul Hester (drums) and Nick Seymour (bass). Later ban ...
'' in 1986. Other records by Crowded House with Hester are: ''Temple of Low Men'' (1988), ''Woodface'' (1991), ''Together Alone'' (1993), and the Best-of collection ''Recurring 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. He remained with Crowded House until 1994, 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 drummer Peter 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. 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.


After Crowded House

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 musician
Joe Camilleri Joseph Vincent Camilleri, (born 21 May 1948) aka Jo Jo Zep or Joey Vincent, is a Maltese Australian singer-songwriter and musician. Camilleri has recorded as a solo artist and as a member of Jo Jo Zep & The Falcons and The Black Sorrows. Jo Jo ...
in Elwood Beach in Melbourne. From 1995 until 1998, Hester appeared regularly on the popular Australian radio show ''
Martin/Molloy ''Martin/Molloy'' was an Australian radio program starring Tony Martin and Mick Molloy, both formerly of ''The D-Generation'' and ''The Late Show''. It was broadcast nationwide on 54 radio stations for two hours on weekday evenings between 1995 a ...
''. He collaborated with John Clifforth, a former Deckchairs Overboard bandmate and long time friend, in the early 2000's on ''Craven's Pharmacy'' where he played drums and instruments on multiple songs. He played drums as a session musician for producer
Richard Pleasance Richard Arnold Pleasance is an Australian rock musician and producer. He was a founding member of Boom Crash Opera on guitar, bass guitar, vocals and as a songwriter in 1985; they released three albums before Pleasance left in 1992. Their hit ...
. One of his final recordings was
Sophie Koh Sophie Koh is an Australian singer and songwriter. Biography Born in New Zealand, Sophie Koh grew up both there and in Singapore. She got her LMusA (Licentiate in Music Australia, a diploma) when she was just 16 years old and spent her early ...
's debut album '' All the Pretty Boys''. Hester also briefly worked with the popular Australian children's music group
The Wiggles The Wiggles are an Australian children's music group formed in Sydney in 1991. The group are currently composed of Anthony Field, Lachlan Gillespie, Simon Pryce and Tsehay Hawkins, as well as supporting members Evie Ferris, John Pearce, Ca ...
in 1998, playing drums on their album
Toot Toot! ''Toot Toot!'' is the ninth album by Australian band the Wiggles, released in 1998 by ABC Music distributed by EMI. It won the ARIA Award for Best Children's Album in 1998. Track listing Domestic edition source: and North American edition ...
and making a guest appearance on their video
Yummy Yummy ''Yummy Yummy'' ( Chinese: 雅米雅米, also known as ''Food for Life'') is an episodic drama filmed by Singapore's now defunct SPH MediaWorks and Hong Kong's Television Broadcasts Limited in a joint collaboration. It was released in August 2 ...
as Paul the Cook.


Largest Living Things

Hester later became involved in a new band called Largest Living Things (1997–2000), with Kevin 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 on
Mick Molloy Michael Molloy (born 11 July 1966) is an Australian comedian, writer, producer, actor and television and radio presenter who has been active in radio, television, stand-up and film. He currently hosts '' The Front Bar'' on the Seven Network. ...
's controversial 1999 TV show ''
The Mick Molloy Show ''The Mick Molloy Show'' was a television program that appeared on the Nine Network in Australia for just eight weeks during 1999. The host, Mick Molloy, was a widely acclaimed comedian from '' The Late Show'' and ''Martin/Molloy''. The progr ...
'', with Hester as bandleader. Hester formed Tarmac Adam with Crowded House's Nick Seymour and Matt O'Donnell, Sean McVitty and Steve Paix in 2001.


''Hessie's Shed''

In 1998, Hester hosted his own 10-part TV series ''Hessie's Shed'' on
Australian Broadcasting Corporation The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is the national broadcaster of Australia. It is principally funded by direct grants from the Australian Government and is administered by a government-appointed board. The ABC is a publicly-own ...
(ABC). This show gave Hester the room to explore his humorous presenter skills, showcase some friends, reunite with friends from
Crowded House Crowded House are a rock band, formed in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, in 1985. Its founding members were New Zealander Neil Finn (vocalist, guitarist, primary songwriter) and Australians Paul Hester (drums) and Nick Seymour (bass). Later ban ...
, and play with the house band, Largest Living Things, with Hester now performing from behind the drums and on the guitar.


''The MAX Sessions''

Hester went on to host the intimate concerts
The MAX Sessions ''The MAX Sessions'' is an Australian television program broadcast on MAX. It features intimate performances, by both Australian and over-seas artists, played mostly acoustically in a live set up, similar to ''MTV Unplugged''. History ''The MA ...
. Broadcast on MAX, these intimate concerts, which were mainly recorded at the Sydney
Opera House An opera house is a theatre building used for performances of opera. It usually includes a stage, an orchestra pit, audience seating, and backstage facilities for costumes and building sets. While some venues are constructed specifically for o ...
, featured a variety of local and international acts. A highlight of the show's concerts saw Hester reunite with former bandmates
Neil Finn Neil Mullane Finn (born 27 May 1958) is a New Zealand singer-songwriter and musician who is known for being a member of Crowded House, Split Enz (which he co-fronted with brother Tim), and Fleetwood Mac. Finn rose to prominence in the late ...
and
Tim Finn Brian Timothy Finn (born 25 June 1952) is a New Zealand singer and musician. His musical career includes forming 1970s and 1980s New Zealand rock group Split Enz, a number of solo albums, temporary membership in his brother Neil's band Crowde ...
for a few songs, backing them on drums, while they were promoting their album '' Everyone Is Here''.


Personal life

Hester was in a relationship with
Deborah Conway Deborah Ann Conway (born 8 August 1959) is an Australian rock singer-songwriter and guitarist, and had a career as a model and actress. She was a founding member of the 1980s rock band Do-Ré-Mi with their top 5 hit "Man Overboard". Conw ...
from
Do-Re-Mi "Do-Re-Mi" is a show tune from the 1959 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical ''The Sound of Music''. Each syllable of the musical solfège system appears in the song's lyrics, sung on the pitch it names. Rodgers was helped in its creation by long-time ...
in the early 1980s. He later formed a relationship with photographer Mardi Sommerfeld and they had two daughters Olive and Sunday. They lived in the suburb of Elwood in Melbourne, Victoria.


Death and commemorations

On 26 March 2005, aged 46, Hester died by suicide, hanging himself in
Elsternwick Park Elsternwick Park (currently known by its sponsored name Sportscover Arena) is an Australian rules football and cricket stadium in Brighton, a suburb of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia. The name also refers to the wider parkland in which the mai ...
near his home. Four years earlier he had split from Mardi Sommerfeld. His two daughters, Olive and Sunday, were aged 5 and 10 at the time of his death. A few years prior to his passing, Hester's mother became ill and died in 2003. It was known to family and close friends that he had been suffering from depression for a few years prior to his passing, and was prone to mood swings. Hester was buried at Blackwood in the Central Highlands region of Victoria. His life was commemorated at the 2005
Aria Awards The Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards (commonly known informally as ARIA Music Awards, ARIA Awards, or simply the ARIAs) is an annual series of awards nights celebrating the Australian music The music of Australia has ...
, with Neil Finn singing the staple Crowded House anthem solo "
Better Be Home Soon "Better Be Home Soon" () is a song written by Neil Finn and performed by rock band Crowded House. It appears on their second studio album, ''Temple of Low Men'', which was later released in July 1988. The song was issued as a single in June 1988 ...
" along with a mini-biography and footage from his life and achievements. 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. More recently, Hester Street in Officer was named after him as well in his memory. Hester's girlfriend at the time of his death was New Zealand-based singer Kashan Vincent. In July 2006, 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 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.


References


Further reading

* Chunn, Mike, ''Stranger Than Fiction: The Life and Times of Split Enz'', GP Publications, 1992. * Chunn, Mike, ''Stranger Than Fiction: The Life and Times of Split Enz'', (revised, ebook edition), Hurricane Press, 2013. * Bourke, Chris, ''Something So Strong'', Macmillan Australia, 1997, * Twomey, Chris & Doole, Kerry, ''Crowded House: Private Universe'', Omnibus Pr, 1998, * Dix, John, ''Stranded in Paradise: New Zealand Rock and Roll, 1955 to the Modern Era'', Penguin Books, 2005,


External links

*
"Vale Paul Hester"
from ''
The Age ''The Age'' is a daily newspaper in Melbourne, Australia, that has been published since 1854. Owned and published by Nine Entertainment, ''The Age'' primarily serves Victoria (Australia), Victoria, but copies also sell in Tasmania, the Austral ...
'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Hester, Paul 1959 births 2005 suicides Australian rock drummers Male drummers Australian television presenters Musicians from Melbourne Crowded House members Australian multi-instrumentalists Australian people of German descent Split Enz members Suicides by hanging in Australia Suicides in Victoria (Australia) 20th-century Australian musicians 21st-century Australian musicians 20th-century drummers 21st-century drummers 20th-century Australian male musicians People from Yarra Ranges