INXS Unveils New Singer, Ciaran Gribbin [AUDIO]
The opening for a new INXS lead singer has been in a state of flux since Michael Hutchence’s untimely death in 1997. Even though details have seemed more uncertain than ever, it turns out that Ciaran Gribbon has taken over the reins with the new leaked demo, ‘Tiny Summer.’
Prior to this announcement, rumors sparked that the mystery voice belonged to none other than Hutchence’s old friend Bono. However, U2 fans needn’t worry anymore about their favorite front man going back on the gig market.
Although Gribbon may not be a household name, you may have heard his work without realizing it. He co-wrote Madonna’s ‘Celebration,’ earning a Grammy nomination in the process; lent backing vocals to Snow Patrol’s ‘Eyes Open’ album; and in a funny twist, he provided music for the film ‘Killing Bono.’
Gribbin steps in for J.D. Fortune, the singer who took over for Hutchence after winning the reality show ‘Rock Star: INXS.’ Fortune was with the group for a top 10 album, 2005′s ‘Switch,’ and toured with them as recently as this year. His tenure, however, included some bumps in the road, including the 2009 interview where he claimed the band fired him in a Hong Kong airport and left him living in his car.
Founding INXS member Andrew Farriss says the band doesn’t have a set plan for the future. “We’re just really enjoying being creative and seeing where that leads,” he told Billboard. “We’re experimenting with a whole range of things; we actually tried out an idea for a song the other day that’s probably the most crazy, off-the-wall thing I’ve ever done in my life. Completely radical. And that’s the most important thing, to really try out different things and find out what we can do together.”
Check out Gribbin’s vocals on ‘Tiny Summer’ below.