J.D. Fortune in fans’ eyes

Two Sundays ago in an exclusive one-on-one with Conversations with Ricky Lo, INXS drummer Jon Farriss, when asked how new member J.D. Fortune (discovered in a 12-week search on the CBS reality-TV show Rock Star: INXS to replace soloist Michael Hutchence who died under mysterious circumstances in l997) is blending into the group, said, "He’s good; he’s really good. He’s blending very well into a band that has been together for many years, that has been touring for nearly 30 years. You know, it’s not that easy to do that but J.D. is doing very well. He loves performing with us."

Asked further if J.D. (to whom Fil-Australian Mig Ayesa, a cousin of celebrity-lawyer Katrina Legarda, placed third) is stepping very well into the shoes of Hutchence, Farriss (whose two other brothers, Tim and Andrew, are also INXS members) said, "You know, Michael is Michael and J.D. is J.D. They are two very different people. Both are talented."

Initially, according to Jon Farriss, the INXS was looking for a girl as Hutchence’s replacement, "But she just wasn’t there. J.D. happened to have all the qualifications and so he’s ‘it’."

INXS has just embarked on its first world tour in eight years, with a show tonight at the Araneta Coliseum, with Mig (who flew in from L.A. where he’s based; while the INXS came from Australia Sunday morning) as special guest.

Jon Farriss also said that it took the INXS a long time to come to terms with Hutchence’s death.

"We were crushed," said Jon Farriss. "It was difficult for us to understand what happened. It was painful....Nothing could be more shocking than finding out that one of your best friends has died...Then, we realized that we are alive, that we have to go on performing, that we have to move on..."

Anyway, let’s get to know more about J.D. Fortune from the following excerpts from the INXS lunch presscon at the EDSA Shangri-La Hotel where the guys are billetted:

Can you tell us what you were thinking when it was announced you’re the winner?

JD: I wasn’t really in fear. I was just really gearing up to be disappointed in a major way if I didn’t get to be in the band. That’s really what happened. I was standing there months ago. I just thought it could end right here. It’s just one simple you’re right or you’re not right. That’s what I wasn’t really afraid of. I was going well okay, a lot of disappointments in my life and I was gearing up and putting myself in that motive. And it went the other way. Karma cleared it up and I’m good. That’s exactly what happened, clearing up my karmic death.

To INXS member Kirk Pengilly (saxophone/guitar): How was J.D. able to adjust with the band especially during the time you were making the album?

Kirk: Thankfully, too, one of my concerns is with the way we’re gonna pull the album and the time frame we had. There wasn’t an opportunity for J.D. to actually contribute writing one. I think you know the whole area thing is the whole story of Pretty Vegas.

Can you tell us more about the single?

Tim Farriss: Pretty Vegas went down like (snap)!

Andrew : I didn’t see that song coming. It was born out of television process and then what…

Kirk: It ended up being the first single and that’s actually now our highest-selling debut in our history which is amazing.

J.D.: At first, I thought I was going home because of the song. Now it was the first video I got to shoot.

How was the shoot?

J.D.: I’m thankful I had my five brothers there during the shoot. It was a kick.

Jon: I don’t know how many videos INXS has made in our career. This is a lot more different and creative.

Now that you have a new lead vocalist, how do you think your album will be accepted by your fans?

Kirk: I guess some of our fans and whatever public pun this whole thing is difficult with us with a new single. But we remained a band since Michael’s death. I just hope the fans appreciate it. I can’t see why anyone would have a problem with it. We are making music here and making records again.

Andrew: I don’t think it’s about replacing Michael because no one can replace Michael. This is about finding someone who has his own unique talent and who is gonna be his own personality to what we do. We got a fantastic person in J.D. Fortune who’s up for the job and that’s cool. We all respect Michael’s legacy and it’s all about all of us moving forward.

J.D.: Everybody here is cool. Everything about this record and INXS is approached with the respect, love and admiration in our hearts that anyone in this band deserves especially Michael who is never going to die. We are starting another journey. 

(Note: Presented by SMART and sponsored by, among others, The Philippine STAR, the INXS concert is produced by Ovation Productions and Solar Entertainment Corporation. Tickets are priced at P4,500, P3,500, P2,500, P1,000 and P500. For inquiries, call the Ticketnet at 911-5555.)

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