Crowded House remember late drummer at ARIA Hall of Fame induction

Crowded House frontman Neil Finn paid tribute to late drummer Paul Hester as the band was inducted into the Australian Recording Industry Association’s Hall of Fame on Wednesday (23Nov16).
The Don’t Dream It’s Over singers were saluted during the ARIA Awards at The Star in Sydney, with the ceremony coincidentally marking the 30th anniversary of the band’s self-titled debut album.
Accepting the award to a standing ovation from the crowd, Finn told the audience he would have to read his speech from a piece of paper because his “eyes can’t read an iPhone”. After thanking wife Sharon for inspiring “a lot of songs” and putting up with “a lot of neuroses”, Finn thanked his 90-year-old father, his sons and Hester, who committed suicide in 2005.
“We wouldn’t have been anywhere as near as amazing and amusing and engaging as we were with Paul,” he said.
Clearly emotional, Finn then proceeded to thank Hester’s daughters for being there for Crowded House’s induction.
His fellow founding member Nick Seymour then told the crowd that he feels more honoured by the Hall of Fame induction than perhaps anything else in his career.
“It’s an incredible privilege to have your own country recognise you as an artist in your own lifetime,” he said.
Several Australian artists paid tribute to Crowded House with a performance of their songs, with Missy Higgins kicking things off with her rendition of Fall At Your Feet. Bernard Fanning was next, singing Better Be Home Soon, before the supergroup themselves ended the medley with Distant Sun.
Crowded House join previous Hall of Fame inductees INXS, AC/DC, Kylie Minogue, the Bee Gees, and Men At Work.
Finn is already a Hall of Famer – the New Zealand-based singer was inducted as a member of Split Enz in 2005.