Inxs consists of Andrew Farriss (keyboards, guitar), Garry Gary (bass guitar), J.d. Fortune (vocals), Jon Farriss (drums), Kirk Pengill (guitar, saxophone), Tim Farriss (guitar).
INXS (pronounced "In Excess") is an Australian rock group. The band was formed in 1977 and comprised Michael Hutchence (lead vocals), Andrew Farriss (guitar and keyboards), Tim Farriss (lead guitar), Jon Farriss (drums), Garry Beers (bass), and Kirk Pengilly (saxophone and guitar). On September 20, 2005, Canadian singer J.D. Fortune became the band's new lead vocalist after a twelve-week competition on the CBS reality show Rock Star: INXS.
INXS began under the name The Farriss Brothers but the band changed it in 1979, just prior to the release of their self-titled debut album in 1980, INXS, which featured one of their best songs, "Just Keep Walking". Its follow-up, 1981's Underneath the Colours (produced by Richard Clapton) became a hit-album in their native country. In 1983, their third album titled Shabooh Shoobah was released successfully worldwide. The single "The One Thing" brought them their first top 30 hit in America, while "Don't Change" became a staple in the set list of college rock bands who played the frat circuit. The album itself entered the US top 50. With the Nick Launay-produced fourth album, The Swing in 1984, the band received more significant attention all around the world, as "Original Sin" became their first #1 single and an international big hit. Indeed, during all this year, the song was, for example, #1 in their native Australia as well as in Argentina and in France, #23 in Switzerland, #31 in the Netherlands and #58 in the US, where this single was partially censored for its anti-racism and political content. But, strangely, despite its musical and commercial potential, "Original Sin" was totally ignored in the UK where INXS didn't have any success in the charts until 1986 with the album Listen Like Thieves. In the same way, the band's charismatic singer Michael Hutchence gained attention for his MTV-ready looks. INXS, which had started out as a New Wave act featuring more synthesizers than guitar, gradually moved in a more straight-ahead Rock oriented direction through the first half of the 1980s. By 1985's breakthrough album Listen Like Thieves the band had perfected a matured sound influenced by The Rolling Stones and Chic but true to the band's original roots in the Aussie pubs. Listen Like Thieves was loved by the critics, except song, "Kiss The Dirt (Falling Down The Mountain)", which INXS publicly appoligised for releasing on MTV in December 1985. In the US, the first single, "This Time" stalled at #81 in late 1985, but the band roared out of nowhere with the second, "What You Need", which in early 1986 became a top five hit, bringing INXS their first breakout U.S. hit.