Neighbours star April Rose Pengilly may be a fan favourite as Chloe Brennan in Neighbours, but she is not the only famous star in her family – as her father is also a rock music legend.
Years before April joined Ramsay Street as Chloe Brennan in 2018, her dad Kirk Pengilly was delighting fans across the world as part of the multi-million selling rock band INXS, whose hits included I Need You Tonight, New Sensation And Never Tear Us Apart.
Since then his daughter has followed in his footsteps and embarked on a career in the limelight, both as a model and as Chloe in Neighbours.
April has also been involved in huge storylines during her time on the popular Australian soap, including her romance heating up with fellow Ramsay Street resident Kiri.
As viewers wait to see what will happen next between Chloe and Kiri, Daily Star takes a look at the life of her famous father Kirk Pengilly.
INXS Fame
(Image: Getty Images)
Kirk Pengilly was destined for music greatness from a young age, after joining his first band at the age of 13 years old with fellow school friend Tim Farriss.
They formed Guinness in 1971, who had moderate success in clubs in Sydney, but the group later disbanded in 1976.
However Kirk was soon to join what would become one of the biggest bands in the world, as new band The Farriss Brothers formed originally in 1977, featuring Jon, Andrew and Tim Farriss.
Joined by Michael Hutchence, Kirk Pengilly and Gary Beers, the group changed their names to INXS in 1979 – and legends were born.
(Image: Getty Images)
INXS went on to worldwide fame, with multi-million selling albums including Kick, Listen Like Thieves and X – and in 2001 were inducted into the Australian Recording Industry Association Hall Of Fame.
However during this time, the band also suffered a tragic loss following the death of singer Michael Hutchence, whose death aged just 37 years old shocked the world.
Speaking to MTV at the time of his death, band member Tim Farriss said the band would honour what Michael would have wanted for the future of the band, saying: “We know better perhaps better than anyone with Michael’s career what he would have wanted us to have done and we’re gonna try and do the right thing by him whatever we do.”
The band continued to tour and release music, also featuring on the reality TV series Rockstar: INXS, which searched for a new singer for the group.
A documentary about Michael Hutchence called Mystify was also released in 2019, featuring archive and interview clips of the band.
Tragic loss
(Image: Getty Images)
On November 22, 1997, INXS singer Michael Hutchence was found dead in his hotel room in Double Bay Sydney.
The news of his death shocked the world, with fans and stars from the world of entertainment continuing to pay tribute to the music icon decades after his sudden loss, including on a page set up on what would have been the singer’s 58th birthday.
(Image: Getty Images)
Stars including former girlfriend and model Helena Christensen paid tribute to the star, along with sweet messages shared by fans, friends and family from across the world.
His stepmother Susi wrote on the page about the heartbreak of losing Michael, and the lasting legacy his talent left on the world, saying: “It was a heartbreaking situation, contemplating a world without Michael Hutchence.
“No more jovial greetings, spontaneous phone messages, impish grins, philosophical discourses, no more creative songs, no more passionate performances.
(Image: Getty Images)
“All that Michael had ever achieved, spoken, written, the love he gave to others, the attentive ear, the hug, the kisses, were now his legacy that would remain in hearts as priceless memories.”
Speaking to Today Extra on the 20th anniversary of his death, Kirk Pengilly also paid a sweet tribute to his former band mate, saying: “What I remember are the great times we had – Michael and us. He was such a great person, a great man. A great performer but also a great friend. A brother.”
Health battles
(Image: CBS via Getty Images)
In his personal life, Kirk has also faced a number of health battles – including undergoing surgery for aggressive prostrate cancer in 2015.
Further tests later revealed that the cancer had been contained, with Kirk telling Daily Telegraph Australia: “It will probably take 12 to 18 months for everything to be absolutely normal again.”
He has also become an ambassador for Glaucoma Australia, after being diagnosed with the condition at the age of 29 years old in 1987.
(Image: Getty Images)
Kirk speaks openly about being diagnosed with Glaucoma and continues to raise awareness of the disease, saying on The Morning Show: “I would have gone blind, I was within a millimetre of going blind as it turned out, unbeknown to me until I was diagnosed and I got fast-tracked and had a particular surgery that suited my glaucoma.
“I would have absolutely gone blind and who knows how my life would have unfolded and it’s just a reminder of how precious sight is.”
Famous daughter and marriages
(Image: WireImage)
Kirk Pengilly welcomed daughter and Neighbours actress April Rose with former girlfriend and fashion designer Karen Hutchinson on April 12, 1988.
The two have a close bond, but April revealed that she was surprised by the excess that her dad experienced as part of his rock star life in INXS, after watching the mini-series Never Tear Us Apart: The Untold Story of INXS.
She told Daily Mail that she was lucky to see an advanced copy of the film, saying: “It was OK and the actors did a great job.
“My mum and I and dad got an advance copy, which was good – because we got to see what was going to be out there before everyone else… and be prepared for it.”
(Image: Fremantle/Channel 5)
She added: “I still haven’t read the book INXS: Story To Story about them, by Anthony Bozza, which they’ve just re-released, because I don’t really want to know what else they got up to.”
April has since delighted viewers on Australian soap Neighbours, after starting out her career as a model in ads for fashion magazines including Elle, Harpers Bazaar and Marie Claire.
Kirk split from April’s mother Karen after ten years together, before marrying singer Deni Hines in 1993.
They were together for over two years before divorcing in 1995, with Kirk later marrying champion pro surfer Layne Beachley in 2010.
(Image: Getty Images)
Layne paid a sweet tribute to husband Kirk in an Instagram post in 2021 for his birthday, just as INXS’ Greatest Hits album was awarded diamond ARIA status too.
Sharing a photo of the two snuggled up together in the sunshine, Layne captioned the post: “Happy Birthday to my rock, my love of my life, my adorable loving husband.
“And congratulations to @officialinxs for their Diamond Aria Award 500,000 copies of the Very Best Of INXS Album sold in Australia (6 weeks shy of being in the top 100 for 9 years!).”
For more of the latest showbiz news from Daily Star, make sure you sign up to one of our newsletters here.
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
