BALLINA, NSW (Celebrityaccess) — Chris Murphy, Chairman of Murphy Petrol Group and longtime manager of the legendary Australian rock band INXS died on Monday. He was 66.
New of his passing was shared by a statement his family: “It is with great sadness that Caroline Murphy and family confirm that Christopher (CM) Mark Murphy, chairman of Murphy Petrol Group has today passed away peacefully at his beloved Ballina property ‘Sugar Beach Ranch’ surrounded by his family,”
“CM celebrated an illustrious career over 40 years and made an incredible impact on the global music and entertainment industry. Best known for taking his ‘band of brothers’ INXS to worldwide stardom, CM Murphy influenced the lives of many around the globe with his endless passion and drive. He will be greatly missed.”
For Murphy, the entertainment industry was a family business and he followed in the footsteps of his father Mark Murphy, who founded the theatrical booking agency Mark Murphy & Associate where Chris got his start.
In 1979, he met with Gary Morris, who was then managing INXS and he invited Murphy to take over management of the band.
A year later, Murphy dissolved his booking agency to take over full time management of the band and under his watchful eye, the band expanded from a regional act to headlining major international shows in just a decade.
Murphy played a key role in INXS’s rise to international fame, negotiating the deals that introduced the band to international artists via releases by Atco and Atlantic Records.
Murphy also launched the indie label rooART Records in 1988, which served as a label home for bands such as Crash Politics, The Hummingbirds, Ratcat and You Am I.
Following news of Murphy’s passing, INXS said: “It is with great sadness that the remaining members of INXS mourn the passing of our brother, Chris Murphy. Without Chris’s vision, passion, and hard work, the INXS story would be totally different. Chris’s star burned very bright, and we celebrate a life well lived and send all our love to his family.”
