Kirk Pengilly facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kirk Pengilly
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Pengilly in 2011
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| Background information | |
| Also known as | Snore |
| Born | 4 July 1958 Kew, Victoria, Australia |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Instruments | |
| Years active | 1975–present |
Kirk Pengilly (pronounced pehn-GIL-ee; born on July 4, 1958) is an Australian musician. He is a well-known member of the famous Australian rock band INXS. Kirk is a talented musician who plays the saxophone and guitar. He also sings backing vocals for the band.
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Early Music Career
Kirk Pengilly moved to Sydney, Australia, in 1966. There, he became best friends with Tim Farriss, who would later be his bandmate in INXS. They both went to Forest High School.
Their first band was called Guinness, formed in 1971. This was a high school band where Kirk was the main songwriter and lead singer. The band played a mix of different music styles. They were inspired by rock bands like Yes and Pink Floyd, as well as country rock artists like Bruce Springsteen.
Guinness had some success playing in venues around Sydney. However, their music wasn't very popular with a wide audience. The band eventually broke up in late 1976.
Joining the Band INXS
The band that would become INXS started in 1977. It was first called The Farriss Brothers. In 1979, they changed their name to INXS. Kirk Pengilly became a key member, playing saxophone and guitar. He also sang backing vocals.
Kirk helped create many of INXS's songs. He wrote and produced some of the band's B-sides (songs usually found on the flip side of a single). He even created a special Happy Christmas record for early fan club members in the 1980s. His main instrument is the guitar. Kirk remembers learning to play by himself at age nine, using an old acoustic guitar.
INXS became a very successful band and toured all over the world. They played for huge crowds, including 250,000 people at the US Festival in California in 1983. They also performed with Queen at Wembley Stadium in 1986. They even played for Prince Charles and Princess Diana in Melbourne in 1985. One of their biggest shows was headlining the Rock 'n Rio Festival, where they played for over 150,000 people.
The band has received many awards. They were nominated for three American Grammy Awards. They were also inducted into the Australian ARIA "Hall of Fame," which honors great Australian musicians.
Kirk Pengilly is also the band's main spokesperson. He takes this job seriously. He is also the band's archivist, meaning he keeps detailed diaries of the band's daily activities since the very beginning.
After the lead singer, Michael Hutchence, passed away in 1997, the band continued to play with different singers. INXS stopped touring in 2012. In 2020, their album "The Very Best" reached "Diamond status." This means it sold a huge number of copies in Australia.
Other Creative Projects
Besides INXS, Kirk Pengilly has worked on other music projects. In 1982, he was part of a special music project with a band called The Igniters. The next year, he worked with Andrew Farriss and Garry Gary Beers on a song called "Flaming Hands."
In 1987, Kirk appeared in a music video for Australian singer Jenny Morris. He looked very different without his usual glasses!
When INXS took a break in 1989, Kirk and Tim Farriss produced an album for a Sydney band called Crash Politics. Kirk also played saxophone for Richard Clapton on his album Distant Thunder in 1993. He has also played guitar for Shona Laing and saxophone for Martin Plaza.
He has also produced music for other artists. In 1999, he produced an album for his brother Drew's band, Coo. In 2002, Kirk helped write and produce an album called "Still in Bed" by Hughie Murray.
Kirk also appeared on the first season of Celebrity MasterChef Australia. He made it to the finals and came in second place. In 2016, Kirk and his wife Layne became ambassadors for a health and wellness company called Inner Origin.
Personal Life
Kirk Pengilly has one daughter, April Rose Pengilly, who was born in 1988 and is an actress. Her mother is Kirk's ex-girlfriend, Karen Hutchinson. Karen toured with the band for ten years.
In December 1993, Kirk married singer Deni Hines. Their marriage lasted about ten months.
Kirk is now married to Layne Beachley, a famous professional surfer. Layne is a seven-time world champion in women's surfing. They started their relationship after a friend, Jon Stevens, set them up on a date. After dating for seven years, they got married in a private ceremony on October 10, 2010. They renewed their wedding vows in 2014 after Layne lost her original wedding ring while surfing. In 2020, they celebrated their 10-year wedding anniversary. Kirk and Layne currently live in Sydney, Australia.
Kirk Pengilly is an ambassador for Glaucoma Australia. He supports this organization because he was diagnosed with glaucoma in 1987 when he was 29 years old. In 2015, Kirk had surgery for prostate cancer. Kirk plays a special SG1820 Yamaha guitar. He was inspired to use this guitar after hearing Carlos Santana play one.
Images for kids
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In Spanish: Kirk Pengilly para niños
