Road Crew Magazine
Music Magazine with News, Reviews, Photos and Video

In 1988-89, INXS was one of music's biggest names.  Their album Kick produced four top 10 singles in the US, including:  New Sensation, Never Tear Us Apart, Devil Inside and Need You Tonight, which reached #1.

In 1997, the band was struck by tragedy with the devastating loss of the their lead singer Michael Hutchence, who was 37 years old.  After Hutchence's death, the band did not perform publicly for about a year, but when they returned to the public scene, they performed with guest singers, never replacing the late Hutchence.

In 2000, Jon Stevens began performing with INXS, who played as one of the headling acts at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, followed by tours in South America and Europe.  In 2002, Stevens was offically named a member of INXS, but would leave the band in October 2003 to pursue a solo career.

In 2004, it was announced that there would be a new reality show on CBS....Rockstar:INXS, in which contestants would battle it out for the chance to become the new lead singer for the band.

Hosted by MTV's Brooke Burke and guitarist Dave Navarro, the show kicked off on July 11, 2005.  Fifteen was narrowed down to one, when Canada native JD Fortune was name the new lead singer for INXS.  The show birthed two albums, A Night at the Mayan Theater, featuring performances from each contestant from the premiere, The Best of Rockstar:INXS,  and a DVD, Rockstar:INXS, featuring performances from the final six contestants.  But what happened to the contestants after Rockstar:INXS?  Where did their paths lead and in what direction did their careers go? Road Crew Magazine takes a look at the final five contestants, Jordis Unga, Suzie McNeil, MiG Ayesa, Marty Casey and JD Fortune and their lives after Rockstar.

   #5:  Jordis Unga

Regardless of being the youngest contestant on Rockstar:INXS, Jordis Unga was the first singer to open the Rockstar series with a scorching rendition of Baba O'Riley by The Who.  Each week, she continued to stun the crowd with stellar and emotional renditions of songs, such as David Bowie's Man Who Sold the World and the late, great John Lennon's timeless classic, Imagine.

She achieved something no unsigned artist had before, in having the top four most downloaded songs on MSN Music, simultaneously.  When her journey to become the singer for INXS ended, it wasn't before she had made it to the top 5 and got to share her original song, Try Not.

Since the shows end, Jordis has shared the stage with musical greats including James Taylor and has performed with Camp Freddy, Scott Weiland and Slash.  Now based out of LA with her current band Angels of Modern Destruction, Jordis can be found on myspace, facebook, twitter and her official website.

  #4:  Suzie McNeil

Suzie McNeil was the last woman standing, climbing all the way to the final four in the search for INXS' new lead singer.  Dubbed Sweet Suzie McNeil by Dave Navarro, she was a powerhouse vocalist, proving that you don't have to be a man to rock with them.  She provided amazing covers of Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody, INXS' Suicide Blonde and STP's Interstate Love Song, in which she was joined on guitar by Navarro.  Suzie never ceased to blow the crowd away with her soulful vocals and her magical stage presence.

Since Rockstar, Suzie has signed with Universal Records and has worked with artists including Pink and Buckcherry.  She also has two albums under her belt, Broken and Beautiful released in 2007 and Rock-n-Roller, released in 2008 featuring the powerful ballad Don't Tell Me Goodbye.  Her newest single Supergirl, has hit Billboards Canadian Top 100 Singles Chart and is at number 36 for the date of 7-4-2009.  Suzie's inspirational song Believe has been featured on many TV shows, including The Biggest Loser and has been chosen by Bill Canada to be the official 2010 Olympic Inspired song.

In 2008, Suzie was nominated for a Canadian Radio Music Award, Best New Artist Juno Award and won the Canadian Independence Music for Favorite Pop Artist/Group of the year.

Suzie can be found at her official website, myspace, facebook and on twitter.

#3 MiG Ayesa

MiG Ayesa exploded onto the Rockstar stage, capturing fans and INXS alike, with his powerful and theatrical performances.  Covering songs like Live and Let Die by Paul McCartney and The Rolling Stones classic Paint It Black.

Towards the end of the run, MiG found himself along side fellow competitors Marty Casey and JD Fortune in the final three.  For MiG, that would be where his journey would end, but his true career would begin.

At the end of the show, MiG signed with Universal and released a self-titled CD in the US and Canada that features some of rock's greatest classic hits including Wrapped Around Your Finger by The Police and Angie by The Rolling Stones, as well as three of his own original songs.

MiG is still signed with Universal and is currently working on a new CD. He can be found on myspace, facebook, his official website, and has a street team set up for fans.

  #2 Marty Casey (aka The Mad Conductor)

Marty Casey, also given the title of "The Mad Conductor", was a voice to be reckoned with during the Rockstar:INXS competition, with his mind blowing performances of Pink Floyd's Wish You Were Here, Radiohead's Creep and his unforgettable original hit Trees, which he performed both electric and again in an acoustic encore performance in which he was joined by Dave Navarro.  But Even in the midst of major rockin performances and a huge fan base, Marty would only obtain runner up in his quest to become the new front man for INXS.

At the shows conclusion, Marty and his band Lovehammers were offered the job as the opening act for INXS' upcoming tour, which he accepted.  While on tour Marty Casey and Lovehammers was released on January 24, 2006 through Epic Records, featuring songs from their previous Indie albums.  After the tour with INXS, Lovehammers headlined their own tour in 2006.

Success would soon find Marty in a new form, the form of L.A. Guns to be exact.  When the band found themselves in need of a vocalist, they asked Casey to fit the bill.  While the decision was not an easy one to make, he accepted the Guns offer in 2008.

Today, Marty finds himself back at the helm of Lovehammers, armed a new CD set for release on July 21, 2009, with release parties in Chicago, LA and New York City.

For more information on Marty Casey, check him out on myspace, facebook, twitter and his official website.

Rockstar:INXS Winner, JD Fortune

When the final song had been sung, the votes counted and the dust settled, it was JD Fortune who was told, "You are right for our band, INXS."

JD had wowed viewers and the band members with his covers of You Can't Always Get What You Want by The Stones, and Pink Floyd's Money, as well as his original tune Pretty Vegas, which would be featured on the new INXS album Switch, released in November of 2005.

Pretty Vegas would go on to reach #5 on the iTunes store ranking of top downloads on it's first day, would hit #9 in Australia, #37 on the Billboard Hot 100 and would reach #1, going platinum in JD's native country of Canada. 

INXS launched their world tour in 2006 with runner up Marty Casey's band Lovehammers opening.

In February of 2009. in an interview with Entertainment Tonight Canada, JD reviled his split with the band, stating it took place in a Hong Kong airport with the shake of a hand, talked about his struggle with cocaine use and about the fact that he is living out of his car, sinking every dime into his album The Death of a Motivational Speaker. 

In response to his statement about his end with INXS, the band's former manager Chris Murphy responded stating, "Not only are we shocked by the claims, even the place the supposed incident was to have taken place is a mystery to the band.  The band has a new recording deal with my label and Fortune was about to be called.  I guess I have no reason to call him now."

As the lyrics in Fortune's Pretty Vegas say, "It ain't pretty, after the show.  It ain't pretty when the pretty leaves you with no place to go."  Having tasted both the highs and the lows of the rockstar life, JD is fighting to get his life and his career back on the right path.

For more on JD, check out his official website and myspace pages.

More Featured Articles