Martin Phillipps of New Zealand band The Chills has died at age 61.
Phillipps formed The Chills in Dunedin, New Zealand in 1980 at age 17. The first single ‘Rolling Moon’ came in 1982 and reached a reasonable no 26 in New Zealand.
The Chills then had a string of NZ hits including ‘Pink Frost’ (no 17, 1984), ‘Doledrums’ (no 12, 1984), ‘I Love My Leather Jacket’ (no 4, 1986), ‘Heavenly Pop Hit’ (no 2, 1990) and ‘Come Home’ (no 33, 1995).
‘Heavenly Pop Hit’ also charted at no 97 in the UK and no 17 on the US Alternative chart.
On 2019 the documentary ‘The Chills: The Triumph & Tragedy of Martin Phillipps’ was released.
The movie told the dark story of Phillipps with his ongoing struggle with drugs and alcohol.
Martin Phillipps came tantalizingly close to conquering the international musical world with his band The Chills, but instead fell into decades of debt and addiction in his hometown of Dunedin, New Zealand. At 54, he’s been given a dire medical prognosis, forcing him to face his demons and realise his musical ambitions before it’s too late. This intimate portrait follows the eccentric Martin as he reconciles a lifetime’s worth of curious collections, looks back on a catalogue of heavenly pop hits and reclaims his place in the iconic Flying Nun and Dunedin sound. With a startling sense of humour even in the blackest moments, we bear witness to one man’s universal battle with the fear of failure and the jarring reality of his own mortality.
The Chills released the following statement:
— T H E C H I L L S (@TheChills) July 28, 2024
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