In 2005, JD Fortune won the reality show Rockstar:INXS and became the lead singer of INXS. INXS's album did decently ok in the charts. Some old INXS fans were happy with the new album, others were less than thrilled.
Though JD Fortune is not quitting the band, he is spreading his wings and is working on a solo album tentatively named:"Death of a Motivational Speaker"
The concept behind the album came in a dream. In the vision, Fortune recalls being in an elevator watching two men, one on his way to heck and the other the devil, holding a conversation about their turbulent lives. While the premise behind the album sounds dark, Fortune says it's more uplifting than depressing.
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INXS is set to start recording their new album at the end of this year and its release date is set somewhere in the middle of next year.
I thought "Pretty Vegas" was the best song from the album, now JD Fortune gets to prove to the skeptics amongst us if he's the limiting member of the band, or if he is, in fact, better solo than with INXS.
I'm looking forward to hear what this talented young man will deliver for a solo album! Also, anxious for his next album with INXS. I imagine it will be worth the wait!
JUST wanted to say good for him, its not like he is ditching INXS, he feels this is something he needs to do. i wish him all the luck in the world and hope this works out for him. GO JD.
I personally cannot wait to hear what JD comes up with as both a solo artist and with INXS. My three favorite songs on "Switch" were the ones he co-wrote. He is very talented and original.
OMG I can't wait to hear JD come into his own. I love this guy more then life itself! Go JD, good for you....rock on! Hey you guys, COME BACK TO SO. CALIFORNIA...We miss you!
I have been an INXS fan since 1983; they have ALWAYS been my most favoritest band ever! I did not watch Rock Star: INXS when it aired on TV, so I have been catching up by reading all forums that I can find on the net. Just finished reading almost all past posts regarding the show from this site.
That said, yes I love INXS music past and present, but, hell, even I have to admit to getting stomache cramps from all the gushing/sugary-sweetness from the JD fanatics.
Yes, he's a great fit for my band INXS, but, he is not infallible! I've enjoyed several of their concerts this past year and I honestly have to say JD is a great singer, however, he is not perfect!!!
Yes, I hate it when I see JD and/or INXS get bashed unnecessarily, but, COME ON, really the JD fanatics just invite it with their absolute worship of JD; and this is coming from an honest-to-goodness, card-carrying member of this INXS fan club!!
Please, you don't have to stop posting or turn your back on the guys, just tone it down abit! It's beginning to sound a little like a cult following.
Please, you don't have to stop posting or turn your back on the guys, just tone it down abit! It's beginning to sound a little like a cult following.
1. Welcome to the party.
2. Unfortunately too many fans (of all artists, not just INXS or JD) have that sort of blind "He/She/They can't do anything wrong 'cause they're just awesome" mentality when it comes to their fanaticism. It seems to be a predominately teeny-bopper sort of opinion, though some people apparently never lose their inner-teeny while others never seem to have had an inner-teeny.
"Now you know why lions eat their young" Capt. Phil Harris
But why is it an "either or" choice? You believe that he's either not good enough, or too good for INXS. When Tim said JD is "roit" for the band, that's exactly what he meant. He definitely saw the potential in him, not just as a rockstar, but as a singer-songwriter and contributing member of INXS. As for blindly worshipping the man, I will readily admit that there would be a lot at this point to diminish my admiration for him. That does not come from a teeny-bopper mentality, but rather from a seasoned rock chick who has seen rockers come and go. This one is different, with a brand of magic that perhaps has not been seen since Elvis himself.
You're being negative already.JD has already shown he has talent.When I heard about the show I hoped they would find someone who would do justice to the back catalog and creatively challenge Andrew.He does both .
Ditto to what GabbyD says - JD is very talented, intelligent and possesses great heart. These traits, together with possessing that indescribable something one can only be born with, make him so watchable and listenable. He commands our attention. He is a great frontman.
Enough with the Elvis comments. Give the guy a break, the albums not even out yet and people are already doggin' him. JD might feel like he needs to do this to help break away from some of the stigma of Rockstar, maybe it will help shut some people up. I wish JD the best as a solo artist and also with INXS.
I cant wait to hear JD's solo album. It's good for him to
work solo too. It'll be a new thing to be interested in.
INXS plz come back! We love you guys!
nup not happy jan...you commit to band you don't go solo...do you know how long we inxs fans have waited...far too bloody long to loose a singer like J.D...not saying he will leave INXS but what are the odds....
Cmon J.D don't let us down here in Australia
I'm not sure that the band is upset about jds solo album. I think I read somewhere that andrew and jon may be producing it so they might not mind his touring his solo album and then doing album with them.
Jon and Andrew aren't involved with producing JD's solo album. I heard he was in the middle of no-where writing the whole album in a church...very cool!
Death of A Motivational Speaker should be a great album considering the talent that is behind it!
I have always loved INXS and still love them with JD Fortune - he was the perfect choice for the band to move forward. Anyone saying any different is just stuck in the past and needs to look at this as a happening 2007 Rock band.
One thing to remember is that people choose pop culture heroes because we simply need them but beyond that when somebody unique comes along, the fan-celebrity exchange evolves into a different ball game.
Stars become a medium for all of us to live our fantasies through, to continue imagining and to dream.
JD quite right like Elvis, is a man who comes from a humble background. He has been through hardships more than your average guy. I guess you would know the story of him sleeping in his car for a while coz he had nowhere else to.
It is a romantic tale, for someone to rise from their ashes and be crowned a prince. The whole thing becomes enveloped in an air of magic that aches at a person's stomach with a sweet pain.
For the blogger commenting about the almost-cult status fans have given JD, I understand why you can't comprehend it all. If you haven't seen Rockstar INXS then it is difficult to judge purely by the product the band creates in the studio. I say this because although JD's voice is incredible, and the boys try their best to make their work the best they can, it is different to witness someone's rise to success.
JD fought his heart out to get his leading man role, yet that's not where it stops. Over the weeks and the performances given at the end of them on Rockstar, JD's male charisma became so infectious, I can't even describe it in words.
I only caught the end of the show but thank goodness I decided to tune in because I enjoyed the enchantment JD worked on me. Not many male artists possess that you know.
We're often starstruck with celebrities and their fame. JD on the other hand offers a manliness, a mystique and an enigma that a member of the audience can't help falling for. I know I fell in love with this guy.
His performances were dynamic, sexy, energized and breath-taking. The man is so hot, he is dangerous! Very few males in showbiz manage to project this paralyzing capability even if we go as far back as the time of the silent film.
JD is one of the rare men who can kill with just one look. If you can get a copy of Rockstar, do so my friend. You won't regret it. Even if you're a bloke you will come to admire this rocker!
I breathlessly await his solo effort and the future releases of INXS. I L-O-V-E Y-O-U J! You are scrumptious! My heart skips a beat when I think of you!
Yes, Maria, you'd have to be from Oz, wouldn't you? You fell in love with him? And we are supposed to see you as a rational human being and listen to what you say? JD Fortune is an average performer with an above average voice. No one in America even knows who he is, and therefore, he is a failure by all known musical standards. If you are not popular in America, you are not a hit. Period. All of this comparing him to Elvis is nauseating. Elvis was an original, he did what no one else did before him. His voice was superior, and he owned the stage. There is not one person in this world, bar very few, who will not at the very least recognize the name Elvis, if not his songs and images. Elvis was a legend within a few years of being active in the industry. Please do not throw his name about as if anyone can be him. Let's see JD produce a top 5 hit in the US first of all, before we start comparing him to true brilliance, eh?
