Chrissy Amphlett the iconic lead singer of Australian rock band The Divinyls has died from breast cancer and multiple sclerosis aged just 53.
Amphlett passed away at her home in New York surrounded by family, friends and her husband, music producer, Charley Drayton.
Amphlett formed The Divinyls in the early ’80s and had a string of hits with songs like ‘All the Boys in Town’, Science Fiction’ and ‘Pleasure and Pain’. The band released six albums and scored their biggest hit in 1991 with ‘I Touch Myself’.
Amphlett is remembered for her striking stage presence, often wearing a school girl uniform on stage with torn fishnet stockings. While the Divinyls had a changing line up, alongside Amphlett for the band’s entire career was guitarist Mark Entree, who now lives in Perth.
Amphlett also had a successful career in musical theatre appearing in the stage productions of ‘Blood Brothers’ and playing Judy Garland is the original Australian version of ‘The Boy From Oz’.
In 2007 Amphlett revealed that she had MS and in 2010 announced that she had breast cancer. The singer’s MS reportedly prevented her from receiving chemotherapy and radiation therapy for her cancer.
