Michael Sutherland dead: Beloved 90s rocker dies 'suddenly' as devastated band speak out

Beloved 90s musician Michael Sutherland suddenly passed away on Friday September 19, his bandmates have confirmed. He was the founding drummer for popular 90s funk group Skunkhour, who originated in Sydney, Australia.

The band announced the news on their official social media pages on Friday to break the sad news that Michael had suddenly died on Wednesday. Along with a series of images of Michael, they penned: "It is with great sadness that we relay the passing of founding member, long-term drummer, and our brother Michael Sutherland,' the post began.

"Mike passed away suddenly two days ago. He is survived by his 3 beautiful children, Eleanor, Hamish, and Archie, all of whom he loved dearly. Mike came up playing in the late '80s post punk scene of Sydney with Jawbone Green as a teenager. He played rugby with Mosman and Norths. He studied Law for a time at Sydney Uni."

The post continued: "He was a highly creative drummer, whose contributions to Skunkhour's writing and recordings cannot go unrecognised.

"He had a wicked sense of humour and a very sharp intellect. He will be missed."

Fans, friends, and followers quickly rushed to the post to share their condolences, as one posted on Facebook: "This is such sad news. Rest In Peace Mike."

Another added: "I lived and breathed Skunkhour between 1992-94 and reckon I saw them live more than any other band on the planet. They were one of the bands that provided the soundtrack to my late teens/early 20s.

"Being a bass player myself, Dean was always my focus but nothing beats a rhythm section with two brothers. Mike was absolutely rock solid, he had his unique groove and always served the songs."

A third added: "Oh man, this is such devastating news. Spent many funky hours with him in the good days of the Sydney live music scene.

"He was always so kind, funny, and great to be around. Sending buckets of love to the family. May his soul be in peace and ascend safely"

Skunkhour was first formed in 1991, with Michael on drums alongside his brother Dean on bass.

The group released four studio albums throughout their career, with their most successful being 1995's Feed, which hit number 21 on the ARIA chart The outfit disbanded in 2001, six months after the release of their fourth studio album The Go.