After struggling for years with both breast cancer and multiple sclerosis, the latter of which prevented her from getting chemotherapy, Chrissy Amphlett died quietly in her sleep on Sunday at her home in New York. Amphlett was known for her stage presence in the Divinyls, the band she duoed with guitar player Mark McEntee at the start of the 80s. The two went on to produce five records together before having a falling out that eventually was mended when the two were initiated into the ARIA Hall of Fame in 2006. The group's most successful hit was the raunchy (at the time) “I Touch Myself”, whose video prominently featured Amphlett in her signature schoolgirl gear and coquettish looks writhing around and pouting. And good golly, those bangs.
Amphlett was a notable singer, actress, Australian, and brave woman. She was only 53 when she died, but left behind her a wonderful appreciation of life, which you can see in the Facebook post she addressed to her fans in 2012 as she told them of her struggles with illness. She'll be missed.
And one last time, watch Amphlett turn us all on with “I Touch Myself”:
