There’s a reason Chrissy Amphlett still rattles around in the collective memory of anyone who caught Australian rock in the early 1990s. She wasn’t just the lead singer of Divinyls — she was the one in the schoolgirl uniform, snarling through I Touch Myself, a song that became both a global hit and, later, an unlikely breast cancer awareness anthem.

Birth date: 25 October 1959 ·
Death date: 21 April 2013 ·
Age at death: 53 ·
Years active: 1978–2013 ·
Known for: Lead singer of Divinyls ·
Notable song: I Touch Myself ·
Cause of death: Breast cancer and multiple sclerosis ·
Place of burial: Geelong Eastern Cemetery

Quick snapshot

1Facts
2Career highlights
3Health
  • Diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2007 (7NEWS Spotlight)
  • Diagnosed with breast cancer in 2010 (7NEWS Spotlight)
  • Double mastectomy and chemotherapy (Wikipedia)
  • Cancer relapse in 2012 (Wikipedia)
4Personal life
  • Husband: Charley Drayton (1999–2013) (Slicing Up Eyeballs)
  • No children (Wikipedia)
  • Cousin of Lo Carmen (Wikipedia)
  • Buried in Geelong (Wikipedia)

Below the leather and the stage drama, Amphlett was fighting a quiet double war against multiple sclerosis and breast cancer, a battle that would end her life at just 53. This article traces her career, her illnesses, and the legacy she left behind.

Key facts about Chrissy Amphlett
Label Value
Full name Christine Joy Amphlett
Birthplace Geelong, Victoria, Australia
Death place New York City, New York, United States
Years active 1978–2013
Bands Divinyls, The Cyrkle (early)
Spouse Charley Drayton (m. 1999)
Children None
Cause of death Breast cancer and multiple sclerosis
Burial site Geelong Eastern Cemetery
Height 5 ft 2 in (157 cm)

What did Chrissy Amphlett pass away from?

Chrissy Amphlett died on 21 April 2013 at her home in New York City at the age of 53. Her husband, Charley Drayton, issued a statement saying she “succumbed to the effects of breast cancer and multiple sclerosis” (Slicing Up Eyeballs). The dual diagnosis — first multiple sclerosis in 2007, then breast cancer in 2010 — created a medical double bind that eventually proved fatal.

Cause of death: breast cancer and multiple sclerosis

  • Public reporting attributed her death to complications of both diseases (7NEWS Spotlight).
  • Some coverage described her final period as a “long illness” before specifying the two conditions (Slicing Up Eyeballs).
  • Drayton noted she faced her illnesses with “exceptional bravery and dignity” (The World).

Timeline of her health decline

  • 2007: diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (7NEWS Spotlight).
  • 2010: diagnosed with breast cancer, underwent double mastectomy and chemotherapy (Wikipedia).
  • 2012: cancer recurred and spread (Wikipedia).
  • 21 April 2013: died in New York City (IMDb News).

The implication: Amphlett’s death wasn’t a sudden tragedy but the end of a six-year health struggle that compounded an existing neurological disease with an aggressive cancer.

Why this matters

Amphlett’s dual illness forced her to manage MS symptoms like fatigue and mobility issues alongside chemotherapy, a combination that rarely gets public attention. Her willingness to keep performing during treatment set a precedent for artists facing similar battles.

What was Chrissy Amphlett’s illness?

Amphlett faced two distinct but overlapping health crises: multiple sclerosis, diagnosed in 2007, and breast cancer, diagnosed in 2010. Each required different treatments, and the interaction between them shaped her final years.

Multiple sclerosis diagnosis and impact

  • She revealed her MS diagnosis in 2007 (7NEWS Spotlight).
  • MS is a chronic autoimmune disease affecting the central nervous system; common symptoms include fatigue, numbness, and balance problems (Wikipedia).
  • Amphlett continued to perform live despite MS-related challenges.

Breast cancer battle

  • In 2010 she announced she was being treated for breast cancer in New York (7NEWS Spotlight).
  • She underwent a double mastectomy and chemotherapy (Wikipedia).
  • The cancer went into remission but recurred in 2012 and spread (Wikipedia).

The pattern: Amphlett’s illnesses forced her to navigate two distinct medical systems — neurology for MS and oncology for breast cancer — while maintaining a public career. That she kept recording and touring until the final year shows a level of resilience that defined her stage persona.

Who is Chrissy Amphlett related to?

Amphlett’s family ties extended beyond her immediate household. Her marriage to American bassist Charley Drayton lasted from 1999 until her death, and she maintained a close relationship with her cousin, actress and director Lo Carmen.

Family background

  • Born Christine Joy Amphlett to John Amphlett and Sonia (Baird) Amphlett (Wikipedia).
  • Her cousin Lo Carmen is a well-known Australian actress and filmmaker (Wikipedia).
  • Carmen wrote a personal essay for The Guardian about Amphlett’s impact on her life (The Guardian).

Husband: Charley Drayton

  • Married in 1999 (Slicing Up Eyeballs).
  • Drayton is a session bassist who has worked with artists like Keith Richards and Iggy Pop (Wikipedia).
  • He was at her side throughout her illnesses and issued the official statement after her death (The World).

The trade-off: Amphlett’s choice to marry an American musician meant spending significant time in New York, which later became the place of her cancer treatment and death. That geographic shift distanced her from the Australian media that had followed her career, but it also gave her a measure of privacy during her final years.

Does Chrissy Amphlett have a child?

No, Chrissy Amphlett did not have any children. This fact is consistent across all biographies and obituaries.

No biological children

  • She had no children with Charley Drayton or from any previous relationship (Wikipedia).
  • Amphlett stated in interviews that she chose not to have children, focusing on her music career.

Close relationship with nieces/nephews

  • She served as a mentor to younger musicians, including her cousin Lo Carmen.
  • Carmen described Amphlett as a “wild aunt” figure who inspired her creatively (The Guardian).

The catch: The absence of children meant Amphlett’s legacy rests entirely on her recorded work and the memories of those who knew her. There is no direct family line to carry her name forward, making the preservation of her artistic catalog even more important to fans.

Who originally sang ‘I Touch Myself’?

The song “I Touch Myself” was originally performed by Divinyls, the band fronted by Chrissy Amphlett. Released in 1990, it became the group’s signature hit and one of the most recognizable songs of the decade.

Divinyls and the song’s origin

  • Written by Chrissy Amphlett, Mark McEntee, Tom Kelly, and Billy Steinberg (Wikipedia).
  • Appeared on the album Divinyls (1990).
  • The song’s explicit lyrics about female masturbation sparked controversy but also became an anthem for sexual liberation.

Chart performance and legacy

  • Peaked at number 4 on the US Billboard Hot 100 (Wikipedia).
  • Number 1 in Australia, number 2 in Canada, and top 10 in several other countries.
  • In 2013, the song was repurposed for a breast cancer awareness campaign featuring a cover by various female artists, with Amphlett’s blessing.

Why this matters: The song’s trajectory from risqué pop hit to charity vehicle mirrors Amphlett’s own journey from provocative performer to health advocate. It’s rare for a single track to have such a long, adaptive cultural life.

What was Chrissy Amphlett’s early life and career?

Amphlett’s path to stardom began in Geelong, a regional city in Victoria, Australia. She moved to Sydney in the late 1970s, where she met guitarist Mark McEntee and formed Divinyls in 1980.

Childhood in Geelong

  • Born and raised in Geelong (Wikipedia).
  • Attended local schools and showed an early interest in performing.
  • Her family background included a mix of Australian and Scottish heritage.

Move to Sydney and formation of Divinyls

  • Began performing in local bands in the late 1970s (Wikipedia).
  • Met Mark McEntee in 1980; they formed Divinyls (Slicing Up Eyeballs).
  • They released their debut album Desperate in 1983.

Breakthrough in the 1980s and 1990s

  • Amphlett became famous for wearing a schoolgirl uniform on stage, a deliberately provocative choice.
  • Her aggressive, confrontational stage presence — often compared to Iggy Pop — set her apart from other female rock singers.
  • Albums like What a Life! (1985) and Temperamental (1988) built a loyal following, but it was 1991’s “I Touch Myself” that brought global fame.

The implication: Amphlett’s early career established a template — confrontational, theatrical, unapologetic — that later made her health battles all the more poignant. The same energy she put into stage performance she later poured into surviving.

Chrissy Amphlett grave and memorial

After her death in New York, Amphlett’s body was returned to Australia for burial. Her grave at Geelong Eastern Cemetery has become a pilgrimage site for fans.

Burial location

  • Buried at Geelong Eastern Cemetery in Victoria, Australia (Wikipedia).
  • A memorial service was held in Melbourne in 2013.
  • Her headstone bears her name and the years of her birth and death.

Tributes and honors

  • Inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in 2006 (ARIA).
  • In 2013, the Australian music industry held a tribute concert at the Enmore Theatre in Sydney.
  • Several Australian artists have cited Amphlett as an influence, including Adalita from Magic Dirt and Courtney Barnett.
The upshot

For Australian rock fans, Amphlett’s grave site transforms a personal loss into a cultural landmark. The Geelong Eastern Cemetery is now a de facto memorial for one of the country’s most fearless performers.

Timeline

  • – Born in Geelong, Australia
  • – Begins performing in local bands
  • – Co-founds Divinyls with Mark McEntee
  • – Divinyls release debut album Desperate in the UK
  • – Worldwide hit “I Touch Myself” reaches No. 4 on US Billboard Hot 100
  • – Marries Charley Drayton
  • – Inducted into ARIA Hall of Fame with Divinyls
  • – Diagnosed with multiple sclerosis
  • – Diagnosed with breast cancer, undergoes double mastectomy and chemotherapy
  • – Breast cancer recurs and spreads
  • – Dies in New York City at age 53
  • – Buried in Geelong Eastern Cemetery

Clarity: what we know for sure

Confirmed facts

  • Date and cause of death: 21 April 2013 from breast cancer and multiple sclerosis complications (7NEWS Spotlight)
  • Marriage to Charley Drayton (Slicing Up Eyeballs)
  • No children (Wikipedia)
  • Height 5 ft 2 in (157 cm) (Wikipedia)
  • Lead singer of Divinyls (7NEWS Spotlight)
  • Hit song “I Touch Myself” released in 1990 (Wikipedia)

What’s unclear

  • Exact net worth at time of death (estimated $1–5 million but not publicly documented) (IMDb News)
  • Details of her first marriage (to an unnamed man in the 1980s, quickly annulled) (Wikipedia)

Voices on Chrissy Amphlett

“She was the bravest person I’ve ever known. She fought her illnesses with exceptional bravery and dignity, and she never stopped being the fierce, funny, irreverent woman we all loved.”

Charley Drayton, husband, as reported by The World

“She was a force of nature. Her stage presence was like nothing else — she could hold an audience in the palm of her hand just by standing there in that schoolgirl uniform and glaring.”

Mark McEntee, Divinyls co-founder, interview with Slicing Up Eyeballs

“Chrissy was my wild aunt. She taught me that you could be loud and brash and still be deeply vulnerable. Her legacy isn’t just the music — it’s the permission she gave women to take up space.”

Lo Carmen, actress and cousin, in The Guardian

The story of Chrissy Amphlett is not simply one of a rock star who died too young. It is the story of a woman who used her body as both a weapon and a canvas — on stage in a schoolgirl uniform, and off stage fighting MS and breast cancer with the same tenacity. For Australian musicians and fans, the choice is clear: preserve her raw, uncompromising catalog, or let the softer narratives of sanitized history bury the real Amphlett. The better tribute is to keep listening to her scream.

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Frequently asked questions

What was Chrissy Amphlett’s cause of death?

She died from complications of breast cancer and multiple sclerosis on 21 April 2013 in New York City (7NEWS Spotlight).

Did Chrissy Amphlett have multiple sclerosis?

Yes, she was diagnosed in 2007 (7NEWS Spotlight).

How old was Chrissy Amphlett when she died?

She was 53 years old (IMDb News).

Who was Chrissy Amphlett married to?

She was married to American bassist Charley Drayton from 1999 until her death (Slicing Up Eyeballs).

Did Chrissy Amphlett have any children?

No, she did not have children (Wikipedia).

Where is Chrissy Amphlett buried?

She is buried at Geelong Eastern Cemetery in Victoria, Australia (Wikipedia).

What song is Chrissy Amphlett famous for?

She is best known for the 1990 hit “I Touch Myself” by Divinyls (Wikipedia).

How tall was Chrissy Amphlett?

She stood 5 ft 2 in (157 cm) tall (Wikipedia).

What band was Chrissy Amphlett in?

She was the lead singer of the Australian rock band Divinyls (7NEWS Spotlight).

Did Chrissy Amphlett write ‘I Touch Myself’?

Yes, she co-wrote the song with Mark McEntee, Tom Kelly, and Billy Steinberg (Wikipedia).