Bono ended friendship with Michael Hutchence because the late star ‘spiralled down the vortex of drug use’

Bono has revealed that he stopped speaking to tragic INXS singer Michael Hutchence due to his excessive drug use.

In an excerpt from his book Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story, the U2 frontman, 62, writes that he and wife Ali Hewson made the decision to cut ties to close pals Hutchence and his TV presenter partner Paula Yates in the early Nineties over the pair’s substance abuse.

He said: "[Things changed as the two] spiralled down the vortex of a recreational drug use that had become hard work for everyone, especially their family, especially the younger ones."

He continued: "As their behaviour changed, our friendship became strained and we grew uncomfortable during their visits."

In 1996, Hutchence and Yates asked Bono and Hewson to be godparents to their newborn daughter Heavenly Hiraani Tiger Lily Hutchence Geldof.

However, they declined because they were "so wigged out" by the couple’s drug use and the move ended their friendship.

On November 22, 1997, a maid found Hutchence dead in his Sydney hotel room.

A coroner ruled the 37-year-old musician had committed suicide.

Yates died from a heroin overdose in 2000.

"Neither of us dreamed they’d both end up dead so soon. Even now, I can’t believe I’ve just written that," Bono wrote.

Tiger Lily was adopted and raised by Yates’ ex-husband, Sir Bob Geldof.

Bono’s memoir, Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story, is out now.