Harry Wayne Casey & Richard Finch Interview (May 26, 1978)

ANA AZCUY SERIES ON DISCOS SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER PARTS I-V 5/22-26; INTERVIEW WITH BEE GEES

Harry Wayne Casey (born January 31, 1951), better known by his stage name KC, is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is best known for his band, KC and the Sunshine Band, as a producer of several hits for other artists, and as a pioneer of the disco genre of the 1970s.

Harry Wayne Casey formed KC and the Sunshine Band in 1973. He was introduced to Richard Finch, who was doing engineering work on records for TK Records. Thus began the Casey-Finch musical collaboration. The initial members were just Casey and Finch. They later added guitarist Jerome Smith (1953–2000) and drummer Robert Johnson, both TK studio musicians.

The first few songs, "Blow Your Whistle" (September 1973) and "Sound Your Funky Horn" (February 1974), were released as singles, and did well enough on the U.S. R&B chart and overseas that TK wanted a follow-up single and album. However, while working on demos for KC & the Sunshine Band the song, "Rock Your Baby" (George McCrae) was created. The band's "Queen of Clubs" was a hit in the UK, peaking at No. 7, and they went on tour there in 1975.

KC and the Sunshine Band became prominent in the United States in 1975 with "Get Down Tonight" and "That's the Way (I Like It)". Other Casey-Finch favorites include "(Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty", "I'm Your Boogie Man", "Keep It Comin' Love" and "Please Don't Go". "Boogie Shoes" appeared on the soundtrack album for Saturday Night Fever. He also joined Teri DeSario on her hit "Yes, I'm Ready" in 1979. Casey also part-wrote "I Ain't Lyin'" (a UK hit for George McCrae in late 1975).

As a result of the soaring popularity of new wave and synthpop in the early 1980s, Casey dissolved the Sunshine Band and recorded several pop-oriented solo albums. In January 1981, he survived a serious car accident — another car hit his car head-on. He was left partially paralyzed for six months, and had to re-learn how to walk, dance, and play the piano, but by the end of the year he was back in the recording studio.[4] "Give It Up", was released as a solo hit, shot to Number One in the UK (but his U.S. label, Epic, refused to release it). However, it became a Top 20 hit in the United States (1984) when issued on the independent Meca label.

Casey was born on January 31, 1951, at the Naval Hospital in Opa-locka, Florida. He grew up in Hialeah and graduated from Hialeah High School.[5] In the 1990s and 2000s he split his time between Miami Lakes, Florida and Durham, North Carolina.[6][7] He now lives in Miami Lakes.

Richard Raymond Finch (born January 23, 1954) is an American songwriter, producer, engineer, and song arranger. He is best known as the co-founder, producer and former bass guitar player of KC and the Sunshine Band. Along with Harry Wayne Casey, he co-wrote six No. 1 Billboard Hot 100 hits.

Biography[edit]
Born in Indianapolis, Indiana, Finch's family moved to Hialeah, Florida, when he was an infant. At five years old and the second youngest of five children, Finch's father died unexpectedly leaving his mother to raise Finch and his four siblings alone. His favorite group growing up was The Beatles. His musical tastes grew to include soul and country and western music. In his early teens, Finch got his first electric bass guitar and began to learn country music bass lines. He joined several country bands before joining the band Ball & Chain.[1]

Finch became interested in audio recording techniques while working at an Opa Locka, Florida electronics and record store. A schoolmate introduced him to the singer-songwriter Clarence Reid from TK Records. His high school attendance suffered as he spent every free moment at TK Records and unbeknownst to his mother, he dropped out of high school his sophomore year and shortly thereafter was hired as a part-time recording engineer for the label.

Within weeks of meeting, the Finch-Casey songwriting collaboration began, with their first hit songs recorded by Betty Wright ("Where is the Love") and George McCrae ("Rock Your Baby").

Criminal convictions[edit]
On March 23, 2010, Finch was arrested in Newark, Ohio, accused of having inappropriate contact with a 17-year-old male. Police stated that during an interview, he admitted to having inappropriate contact with that teen,[3] and other teens aged 13 to 17.

At his bond hearing on April 6, 2010, Finch entered a plea of not guilty to all charges.[4] In December 2010, Finch pleaded "no contest" and was sentenced to seven years' imprisonment. He served his sentence in Chillicothe Correctional Institution, a medium-security state prison in Ohio, and was released on March 13, 2017.[5]