Richard Finch (musician)
Encyclopedia
Richard Finch is an American
composer
, producer
, engineer
, and song
arranger
. He is best known as the co-founder, producer and former bass
player of KC and the Sunshine Band
. Along with Harry Wayne Casey
, he co-wrote six #1 Billboard Hot 100
hits.
, Finch's family moved to Hialeah, Florida
, when he was an infant. 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
and began to figure out country music bass lines. He joined several country bands before joining the band Ball & Chain.
Finch became interested in audio recording techniques and a schoolmate introduced him to singer-songwriter Clarence Reid from TK Records. Finch started skipping high school and spending every free moment at TK Records
's and eventually was hired as a part-time recording engineer
for the label. Henry Stone and Clarence Reid introduced teenager Finch to Harry Wayne Casey
, four years his senior, who worked in the shipping department. Prior to his introduction to Casey, Finch had already established himself at TK as a skilled engineer, with over 127 singles recorded before the age of 17 (including miscellaneous tracks for the Allman Brothers and Mother’s Finest). Within weeks of meeting, the Finch/Casey songwriting collaboration began, with their first hit song recorded by Betty Wright
and George McCrae
(*Where Is the Love" and "Rock Your Baby
"). Finch then assembled the future Sunshine Band members, utilizing his already established friendships with TK session musicians, Jerome Smith (guitarist) and drummer Robert Johnson. The Finch/Casey collaboration produced numerous hits, including, "Shake Shake Shake (Your Booty)," "Get Down Tonight," "Please Don't Go," "Boogie Shoes" and "I'm Your Boogie Man."
On March 26, 2010, Finch's website was updated stating Michael Connick of Cleveland, OH had been retained as Finch's defense attorney.
At the bond hearing on April 6, Finch entered a plea of "Not Guilty" on all charges.
On December 6, 2010 Finch, in a negotiated arrangement between the prosecution and defense, entered a 'no contest' plea to reduced charges (the majority of charges dismissed) and was sentenced to seven years in prison. He is eligible for Judicial Release in March 2015. After sentencing, Finch was immediately granted a new attorney (Todd W. Barstow - Columbus, OH), who is filing a Motion to Appeal this ruling which will result in a trial if this motion is granted.
winner / 2010 first round ballot Grammy nominated Producer - and the recipient of an American Music Award and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
. In October 2010, Finch became a nominee to the Songwriters Hall of Fame
.
Finch’s bass lines and drum grooves have been sampled
by artists such as 50 Cent
, Snoop Dogg
, Ultra Naté
, and Beyoncé Knowles
.
Finch has produced numerous US and international artists at his studio in Newark, Ohio
. He is currently writing his autobiography.
People of the United States
The people of the United States, also known as simply Americans or American people, are the inhabitants or citizens of the United States. The United States is a multi-ethnic nation, home to people of different ethnic and national backgrounds...
composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
, producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, engineer
Audio engineering
An audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including...
, and song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
arranger
Arrangement
The American Federation of Musicians defines arranging as "the art of preparing and adapting an already written composition for presentation in other than its original form. An arrangement may include reharmonization, paraphrasing, and/or development of a composition, so that it fully represents...
. He is best known as the co-founder, producer and former bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
player of KC and the Sunshine Band
KC and the Sunshine Band
KC and the Sunshine Band is an American musical group. Founded in 1973 in Miami, Florida, their style has included funk, R&B, and disco. Their most well known songs include the disco hits "That's the Way ", " Shake Your Booty", "I'm Your Boogie Man", "Keep It Comin' Love", "Get Down Tonight", "Give...
. Along with Harry Wayne Casey
Harry Wayne Casey
Harry Wayne "K.C." Casey is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and producer. He is most famous for his group, KC and the Sunshine Band, and as a producer of several hits for other artists.-Early years:...
, he co-wrote six #1 Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
hits.
Biography
Born in Indianapolis, IndianaIndianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
, Finch's family moved to Hialeah, Florida
Hialeah, Florida
Hialeah is a city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 226,419. As of 2009, the population estimate by the U. S...
, when he was an infant. His favorite group growing up was the Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
. His musical tastes grew to include soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
and country and western
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
music. In his early teens, Finch got his first electric bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
and began to figure out country music bass lines. He joined several country bands before joining the band Ball & Chain.
Finch became interested in audio recording techniques and a schoolmate introduced him to singer-songwriter Clarence Reid from TK Records. Finch started skipping high school and spending every free moment at TK Records
TK Records
TK Records was an American record label started by record distributor, Henry Stone in Miami, Florida, one of several labels that he founded in the 1960s and 1970s...
's and eventually was hired as a part-time recording engineer
Audio engineering
An audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including...
for the label. Henry Stone and Clarence Reid introduced teenager Finch to Harry Wayne Casey
Harry Wayne Casey
Harry Wayne "K.C." Casey is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and producer. He is most famous for his group, KC and the Sunshine Band, and as a producer of several hits for other artists.-Early years:...
, four years his senior, who worked in the shipping department. Prior to his introduction to Casey, Finch had already established himself at TK as a skilled engineer, with over 127 singles recorded before the age of 17 (including miscellaneous tracks for the Allman Brothers and Mother’s Finest). Within weeks of meeting, the Finch/Casey songwriting collaboration began, with their first hit song recorded by Betty Wright
Betty Wright
Bessie Regina Norris, better known by her stage name, Betty Wright , is a Grammy winning Miami-based soul and R&B singer-songwriter, who won fame in the 1970s with hits such as "Clean Up Woman" and "Tonight Is the Night"...
and George McCrae
George McCrae
George McCrae is an American soul and disco singer, most famous for his 1974 hit "Rock Your Baby".-Early life and career:...
(*Where Is the Love" and "Rock Your Baby
Rock Your Baby
"Rock Your Baby" is a popular song by George McCrae. Written and produced by Harry Wayne Casey and Richard Finch of KC and the Sunshine Band, "Rock Your Baby" was one of the landmark recordings of early disco music...
"). Finch then assembled the future Sunshine Band members, utilizing his already established friendships with TK session musicians, Jerome Smith (guitarist) and drummer Robert Johnson. The Finch/Casey collaboration produced numerous hits, including, "Shake Shake Shake (Your Booty)," "Get Down Tonight," "Please Don't Go," "Boogie Shoes" and "I'm Your Boogie Man."
Legal issues
On March 23, 2010, Finch was arrested in Newark, Ohio (Licking County), accused of having sexual contact with a 17 year old male. Police stated that during an interview he admitted to having sexual contact with that teen, and other teens aged 13 to 17. According to Ohio Law, 'inappropriate sexual contact' can include any form of touching, including hugging if the person hugged finds the gesture offensive.On March 26, 2010, Finch's website was updated stating Michael Connick of Cleveland, OH had been retained as Finch's defense attorney.
At the bond hearing on April 6, Finch entered a plea of "Not Guilty" on all charges.
On December 6, 2010 Finch, in a negotiated arrangement between the prosecution and defense, entered a 'no contest' plea to reduced charges (the majority of charges dismissed) and was sentenced to seven years in prison. He is eligible for Judicial Release in March 2015. After sentencing, Finch was immediately granted a new attorney (Todd W. Barstow - Columbus, OH), who is filing a Motion to Appeal this ruling which will result in a trial if this motion is granted.
Legacy
Finch is a multi-Grammy AwardGrammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
winner / 2010 first round ballot Grammy nominated Producer - and the recipient of an American Music Award and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
Hollywood Walk of Fame
The Hollywood Walk of Fame consists of more than 2,400 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along fifteen blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, California...
. In October 2010, Finch became a nominee to the Songwriters Hall of Fame
Songwriters Hall of Fame
The Songwriters Hall of Fame is an arm of the National Academy of Popular Music. It was founded in 1969 by songwriter Johnny Mercer and music publishers Abe Olman and Howie Richmond. The goal is to create a museum but as of April, 2008, the means do not yet exist and so instead it is an online...
.
Finch’s bass lines and drum grooves have been sampled
Sampling (music)
In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...
by artists such as 50 Cent
50 Cent
Curtis James Jackson III , better known by his stage name 50 Cent, is an American rapper, entrepreneur, investor, record producer, and actor. He rose to fame with the release of his albums Get Rich or Die Tryin and The Massacre . Get Rich or Die Tryin has been certified eight times platinum by...
, Snoop Dogg
Snoop Dogg
Calvin Cordozar Broadus, Jr. , better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg, is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Snoop is best known as a rapper in the West Coast hip hop scene, and for being one of Dr. Dre's most notable protégés. Snoop Dogg was a Crip gang member while in high school...
, Ultra Naté
Ultra Naté
Ultra Naté is an American house music, Dance-pop and sometimes R&B musician who has achieved a respectable amount of success on the pop charts with songs such as "Free" and "If You Could Read My Mind" as part of Stars on 54....
, and Beyoncé Knowles
Beyoncé Knowles
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles , often known simply as Beyoncé, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, she enrolled in various performing arts schools and was first exposed to singing and dancing competitions as a child...
.
Finch has produced numerous US and international artists at his studio in Newark, Ohio
Newark, Ohio
In addition, the remains of a road leading south from the Octagon have been documented and explored. It was first surveyed in the 19th century, when its walls were more apparent. Called the Great Hopewell Road, it may extend to the Hopewell complex at Chillicothe, Ohio...
. He is currently writing his autobiography.