Mickey Finn

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Mickey Finn

Mickey Finn (actually Michael Norman Finn ; born June 3, 1947 in Thornton Heath , London ; † January 11, 2003 in Croydon , London) was a percussionist in the British glam rock band T. Rex from 1969 to 1975 .

biography

As a teenager, Mickey Finn was part of the English mod scene in the early 1960s . At the end of the 1960s he joined the hippie artist group Haphash & The Colored Coat , which not only painted, but also played music. In October 1969 he met Marc Bolan in the macrobiotic restaurant "Seed" on London's Fulham Road . Finn designed there just psychedelic murals and a common friend introduced the musicians to each other known. Bolan was looking for a new musical partner for his duo Tyrannosaurus Rex , because he had recently separated from his previous musician Steve Peregrin Took (* July 28, 1949, † October 27, 1980) because of his drug problems and ambitions to publish his own material .

Finn was not considered an outstanding musician, but he looked good and fitted into the visual image of the band around Bolan that was forming. After a successful tour of England from November 1969 and the release of the LP "A Beard Of Stars" in March 1970, Bolan renamed the band to the short form T. Rex in October 1970 and added bassist Steve Currie (* 20. May 1947; † April 28, 1981) and a little later to the drummer Bill Legend (born May 8, 1946).

The bongo player and self-confessed motorcycle fan Mickey Finn became the indispensable sidekick of the extroverted Marc Bolan. In January 1975 he left T. Rex  . In the 1980s and 1990s he worked as a studio musician , for example for the Scottish independent band The Soup Dragons or the Scottish pop- soul group The Blow Monkeys .

On September 30, 1997, Mickey Finn, Bolan's son Rolan Seymour Feld (born September 26, 1975) and the former T. Rex musicians Jack Green (born March 12, 1951, guitar) and Paul Fenton (born July 4, 1946, Drums) on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of his death to a memorial concert for the charismatic lead singer in the “ Cambridge Corn Exchange” performance hall . The great response encouraged Finn, Green and Fenton, along with changing musicians Revival Chapel The Band - T-Rex , later Mickey Finn's T-Rex to start. After a short time Green got out and was replaced by ex- Smokie guitarist Alan Silson (born June 21, 1951), who was then replaced by ex- Saxon guitarist Graham Oliver. The band, which appears under the name T-Rex - A Celebration Of Marc And Mickey after Finn's death , is still touring smaller English venues and is often booked for German oldie festivals. She shares her fame among others with the London tribute band T.Rextasy, which was founded in 1992 .

On January 11, 2003 Mickey Finn died at Mayday University Hospital of South London Borough of Croydon to liver and kidney failure and was on 5 February 2003 by close family in Beckenham Crematorium buried.

Quotes

  • " Since Mickey became a part of T. Rex, the music has become freer, more relaxed, and we can improvise - which we couldn't before." (English: "Since Mickey became a part of T. Rex the music has become freer, more relaxed, and we can improvise - which we could not do before. " ; Marc Bolan on a program for the " Castle Rock " concert on June 5, 1970)
  • " TD: In four short years, T. Rex major musical influence has won. What do you think of the changes in the musical style of T. Rex from 1970 to 1974? Mickey: In the beginning the underground loved us. We weren't interested in money ... Then it got more commercial. " (English: " TD: In four short years, T.Rex covered much musical ground. What are your thoughts on the progression of T.Rex's changes in musical style from 1970 through 1974? Mickey: In the beginning, the underground loved us. We were not interested in money ... then it became more commercial. " ; Mickey Finn Speaks Out , Interview by Mickey Finn on the Till Dawn website , 1. February 2000)
  • “Mickey could n't take on Steve Took as a percussionist or as a supporting voice . But because of his good looks, and some say because Marc fell in love with Mickey's 650cc Triumph motorcycle, he was hired. There were many other common interests between the two of them. Both were of UFOs possessed both liked the Rock Roll 'n' of the 1950s and the two learned that they spend hours together improvise could; something that Marc was rarely able to do with Steve - especially towards the end. " (English: " Mickey was no match to Steve Took as a percussionist or as a backing vocalist. But on the strength of his good looks and, some say, because Marc fell in Love with Mickey's 650cc Triumph motorcycle, he was hired. There were many other mutual interests between the two as well. Both were obsessed with UFOs, both liked 50's rock and roll, and both found that they could Jam together for hours ; something Marc had rarely been able to do with Steve - especially near the end. " ; Marc Bolan - Tyrannosaurus Rex Years by David Regenold, born November 26, 1958, electrical engineer and T. Rex fan from Tempe (Arizona) )

Discography

with Tyrannosaurus Rex / T. Rex (see there)

Mickey Finn's T-Rex

  • Renaissance (2000)

DVD

  • Mickey Finn's T-Rex - Back In Business - Live concert from the Stage Theater , Kent / England on October 19, 2001

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Finn, Mickey
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Finn, Michael Norman (real name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION British percussionist, T. Rex
DATE OF BIRTH June 3, 1947
PLACE OF BIRTH Thornton Heath , Surrey
DATE OF DEATH January 11, 2003
Place of death Croydon , London