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1947-2003 |
OBITUARIES:
LONDON: Finn, Mickey,T Rex bongo player.
Associated PressWednesday, January 15, 2003
Mickey Finn, 55, of London, bongo player with the 1970s glam rock band
T Rex, died Saturday 11 January 2003.
He had suffered from kidney and liver problems.
He
left the group in 1975 but took over leadership of the band when it reformed
after the death of front man
Marc Bolan in 1977. After stints with the bands Hapshash and Coloured
Coat, he teamed up with the charismatic
Mr. Bolan, a singer-songwriter, in 1969 when T Rex's original bongo player,
Steve Took, left the band.
He was Mr. Bolan's sidekick as he progressed from hippie sage to glam rock guru and performed on hits such as ''Ride a White Swan'' and ''Children of the Revolution'' and is credited with giving the band its distinctive ''bebop'' sound.
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Once
again the music world has lost another hero. |
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10 Reasons Why Mickey Finn Was Cool! |
Monday January 13, 2003 @ 04:30 PM
By: ChartAttack.com Staff
It’s not often that drummers are given as much attention as singers, especially when the singer is someone as charismatic as T-Rex’s Marc Bolan, but Mickey Finn’s technique and cheekbones were equally instrumental in making people pay attention to him. Finn had done some dubious things in recent years — most notably attempting a comeback under the T-Rex name even though no other member were alive (webmaster comment "not true as thankfully Bill Legend is very much still with us!")— but his contribution to ‘70s glam rock is undeniable. Finn (55) died in hospital on January 11. Kidney and liver problems are suspected to be the reason for his death, though no official cause has been announced.
It’s with a lifelong love of T-Rex (that began when I was a little English kid glued to Top Of The Pops), that I present 10 reasons why Mickey Finn should be remembered fondly.
1. T-Rex sold about 39 million records, despite never having mass appeal in North America.
2. Finn designed the cover to The Kinks’ Schoolboys In Disgrace album.
3. He brought his groovy style to the bongos and conga on The Soup Dragons’ Hydrophonic in 1995.
4. The way Mickey’s bass drum and cymbals on "Jeepster" punctuated Marc Bolan’s breathy vocals. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, go out and buy Electric Warrior. Right now.
5. He was never one to merely sit behind a conventional kit, often using tabla, bongos, clay drums and other percussive instruments to add new layers to the T-Rex sound.
6. On T-Rex’s eponymous album, he is credited with playing "pixiephone."
7. When Mickey joined Marc Bolan and Steve Peregrin Took’s band, they shortened the name from Tyrannosaurus Rex to T-Rex and began eschewing their folky leanings for the glammy sounds they became known for.
8. Long hair, jaunty silk scarves and elephant flares: the man had style.
9. As a member of T-Rex, he was responsible for The Slider. Featuring songs like "Telegram Sam" and "Metal Guru," two of the finest singles produced in that era.
10. Their only song to make the American chart was "Bang A Gong (Get A Gong)," later covered by Robert Palmer, John Taylor, et al in the Power Station. The cover doesn’t come close to the original — in case you couldn’t tell.
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T-Rex Star Micky Dies *Updated: Monday January 13, 2003
Chart star Mickey Finn of Seventies legends T Rex has died at the age
of 56.
The cause of his death has not been announced, although he is thought
to have suffered from kidney and liver problems.
The percussionist had continued to perform as leader of a new incarnation of the band following the death of frontman Marc Bolan who died when his car left the road and smashed into a tree in Putney, south-west London.
T Rex manager Barry Newby said: "With regret, the band are sad to announce the passing of their dear friend and leader Mickey Finn."Finn teamed up with charismatic singer-songwriter Bolan in 1969 to replace his original bongo player Steve Took.
He was Bolan's sidekick as he progressed from hippy sage to glam rock guru and performed on hits such as Ride A White Swan and Children Of The Revolution.