Richard Finch (musician)

For other people named Richard Finch, see Richard Finch.

Richard Finch (born Richard Raymond Finch, January 23, 1954), 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.

Biography

Born in Indianapolis, Indiana, 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).^{[citation needed]} 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."

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 Award 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.^{[citation needed]}

Finch has produced numerous US and international artists at his studio in Newark, Ohio. He is currently writing his autobiography.

External links

• Official Richard Finch web site