Biography
A highly regarded presence in San Francisco’s music circles, pianist and organist Finnegan first drew notice during the mid-1960s as leader of Mike Finnegan And The Surfs. Toward the close of that decade he played a central role in the Serfs, the jazz-tinged rock band behind Early Bird Cafe. In 1970 he linked up with ex-Gary Burton guitarist Jerry Hahn to form Jerry Hahn’s Brotherhood, yet the ensemble’s lone, self-titled release did not fully convey their abilities. Finnegan next entered Nu Boogaloo Express, whose roster included alumni of Big Brother And The Holding Company; when that group reconvened in 1971 he participated on a part-time basis and can be heard on the album Be A Brother. The same year marked the start of his solo path, as Mike Finnegan And Friends was cut with assistance from Muscle Shoals sessioneers David Hood, Barry Beckett and Roger Hawkins. Over the ensuing seven years three more polished albums appeared: the 1972 collaboration Crazed Hipsters alongside guitarist Jerry Wood, and, after he formed Dudek, Finnegan And Krueger in 1978 with Les Dudek (previously of Boz Scaggs and Steve Miller), the LPs Sweet Salvation and The DFK Band. Dudek and Finnegan then launched Black Rose, the soft-rock outfit fronted by Cher; once that project dissolved Finnegan returned to solo activity but never regained the visibility he commanded in the seventies. For many years he has collaborated with members of Crosby, Stills And Nash, notably sharing vocals on Stephen Stills’s 1984 AOR hit “Can’t Let Go.” Session calls remain frequent, though his striking voice continues to be underutilized.