Michael Kelly Finnigan (April 26, 1945 – August 11, 2021) was an American

keyboard player A keyboardist or keyboard player is a musician who plays keyboard instruments. Until the early 1960s musicians who played keyboards were generally classified as either pianists or organists. Since the mid-1960s, a plethora of new musical ins ...

and

vocalist Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or withou ...

, his speciality being the B3

Hammond organ The Hammond organ is an electric organ invented by Laurens Hammond and John M. Hanert and first manufactured in 1935. Multiple models have been produced, most of which use sliding drawbars to vary sounds. Until 1975, Hammond organs generated ...

. Working primarily as a freelance

studio musician Session musicians, studio musicians, or backing musicians are musicians hired to perform in recording sessions or live performances. The term sideman is also used in the case of live performances, such as accompanying a recording artist on a t ...

and touring player, he played with a wide variety of musicians in

pop Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop!, a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Albums * ''Pop'' ( ...

, rock,

blues Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the ...

and

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...

Life and career

Finnigan was born in

Troy, Ohio Troy is a city in and the county seat of Miami County, Ohio, United States, located north of Dayton. The population was 26,305 at the 2020 census, making it the largest city in Miami County and the 55th largest city in Ohio; it is part of the Da ...

, and attended the

University of Kansas The University of Kansas (KU) is a public research university with its main campus in Lawrence, Kansas, United States, and several satellite campuses, research and educational centers, medical centers, and classes across the state of Kansas. T ...

on a basketball scholarship. Finnigan toured with and sessioned for

Jimi Hendrix James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix; November 27, 1942September 18, 1970) was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. Although his mainstream career spanned only four years, he is widely regarded as one of the most ...

Joe Cocker John Robert "Joe" Cocker (20 May 1944 – 22 December 2014) was an English singer known for his gritty, bluesy voice and dynamic stage performances that featured expressive body movements. Most of his best known singles were recordings of son ...

Etta James Jamesetta Hawkins (January 25, 1938 – January 20, 2012), known professionally as Etta James, was an American singer who performed in various genres, including gospel, blues, jazz, R&B, rock and roll, and soul. Starting her career in 1954, sh ...

Sam Moore Samuel David Moore (born October 12, 1935) is an American vocalist who was a member of the soul and R&B group, Sam & Dave, from 1961 to 1981. He is a member of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, the Grammy Hall of Fame (for " Soul Man"), and the V ...

, Crosby Stills and Nash,

Dave Mason David Thomas Mason (born 10 May 1946) is an English singer-songwriter and guitarist from Worcester, who first found fame with the rock band Traffic. Over the course of his career, Mason has played and recorded with many notable pop and rock mu ...

Buddy Guy George "Buddy" Guy (born July 30, 1936) is an American blues guitarist and singer. He is an exponent of Chicago blues who has influenced generations of guitarists including Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, Keith Richards, Stevie Ray Vaugh ...

The Manhattan Transfer The Manhattan Transfer is a Grammy award–winning vocal group founded in 1969 that has explored a cappella, vocalese, swing, standards, Brazilian jazz, rhythm and blues, and pop music. There have been two editions of the Manhattan Transfer, ...

Taj Mahal The Taj Mahal (; ) is an Islamic ivory-white marble mausoleum on the right bank of the river Yamuna in the Indian city of Agra. It was commissioned in 1631 by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan () to house the tomb of his favourite wife, ...

, Michael McDonald,

Maria Muldaur Maria Muldaur (born Maria Grazia Rosa Domenica D'Amato; September 12, 1942) is an American folk and blues singer who was part of the American folk music revival in the early 1960s. She recorded the 1973 hit song " Midnight at the Oasis" and has ...

Peter Frampton Peter Kenneth Frampton (born 22 April 1950) is an English musician and songwriter who was a member of the rock bands Humble Pie and the Herd. As a solo artist, he has released several albums, including his major breakthrough album, the live ...

Cher Cher (; born Cherilyn Sarkisian; May 20, 1946) is an American singer, actress and television personality. Often referred to by the media as the Honorific nicknames in popular music, "Goddess of Pop", she has been described as embodying female ...

Ringo Starr Sir Richard Starkey (born 7 July 1940), known professionally as Ringo Starr, is an English musician, singer, songwriter and actor who achieved international fame as the drummer for the Beatles. Starr occasionally sang lead vocals with the ...

Leonard Cohen Leonard Norman Cohen (September 21, 1934November 7, 2016) was a Canadian singer-songwriter, poet and novelist. His work explored religion, politics, isolation, depression, sexuality, loss, death, and romantic relationships. He was inducted in ...

Tower of Power Tower of Power is an American R&B and funk based band and horn section, originating in Oakland, California, that has been performing since 1968. There have been a number of lead vocalists, the best-known being Lenny Williams, who fronted th ...

Rod Stewart Sir Roderick David Stewart (born 10 January 1945) is a British rock and pop singer and songwriter. Born and raised in London, he is of Scottish and English ancestry. With his distinctive raspy singing voice, Stewart is among the best-selling ...

David Coverdale David Coverdale (born 22 September 1951) is an English singer who is best known as the lead vocalist of Whitesnake, a hard rock band he founded in 1978. Before Whitesnake, Coverdale was the lead singer of Deep Purple from 1973 to 1976, after wh ...

Tracy Chapman Tracy Chapman (born March 30, 1964) is an American singer-songwriter. Chapman is best known for her hit singles "Fast Car" and " Give Me One Reason". Chapman was signed to Elektra Records by Bob Krasnow in 1987. The following year she released ...

Los Lonely Boys Los Lonely Boys are an American musical group from San Angelo, Texas. They play a style of music they call "Texican Rock n' Roll," combining elements of rock and roll, Texas blues, brown-eyed soul, country, and Tejano. The band consists of ...

Bonnie Raitt Bonnie Lynn Raitt (; born November 8, 1949) is an American blues singer and guitarist. In 1971, Raitt released her self-titled debut album. Following this, she released a series of critically acclaimed roots-influenced albums that incorporated ...

, and Saving Escape. Finnigan recorded ''Early Bird Cafe'' with the Serfs in the late 1960s, with Tom Wilson producing. The Serfs were the house band at a nightclub in Wichita, Kansas at the time. He then toured and cut an album with

Jerry Hahn Jerry Hahn (born September 21, 1940, Alma, Nebraska) is an American jazz guitarist. Hahn studied at Wichita State University, then moved to San Francisco in 1962, where he played with John Handy (1964–66). He toured with the 5th Dimension in ...

, ''The Jerry Hahn Brotherhood'' released in 1970. He recorded two solo records in the 1970s, one with

Jerry Wood Jerry may refer to: Animals * Jerry (Grand National winner), racehorse, winner of the 1840 Grand National * Jerry (St Leger winner), racehorse, winner of 1824 St Leger Stakes Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Jerry'' (film), a 2006 Indian fi ...

. He later collaborated with two other Columbia artists,

Les Dudek Les Dudek (born August 2, 1952, at Naval Air Station, Quonset Point, Rhode Island, United States) is an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. In addition to his solo material, Dudek has played guitar with Steve Miller Band, The Dudek-Finni ...

and Jim Krueger, with whom he formed the DFK Band (Dudek, Finnigan, and Krueger) in 1978. Subsequently, his work featured on a CD by The Finnigan Brothers (NashFilms Records), a collaboration with his younger brother Sean and founding member of Bread, Robb Royer. Finnigan was twice a winner of a

Blues Music Award The Blues Music Awards, formerly known as the W. C. Handy Awards (or "The Handys"), are awards presented by the Blues Foundation, a non-profit organization set up to foster blues heritage. The awards were originally named in honor of W. C. Hand ...

(formerly W.C. Handy Award) for his work with

as a member of the Phantom Blues Band. He was always active politically and was, for several years, a regular contributor to the weblog

Crooks and Liars ''Crooks and Liars'' is a progressive news blog focusing on political events founded by John Amato. History Crooks and Liars, a self-described liberal political blog, was started by John Amato in September 2004. Amato, known as the "Vlogfather," ...

. In 2013 and 2014, he was nominated for a Blues Music Award in the 'Pinetop Perkins Piano Player' category.

Personal life

He was married for 50 years to

Candy Finnigan Heather Candace "Candy" Finnigan (born May 18, 1946) is a professional interventionist who appears regularly in the A&E show '' Intervention''. She received her Certification in Chemical Dependency from UCLA and interned at Cedars-Sinai Hospital. ...

, an intervention counselor who appeared on the television show '' Intervention''. They have two children: a daughter, Bridget, and a son, Kelly. Finnigan was an active blogger, with a fondness for liberal/progressive causes and commentary.

Death

Finnigan died from

liver cancer Liver cancer (also known as hepatic cancer, primary hepatic cancer, or primary hepatic malignancy) is cancer that starts in the liver. Liver cancer can be primary (starts in liver) or secondary (meaning cancer which has spread from elsewhere to th ...

on August 11, 2021, in Los Angeles at the age of 76.

Selected discography

* 1969: The Serfs – ''The Early Bird Cafe'', Capitol Records * 1968:

– '' Electric Ladyland'' * 1970:

– ''The Jerry Hahn Brotherhood'' * 1971:

Tommy Bolin Thomas Richard Bolin (August 1, 1951 – December 4, 1976) was an American guitarist and songwriter who played with Zephyr (from 1969 to 1971), The James Gang (from 1973 to 1974), and Deep Purple (from 1975 to 1976), in addition to maintaining a ...

– ''Whirlwind'' * 1971:

Big Brother and the Holding Company Big Brother and the Holding Company is an American rock band that formed in San Francisco in 1965 as part of the same psychedelic music scene that produced the Grateful Dead, Quicksilver Messenger Service, and Jefferson Airplane. After some in ...

– ''

How Hard It Is ''How Hard It Is'' is the fourth and final studio album by Big Brother and the Holding Company, released in August 1971. The track "Buried Alive in the Blues" was originally written by guest singer Nick Gravenites for Janis Joplin who died before ...

'' * 1972: Finnigan and Wood – ''Crazed Hipsters'' * 1974:

– ''

'' * 1976: Mike Finnigan – ''Mike Finnigan'', Warner Bros. Records * 1977:

– ''

I'm in You ''I'm in You'' is the fifth studio album by Peter Frampton. It was released on 28 May 1977, almost a year and a half after his blockbuster 1976 live album '' Frampton Comes Alive!'' It was recorded at Electric Lady Studios in New York, where '' ...

'' * 1977: Dave Mason – '' Let It Flow'' * 1978:

Ben Sidran Ben Hirsh Sidran (born August 14, 1943) is an American jazz and rock keyboardist, producer, label owner, and music writer. Early in his career he was a member of the Steve Miller Band and is the father of Grammy-nominated musician, composer an ...

– ''A Little Kiss in the Night'' * 1978:

– ''Ghost Town Parade'' * 1978: Mike Finnigan – ''Black & White'', Columbia Records * 1978: Jim Krueger – ''Sweet Salvation'' * 1979: The Dudek Finnigan Krueger Band – ''Special Tour Sampler'' * 1980:

– '' Black Rose'' * 1982:

Crosby, Stills & Nash Crosby, Stills & Nash (CSN) were a folk rock supergroup made up of American singer-songwriters David Crosby and Stephen Stills and English singer-songwriter Graham Nash. When joined by Canadian singer-songwriter Neil Young as a fourth memb ...

– '' Daylight Again'' * 1983: Crosby, Stills & Nash – ''

Allies An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...

'' * 1984: Stephen Stills – ''Right By You'' * 1988: Crosby, Stills & Nash & Young – '' American Dream'' * 1993:

I Mother Earth I Mother Earth, or IME, is a Canadian rock band. The band formed in 1990 and reached its peak in popularity in the mid-to-late 1990s. After an eight-year hiatus, the band reunited in 2012. Between 1996 and 2016, I Mother Earth was among the top 15 ...

– '' Dig'' * 1993:

– '' Feels Like Rain'' * 1994: Crosby, Stills & Nash – '' After the Storm'' * 2000:

– '' Telling Stories'' * 2000:

– '' Into the Light'' * 2004:

The Mooney Suzuki The Mooney Suzuki is an American garage rock band that formed in New York City in 1996. Originally comprising vocalist and guitarist Sammy James, Jr., guitarist Graham Tyler, bassist John Paul Ribas and drummer Will Rockwell-Scott, the band has ...

– ''Alive & Amplified'' * 2005:

– ''Taj Mahal & the Phantom Blues Band: Live in St. Lucia'' * 2006: The Phantom Blues Band – ''Out of the Shadows'' * 2006: Keb' Mo' – ''

Suitcase A suitcase is a form of luggage. It is a rectangular container with a handle typically used to carry one's clothes and other belongings while traveling. The first suitcases appeared in the late 19th century due to the increased popularity of m ...

'' * 2007: Zen Blues Quartet – ''Again and Yet Again'' * 2007:

– '' Hymn for My Soul'' * 2007: The Phantom Blues Band – ''Footprints'' * 2008: The Eclectic Beast Band – ''Living the Music'' * 2010: Various Artists: ''The Imus Ranch Record II'' – "Part Time Love" (with the Phantom Blues Band) * 2010: Mike Finnigan – ''Mike Finnigan'' eissue Wounded Bird Records * 2010:

Willie Basse Wilber Cornelius Rice, Jr. ( ), known by the stage name Willie Basse, was an American hard rock vocalist, bassist, music producer, engineer and songwriter. He was the frontman for Black Sheep, a 1980s metal band that featured a number of notewort ...

– ''Break Away'' * 2011: Finnigan and Wood – ''It's Only a Rock and Roll Show'' (recorded 1971, previously unreleased) * 2011:

Trampled Under Foot "Trampled Under Foot" is a song by English rock group Led Zeppelin. A funk-influenced piece with John Paul Jones on clavinet, it was included on their 1975 album ''Physical Graffiti''. The song was released as a single in several countries and w ...

– ''Wrong Side of the Blues'' * 2011: The Phantom Blues Band – ''Inside Out'' * 2012:

– ''

Slipstream A slipstream is a region behind a moving object in which a wake of fluid (typically air or mustard) is moving at velocities comparable to that of the moving fluid, relative to the ambient fluid through which the object is churning. The term sli ...

'' * 2013:

Eric Burdon Eric Victor Burdon (born 11 May 1941) is an English singer. He was previously the lead vocalist of R&B and rock band the Animals and funk band War. He is regarded as one of the British Invasion's most distinctive singers with his deep, pow ...

– '' 'Til Your River Runs Dry'' * 2013: Kara Grainger – '' Shiver & Sigh'' * 2014:

– ''Badlands'' * 2014: Dave Mason – '' Future's Past'' * 2014: Hilary Scott – ''Freight Train Love'' * 2016: Annika Chambers – ''Wild & Free'' * 2017: Danielle Nicole – '' Cry No More'',

Concord Records Concord Records is an American record label owned by Concord and based in Los Angeles, California. Concord Records was launched in 1995 as an imprint designed to reach beyond the company's foundational Concord Jazz label. The label's artists have ...

* 2018: Jay-Bee & the Ultratone Allstars – ''Life Ain't Got No Shortcuts'' * 2020: The Phantom Blues Band – ''Still Cookin' ''

References

External links

Official Site for Finnigan and WoodOfficial Site for The Phantom Blues BandMike Finnigan Interview
NAMM Oral History Library (2017) * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Finnigan, Mike 1945 births 2021 deaths 20th-century American keyboardists American male organists American blues pianists American male pianists People from Troy, Ohio 20th-century American pianists 21st-century American keyboardists 21st-century American pianists 21st-century organists 20th-century American male musicians 21st-century American male musicians Big Brother and the Holding Company members Deaths from kidney cancer Blue Thumb Records artists American organists