Profile of Neil Finn on Famous Like Me

Neil Mullane Finn (b. May 27, 1958) is a singer and songwriter and one of New Zealand's foremost musicians.

Biography

Early Years / Split Enz

Born in Te Awamutu, New Zealand, he finished school in 1977. He decided at age of 12 to become a musician, and throughout school performed in such places as prisons, hospitals, as well as at home gatherings. He attended school both at Sacred Heart College (a Catholic boarding school), and Te Awamutu College. In 1976, he formed a group known as After Hours (with Mark Hough, Geoff Chunn and Alan Brown).

Not long after the debut performance of After Hours, Neil was invited to London to join Split Enz, the band formed by his elder brother, Tim Finn. By 1981, Neil was sharing lead-singer's duties in Split Enz; he wrote their first international hit, I Got You and contributed significantly to all their later albums, briefly assuming leadership of the band after Tim left in 1983.

The Mullanes / Crowded House

When Split Enz broke up in 1984, Neil formed a new band called The Mullanes (Mullane was his mother's maiden name) with Split Enz drummer Paul Hester, guitarist Craig Hooper of The Reels and bassist Nick Seymour, younger brother of Hunters & Collectors leader Mark Seymour.

Hooper left just before they recorded their first album, at which time the band was renamed Crowded House, after the rented accommodation they shared while recording in Los Angeles. They went on to enormous success worldwide, with two major hits: Don't Dream It's Over (U.S. #2, 1987) and Weather With You (U.K. #7, 1992). After releasing four albums, Crowded House, Temple of Low Men, Woodface, and Together Alone, the group broke up in 1996 during the promotion effort for their Best-Of album Recurring Dream, and Neil Finn went solo.

Solo years

Neil has recorded two solo albums to date: Try Whistling This (1998) and One Nil (2001). One Nil was released in the US and Canada as a remixed and reordered version named One All (2002). In 2001, he released a live album/DVD (7 Worlds Collide) consisting of songs recorded at St James Theatre in Auckland, New Zealand with the likes of Lisa Germano, Sebastian Steinberg, Ed O'Brien, Johnny Marr, Phil Selway, Eddie Vedder, Paul Jeffrey, Tim Finn, and Betchadupa. In 2001, the movie Rain was released, in which Neil was heavily involved in the soundtrack. Neil has also produced and recorded with various New Zealand acts such as Bic Runga, The Mutton Birds and Dave Dobbyn. In 2004 Neil, with brother Tim released the second Finn Brothers album, "Everyone Is Here".

Family

Neil married his wife Sharon on February 13, 1983. Together, they have two sons, Liam Mullane (born September 24, 1984) and Elroy Timothy (born October 25, 1989). Both sons play various instruments, and often perform alongside their father on tour, and in the recording studio. Sharon Finn creates chandeliers in her workshop in Auckland. Numerous chandeliers designed by Sharon featured on stage in the 2004-05 tours of the Everyone Is Here album.

Solo Discography

• 1998 Try Whistling This, (Last One Standing, Souvenir, Low World / King Tide, Try Whistling This, She Will Have Her Way, Sinner, Twisty Bass, Loose Tongue, Truth, Astro, Dream Date, Faster Than Light, Addicted).
• 2001 One Nil, (The Climber, Rest of the Day Off, Hole in the Ice, Wherever You Are, Last to Know, Don't Ask Why, Secret God, Turn and Run, Elastic Heart, Anytime, Driving Me Mad, Into the Sunset).
• 2002 One All, a modified release of One Nil for the USA and Canada (The Climber (new mix), Driving Me Mad (new Bob Clearmountain mix), Hole in the Ice (new Bob Clearmountain mix), Last to Know, Wherever You Are, Secret God, Lullaby Requiem,Human Kindness, Turn and Run (new mix), Anytime, Rest of the Day Off, Into the Sunset).

This content from Wikipedia is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article Neil Finn