Mike Finnegan-RIP

[Craig Stock]

Just got news from a friend that Mike passed away yesterday, sad, such a great keyboard player and soulful singer!

https://www.kansascity.com/entertainmen ... 48829.html

[Skip Edwards]

Another hero of mine gone...
Vaya con Dios, Mike.

[Stu Schulman]

No!!

[Joachim Kettner]

Bad news. I liked him so much.

[Craig Stock]

Stu I sent you a pm last week saying that he was dealing with cancer, and sadly my buddy Glenn Alexander told me this morning that he had passed. He played and sang on Glenn’s last album and Mike’s latest group had it going on, the local Jazz station W-BGO played it a lot. Sadly Bob Porter also passed recently, he was a big blues jazz legend DJ, Producer, Etc.

On a positive note, these guys lived a full life and left us with a great legacy to enjoy!

[Steve Hitsman]

Jerry Hahn Brotherhood is still one of my all time favorites.

[Chris Boyd]

What an amazing musician...I saw Mike perform a few times at the Mohigan Sun Wolf Den and he was fabulous ! RIP and thanks for all the great music Mike...

[John Drury]

Sad news indeed, one of the greats! I caught Finnigan and Wood at Little Bear in the late 60's, what performers!

Rest easy Mike.....

[Glenn Suchan]

Jerry Hahn Brotherhood is still one of my all time favorites.

Mine, too, Steve. I bought the album when it came out in 1970 because Mike was in the band. I was blown away by Mike's vocals and Hammond B3 playing on on "Captain Bobby Stout" and "One Man Woman":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DyocByw0Vqs

Initially, I became familiar with Mike Finnigan because of his session work on Jimi Hendrix' album, Electric Lady Land. Here he talks about his participation on the tracks "Rainy Day, Dream Away" and that song's reprise, "Still Raining, Still Dreaming" (Incidentally, because of the jazzy feel of these tracks, it's my personal feeling that, had Jimi not died so young, he would pursued music as a legitimate, and most likely, highly innovative jazz guitarist):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQteSSBg6vE

For those not familiar with his career; aside from playing in bands with such notables as Bonnie Raitt, Taj Mahal, Joe Cocker, et al, Mike Finnigan was hired (along with Art Garfunkel and Timothy B. Schmidt whom sang David Crosby's harmony vocals, as he was, at that time fighting his drug-demons) during the recording of CSN's 1980 album, Daylight Again. Note: The only song David Crosby contributed to that album was "Delta" which was recorded, solo at his home and sent in to be mastered for the album. Among the songs from that album, Mike contributed Hammond B3 and backing vocals on their biggest hit from the album, "Southern Cross":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=chhJukhxeHE

Keep on picking'!
Glenn

[Craig Stock]

Don't forget his great work with Dave Mason, really great stuff, and Dudek, Finnegan, Krieger, The DFK Band.

Funny story about Jerry Hahn, years ago Jerry was coming to my town to do some project with my friend Glenn Alexander who I mentioned before, they are both from Kansas as well as Mike, and Jerry takes the train from New York into Westfield, NJ and was going to call Glenn once he got it. He had no idea where he lived, but got off the train and walked across the street into a nice Italian Bistro and said he was looking for someone and then saw his picture on the wall and said 'That Guy!', Glenn, and of course he lived up the street about a mile up. Funny coincidence.

[Chris Templeton]

A great song sung by Bonnie Raitt, "I Used To Rule The World", with Mike playing B3:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXQDc7Xv8Sc

[Jim Sliff]

Damn! Relly sorry to hear this. I saw him play with so many people it was ridiculous! RIP Mike.