Neil Finn

Neil Finn was born on 27 May 1958(67 years old) in New Zealand. Neil Finn is Guitarist, Zodiac sign - Gemini. More detail about Neil Finn given below.

Neil Finn Timeline

• 1976
  

  In 1976, Finn formed the group After Hours, with Mark Hough, Geoff Chunn, and Alan Brown. Not long after the bandu0027s debut performance, Finnu0027s brother invited him to join Split Enz in London, replacing original singer-songwriter Phil Judd. By 1980, he was sharing lead singer duties and wrote their first international hit, "I Got You". Finn contributed significantly to the bandu0027s later albums, and even briefly assumed leadership of the band after Tim Finn left in 1984, prior to the cessation of the band.

• 1982
  

  Finn married Sharon Dawn Johnson, on 13 February 1982. The song "I Love You Dawn", available on Afterglow (an album of unreleased Crowded House tracks and B-sides) was penned in her honour. Sharon creates chandeliers in her workshop in Auckland, many of which featured on stage in the 2004u201305 tours promoting the Everyone Is Here album. She has appeared on backing vocals on various albums such as Crowded House and Alex Lloydu0027s Watching Angels Mend. She also features prominently on the new 7 Worlds Collide project, co-writing (and sharing lead vocal on) the track u0027Little By Littleu0027 with her husband and sings on the track u0027Isolationu0027 on the new Crowded House album, Intriguer.

• 1984
  

  After the breakup of Split Enz in 1984, Finn formed a new band called The Mullanes (Mullane being both his middle name and his motheru0027s 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), whom Neil had met on the final Split Enz tour. Hooper left just before they recorded their first album, at which time the band was renamed Crowded House, inspired by the rental home they shared while recording in Los Angeles.

• 1986
  

  In 1986 Finn performed with The Rock Party a charity project initiated by The National Campaign Against Drug Abuse (NCADA), which included many Australasian musicians such as Reg Mombassa from Mental As Anything, Eddie Rayner, Tim Finn, Nick Seymour and Paul Hester of Crowded House, Geoff Stapleton, Mark Callaghan and Robbie James of GANGgajang, Mary Azzopardi of Rockmelons, Andrew Barnum of Vitabeats, Lissa Barnum, Michael Barclay, Peter Blakely, Deborah Conway, Jenny Morris, Danny De Costa, Greg Herbert (The Promise), Spencer P Jones, Sean Kelly (Models), John Kennedy, Paul Kelly, Martin Plaza (Mental as Anything), Robert Susz (Dynamic Hepnotics) and Rick Swinn (The Venetians). The Rock Party released a 12" single "Everything To Live For", which was produced by Joe Wissert, Phil Rigger and Phil Beazley.

• 1993
  

  Crowded House went on to enormous success worldwide, in particular with two major hits: "Donu0027t Dream Itu0027s Over" (US No. 2, 1987, Canada and New Zealand #1) and "Weather With You" (UK No. 7, 1992). Both Neil and his brother Tim were appointed as Officers of the Order of the British Empire (OBE), for services to music, in the 1993 Queenu0027s Birthday Honours. After releasing four albums, Crowded House, Temple of Low Men, Woodface, and Together Alone, the group broke up in 1996, and followed this action by releasing a greatest hits album Recurring Dream.

• 1995
  

  Finn has recorded four solo albums, Try Whistling This (1998), One Nil (2001), Dizzy Heights (2014), and Out of Silence (2017). One Nil was released in the US and Canada in a remixed versionu2014with two new tracks, one track deleted and reorderingu2014and was renamed One All (2002). Finn and Tim Finn also collaborated on a Finn Brothers album, Finn, that was released in 1995.

• 1997
  

  The Dixie Chicks release Taking the Long Way has a song co-written with Finn, entitled "Silent House", which is also on Crowded Houseu0027s "Time on Earth" album. It deals with people suffering from Alzheimeru0027s disease, slowly finding that familiar faces and items long cherished are slipping away from their memory. Neil Finn was also featured as a backing vocalist on the Sheryl Crow song, "Everyday is a Winding Road" from her self-titled second album, released in 1997. He also produced the song "Greenstone" from Emma Pakiu0027s debut album Oxygen of Love. Finn has also produced and recorded with various New Zealand acts such as Bic Runga, The Mutton Birds and Dave Dobbyn.

• 1999
  

  Following the breakup of Crowded House, Finn embarked on a solo career. The album Afterglow was released in 1999, which contained previously unreleased Crowded House recordings. Finn appeared as part of the BBC Fouru0027s "Songwritersu0027 Circle" series in 1999, and explained that "Donu0027t Dream Itu0027s Over" and "Better Be Home Soon" were both written quickly, with all of the elements of each songu2014such as lyrics and versesu2014emerging at the same time. Finn also sang the opening lines of The Verve song "The Drugs Donu0027t Work" to the opening chords of the latter song. Finn penned a theme song for the All Blacksu0027 participation in the 1999 Rugby World Cup, "Can You Hear Us?", that made it to the top of the NZ charts in October.

• 2001
  

  In 2001, he released a live album/DVD (7 Worlds Collide) consisting of songs recorded at St James Theatre in Auckland, New Zealand with Lisa Germano, Sebastian Steinberg (Soul Coughing), Ed Ou0027Brien and Phil Selway (Radiohead), Johnny Marr (The Smiths), Eddie Vedder (Pearl Jam), Paul Jeffrey, Tim Finn, and Betchadupa. Finn was also heavily involved in creating the 2001 soundtrack for the motion picture Rain. Everyone Is Here, a second Finn Brothers album, was released in 2004.In 2001, Neil recorded a cover for The Beatlesu0027 song Two Of Us with his son Liam for the movie I Am Sam.

• 2006
  

  In 2006, Neil and Tim Finn were both honoured by a slew of women re-recording and re-interpreting a selection of their songs with the album She Will Have Her Way which featured artists performing Neil Finnu0027s songs such as Kasey Chambers, Clare Bowditch, Boh Runga with her band Stellar*, Renu00e9e Geyer, Brooke Fraser, Holly Throsby, Sarah Blasko, Amiel and Natalie Imbruglia.

• 2007
  

  In January 2007, Crowded House reformed with Neil, Nick Seymour, Mark Hart, and new drummer Matt Sherrod (following the suicide of Paul Hester in 2005). The groupu0027s new album Time on Earth was released in June 2007; in the pre-release build up, they headlined a show at Coachella in April 2007, then commenced a world tour.

• 2008
  

  In December 2008 several of the 7 Worlds Collide lineup reconvened in Auckland, New Zealand to record The Sun Came Out, a charity album for Oxfam to be released 29 September 2009. It was recorded in Finnu0027s own Roundhead Studios, with singing and songwriting contributions divided amongst the group. Most of the original members of Crowded House have returned, along with several new additions including Jeff Tweedy and three other members of Wilco, Scottish singer-songwriter KT Tunstall, and notable New Zealand songwriters Don McGlashan and Bic Runga. As in 2001 the group gave a series of live performances, though at three nights the run was shorter and the venue was more intimate.They have two sons, Liam Mullane Finn (born 1983) (Split Enzu0027s "Our Day" was written about his birth) and Elroy Timothy Finn (born 1989). Both sons are multi-instrumentalists, like their father, and often perform alongside him on tour and in the recording studio. Liam had his own band, Betchadupa, originally based in Auckland, then London before releasing a solo album, Iu0027ll Be Lightning in 2008. He also played in Crowded Houseu0027s touring band lineup in 2007. Elroy Finn is also following in his father and brotheru0027s musical footsteps as drummer for the psychobilly band The Tricks and has previously filled in on drums for Cut Off Your Hands. Elroy began touring as Liamu0027s drummer in 2011 to promote Liamu0027s second album u0027FOMOu0027.

• 2009
  

  In March 2009, Finn joined Tim Finn on stage, with his son Liam, at Melbourneu0027s charity Sound Relief concert at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, in support of the 2009 Victorian Bushfires. Liam Finn played drums on a rendition of the Crowded House song "Weather With You".

• 2011
  

  Finn and his wife Sharon began a side project called Pajama Club in 2011. After Finnu0027s children, Liam and Elroy, left the family home to pursue their own musical careers, the two wondered what to do to fill the time left open by their childrenu0027s absence. The two decided to repair the music room in their Auckland home and begin making music of their own: "Weu0027ve had a bit more time on our hands since the boys left home, and we just decided to make a record. It was as simple as that. We called the group Pajama Club, because we were dressed in our pajamas when we started." Here, Sharon began to play the bass guitar, while Neil sat behind the drum set, despite the fact that neither had played either instrument before. Neil commented that "We found ourselves locking into these grooves which were incredibly fun to play...We naturally gravitated towards being u0027funkyu0027," drawing influence from South Bronx band ESG. Pajama Club released their self-titled debut album in September 2011.On 23 October 2011, Finn performed with Ryan Adams and Janis Ian on BBC Fouru0027s Series 2 Episode 4 of the series, Songwritersu0027 Circle. The night resulted in controversy, ending with an awkward exchange between the performers when there seemingly was confusion between the songwriters about who was to perform and join in on each otheru0027s songs.Finn and wife Sharon formed a band of their own titled u0027Pajama Clubu0027 after their two sons moved out of the family home and they were left with a lot of free time. They released their self-titled debut album in September 2011.

• 2012
  

  Finn has contributed solo music to various film and TV soundtracks including Rain, Boston Legal, Boston Public, The Waiting Game, Antz, and Sports Night. In 2012, Finn recorded the song "Song of the Lonely Mountain", which was featured in the end credits of Peter Jacksonu0027s film adaptation The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.

• 2014
  

  In February 2014, Finn released his third solo album titled Dizzy Heights, before embarking on a world tour spanning five continents.Finnu0027s solo album Dizzy Heights was released in Australia and New Zealand on 7 February 2014 via Kobalt Label Services. His sons and his wife also play on the album.

• 2015
  

  On 27 February 2015 Tim, Neil and Liam performed a sellout show at the Auckland Zoo. The performance also featured Elroy Finn, Sharon Finn, and Timu0027s children Harper and Elliot. Dick Finn (Tim and Neilu0027s father) watched via an internet feed.

• 2018
  

  In August 2018, Finn released the album Lightsleeper as a collaboration with his son Liam.On 15 April 2018, Fleetwood Mac announced that Finn had joined the band along with Heartbreakersu0027 lead guitarist Mike Campbell. Both Finn and Campbell toured with Fleetwood Mac in the concert tour An Evening with Fleetwood Mac from October 2018 to November 2019.