Jerry Finn facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jerry Finn
Finn in 2001
Background information
Birth name	Jermone Gregory Finn
Also known as	"Huckle" Jerry Finn Huckle Finn Finnbad
Born	(1969-03-31)March 31, 1969 Ventura, California, U.S.
Died	August 21, 2008(2008-08-21) (aged 39) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Genres	Punk rock alternative rock pop-punk
Occupations	Record producer audio engineer
Years active	1992–2008
Associated acts	Blink-182 AFI Sum 41 Alkaline Trio Green Day Morrissey MxPx Rancid

Jermone Gregory Finn (March 31, 1969 – August 21, 2008), known as Jerry Finn, was an American record producer and audio engineer. He helped create music for many popular punk rock and pop-punk bands. Some of these bands include Blink-182, AFI, Sum 41, Alkaline Trio, Green Day, MxPx, and Rancid.

Jerry Finn was famous for making guitars sound warm and powerful in the songs he worked on. He was very important in shaping the sound of pop-punk music. This was especially true during its big rise in popularity from the mid-1990s to the early 2000s.

He went to the Dick Grove School of Music. Finn started his career in the early 1990s as an assistant engineer. He worked in different studios in Hollywood. He began working with producer Rob Cavallo. Together, they engineered and mixed Green Day's album Dookie in 1994.

After Dookie became a huge hit, Finn's career took off. He moved from being an engineer to producing albums himself. He worked with bands like Pennywise and Rancid. Jerry Finn formed a very close relationship with Blink-182. He produced four of their albums, starting with Enema of the State in 1999. He also worked a lot with Sum 41 and Alkaline Trio. In the 2000s, Finn produced many albums for the artist Morrissey. He sadly passed away in 2008.

People knew Jerry Finn for his kind personality and his great technical skills. He was respected by both engineers and musicians. Scott Heisel from Alternative Press said that Finn often "helped rough punk bands refine their sound." He also helped them find the power of a good vocal hook.

Jerry Finn's Life and Music Career

Jerry Finn was born on March 31, 1969, in Ventura, California. He was adopted and didn't know much about his family background. The first music he remembered hearing was from the musical Fiddler on the Roof. He studied music at the Dick Grove School of Music.

In the early 1990s, he became an assistant at The Music Grinder studio in Hollywood. Later, he became a second engineer. Finn then moved to Devonshire Sound Studios. There, he met Rob Cavallo, a producer. Jerry became Cavallo's "right-hand man." At that time, Cavallo was producing Green Day's first big album, Dookie (1994).

When Green Day wasn't happy with the first mix of their album, Finn and Cavallo worked together again. They created a brighter, more exciting mix. Alternative Press said that Green Day's earlier music showed their potential. But it was Cavallo and Finn who helped them truly shine.

After Dookie became a huge success, Finn worked independently. He joked that he thought his career would only last six months. But the success of Dookie changed everything for him. He said, "Before [Green Day], I was an assistant making eight bucks an hour. I was producing gold records less than a year after them."

Soon, Finn started working a lot with Epitaph Records. He co-produced Pennywise's album About Time (1995). He worked with Bad Religion guitarist Brett Gurewitz, who founded the label. Finn's first album produced all by himself was Rancid's …And Out Come the Wolves, released the same year. He also mixed important punk albums like Dear You by Jawbreaker in 1995. He mixed The ... Machines' Destruction by Definition in 1996, which was a big moment for ska-punk.

Working with Blink-182 and Other Bands

Jerry Finn became very close with Blink-182 in the late 1990s. He first worked with them on a song called "Mutt" for the American Pie movie soundtrack. After that, he produced their huge hit album Enema of the State. The band decided they would "never work with anyone else again."

Writer James Montgomery said that Finn was a key part of the Blink-182 team. He was like an adviser and an impartial observer. He helped them smooth out problems and perfect their multi-platinum sound. When recording sessions got tense, Finn would often use humor and good advice to help the band. He produced their albums The Mark, Tom, and Travis Show (2000), Take Off Your Pants and Jacket (2001), and Blink-182 (2003).

He also produced the 2002 album by Box Car Racer. This band included Blink-182's guitarist Tom DeLonge and drummer Travis Barker. Finn also co-produced and mixed When Your Heart Stops Beating (2006) for +44. This band featured Mark Hoppus and Travis Barker.

Finn co-produced AFI's first major-label album, Sing the Sorrow (2003). Alternative Press said that Finn helped make the band's sound more polished and punk-rock. In his later years, Finn worked with Morrissey on his best-selling album You Are the Quarry (2004). Morrissey praised Finn, saying he made him feel very confident. Finn's last production work included Decemberunderground (2006) by AFI, Music from Regions Beyond (2007) by Tiger Army, and Years of Refusal (2009) with Morrissey.

Jerry Finn's Passing

In July 2008, Jerry Finn had a serious brain bleed and a major heart attack. He never woke up after that. He was taken off life support on August 9 and passed away on August 21, 2008.

Jerry Finn's Recording Style

Finn's recording equipment at Conway Recording Studios in September 2003.

Jerry Finn was known for his powerful, warm guitar sound. You can hear this sound clearly on Blink-182 albums and Sum 41's All Killer No Filler (2001). Producer John Feldmann said he often asked Finn how he got his guitars and mixes to sound so strong.

Finn created this sound by recording instruments using more than one amplifier at the same time. He believed that musicians play better when they hear the sound they want right away. He would then mix these different sounds together to get the perfect tone. Finn reportedly owned over 100 guitars. He often brought many instruments and amplifiers to the studio.

He usually took about 10 to 12 days to mix an album. When mixing, Finn would first focus on the drums to get a good room sound. Then he would work on the vocals. For bass and drums, he made sure they each had their own space in the sound. This prevented them from clashing. Finn also used a lot of compression in his mixes. He said this made things "kinda popping the whole time."

Blink-182 bassist Mark Hoppus said Finn was "meticulous in getting great sounds." Finn loved recording drums and focused on using room microphones to capture the natural sound. Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker sometimes found this challenging. As a producer, Finn would give ideas and offer a fresh perspective. He might suggest making a part longer or adding an intro to a song.

Jerry Finn often worked with drum technician Mike Fasano and engineers Sean O'Dwyer, Ryan Hewitt, and Joe McGrath. He also frequently brought in keyboardist Roger Joseph Manning Jr. for sessions. Finn said that John Bonham was a musical inspiration for him. He also learned a lot from other engineers like Don Was and Ed Cherney.

Jerry Finn's Legacy

Jerry Finn was known for being friendly and very skilled. Pierre Perrone from The Independent said that Finn could be a good listener and a trusted friend. He would encourage musicians to perform their best. He created a relaxed atmosphere by ordering food and chatting with his clients. Finn sometimes mixed albums for independent bands or friends for free or at a lower price. He did this because he simply enjoyed the music.

Bobby Owsinski, who wrote The Mixing Engineer's Handbook, said Finn was part of a new generation of mixers. These mixers knew all the rules but were also willing to break them. After his death, Alternative Press listed nine "classic" albums Finn had worked on. They wrote that Finn helped punk bands improve their sound and find strong vocal hooks.

Jerry Finn had such a big impact on Blink-182 that bassist Mark Hoppus called him the "fourth member" of the band. Hoppus wrote after Finn's death that every day he spent with Jerry, he learned something new about music, recording, or life. When Blink-182 started working on their reunion album Neighborhoods (2011), they found it very hard without Finn. They worked alone until 2016. Then, they brought in John Feldmann for their album California. Feldmann sees himself as a student of Finn's. He said, "the sound of my records was influenced by the records Jerry made."

Production Discography

This list shows some of the albums Jerry Finn produced or engineered. It does not include "greatest hits" albums.

See also

In Spanish: Jerry Finn para niños