Larry Heard facts for kids

Larry Heard, born on May 31, 1960, is an American DJ, music producer, and musician. He is best known by his stage name, Mr. Fingers. Larry Heard is a very important person in the history of house music from the 1980s. He helped create a style called deep house. His famous song "Can You Feel It" from 1986 greatly influenced dance music around the world.

Early Life and Music Beginnings

Larry Heard grew up in Chicago, Illinois. At home, he listened to jazz and Motown music. He learned to play many instruments when he was young. When he was 17, he played drums in a band called Infinity. This band played jazz fusion songs. Before starting his solo music career in 1983, he also worked for the U.S. government. This job helped him buy his first music studio equipment.

Larry Heard's Musical Journey

As a drummer in live bands, Larry Heard felt he couldn't fully express his musical ideas. He said, "I guess it wasn’t customary for the drummer to have musical ideas." So, he decided to buy his own music tools.

Creating New Sounds

In 1984, Larry Heard bought a Roland synthesizer and a TR-909 drum machine. Within just a few days, he recorded three songs that became very important for deep house music. These songs were "Can You Feel It", "Mystery of Love", and "Washing Machine."

Forming Fingers Inc.

Even though he wasn't part of Chicago's club scene at first, he met singer and DJ Robert Owens at a party. They became friends and formed a group called Fingers Inc. with Ron Wilson. This group released their album Another Side in 1988. This album was the first full-length house music album ever released.

Solo Work and Albums

Around the same time, Larry Heard also started releasing his own songs as Mr. Fingers. He worked with record labels like Trax Records and DJ International. In 1989, Trax Records released an album called Ammnesia, which collected some of his early songs. However, this album was released without his permission. In 2022, Larry Heard re-released Ammnesia on his own label, Alleviated, making it the first official release of the album.

In the early 1990s, he worked with Harry Dennis in a group called The It. Then, in 1991, he signed with MCA Records as a solo artist. He released his first official Mr. Fingers album, Introduction, in 1992. This album became very popular around the world. He continued to make music over the years. In 2018, he released another Mr. Fingers album called Cerebral Hemispheres. Larry Heard has released his music under different names, including Loosefingers, Fingers, House Factors, and Trio Zero.

Discography Highlights

Larry Heard has released many albums and singles under different names. Here are some of his notable works:

As Mr. Fingers

Studio Albums

• Ammnesia (1989)
• Introduction (1992)
• Back to Love (1994)
• Cerebral Hemispheres (2018)
• Around the Sun, Pt.1 (2022)

Singles

• "Mystery of Love" (1985)
• "Washing Machine" (1986)
• "What About This Love" (1989)
• "Closer" (1992)

As Larry Heard

Studio Albums

• Sceneries Not Songs Volume One (1994)
• Alien (1996)
• Dance 2000 (1997)
• Love's Arrival (2001)
• Where Life Begins (2003)

Singles

• "Black Oceans" (1994)
• "Missing You" (2000)
• "Praise" (2002)
• "Space Jungle" (2003)

See also

In Spanish: Larry Heard para niños