Tim Finn facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Tim Finn
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Finn playing at the Southbound Festival in 2012
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Brian Timothy Finn |
| Born | 25 June 1952 Te Awamutu, Waikato, New Zealand |
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| Years active | 1972–present |
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Brian Timothy Finn (born on 25 June 1952) is a famous New Zealand singer, songwriter, and musician. He is best known as a founding member of the popular band Split Enz. Tim started the band in 1972 with Phil Judd. He was the lead singer and wrote many of their songs.
After Phil Judd left in 1977, Tim's younger brother, Neil Finn, joined the band. Tim wrote or co-wrote some of Split Enz's most famous songs, like "I See Red" and "Six Months in a Leaky Boat". While still with Split Enz, he also started a solo career. He had two big hits in 1983: "Fraction Too Much Friction" and "Made My Day". He left Split Enz in early 1984 but came back for their final tour later that year.
Tim later joined his brother Neil in the band Crowded House for their third album, Woodface. He helped write most of the songs on this album, including hits like "Four Seasons in One Day", "Weather with You", and "It's Only Natural". After this album, he left Crowded House. In the 1990s, he and Neil formed a duo called Finn Brothers. Tim has also worked with many other artists and has written music for movies and musicals.
In 1993, Tim and Neil Finn were both honored with the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for their amazing contributions to music.
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Tim Finn's Early Life and School
Brian Timothy Finn was born on 25 June 1952 in Te Awamutu, New Zealand. His parents were Richard and Mary. He has two sisters and a younger brother, Neil Finn, who is also a famous musician.
When he was 13, Tim received a scholarship to attend Sacred Heart College, Auckland. This was a Catholic boarding school.
Tim Finn's Musical Journey
Starting with Split Enz (1972–1984)
In 1971, Tim Finn began studying at the University of Auckland. There, he often played music with friends who would later become part of Split Enz. These friends included Mike Chunn, Robert Gillies, Philip Judd, and Noel Crombie. Music quickly became more important to him than his studies.
In 1972, Tim left university. A few months later, he and Phil Judd started a group called Split Ends. In 1975, they changed the name to Split Enz just before moving from New Zealand to Melbourne, Australia. Between 1975 and 1984, Split Enz released nine studio albums. The band played their very last show on 4 December 1984 in Auckland.
Tim Finn's Solo Career (1981–Present)
Tim Finn had his first success outside of Split Enz in 1981. A song he had written, "They Won't Let My Girlfriend Talk to Me," became a top 10 hit for the Australian band Jimmy and the Boys. In 1983, while still with Split Enz, Tim recorded his first solo album, Escapade. This album was a huge success in Australia and New Zealand. It included the hit song "Fraction Too Much Friction," which showed a more rhythmic style than Split Enz's music.
After contributing four songs to the Split Enz album Conflicting Emotions, Tim left the band for good in June 1984. He wanted to focus on his solo music career.
In 1986, Tim released his second album, Big Canoe. This album featured many different instruments, including guitars, orchestral sounds, and traditional Indian instruments. The song "No Thunder, No Fire, No Rain" was inspired by the Bhopal chemical disaster. Even though Big Canoe reached number three on the New Zealand charts, it did not become the big international hit that Tim had hoped for.
In 1987, Tim wrote music for the Australian comedy film Les Patterson Saves the World. This film included his Australian hit song "You Saved the World."
In late 1988, Tim recorded his third album, Tim Finn. This album received great reviews and featured the New Zealand hit "Parihaka". This song was based on a Māori village known for its peaceful resistance against European settlers. Tim also created the song "Cane Toad Blues" for the documentary film "Cane Toads: An Unnatural History."
In 2000, a live album called Together in Concert: Live was released. It featured Tim Finn, along with fellow New Zealand singers Bic Runga and Dave Dobbyn. The album was recorded during concerts in New Zealand in August and September 2000. All three artists sang and played instruments on each other's songs. The album reached number 2 on the New Zealand music chart.
In 2015, Tim wrote more music for the theatre. He composed an opera called Star Navigator and a musical called Ladies in Black.
During the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020, Tim Finn and Phil Manzanera started working together on an album called Caught by the Heart. This album was released on 26 August 2021. Tim sang the vocals, and Phil played the main instruments.
In 2022, Tim Finn took part in the Waiata / Anthems project. He created a Māori language version of his song "Six Months in a Leaky Boat", which was renamed "Ono Marama Takerehāia".
Working as Finn Brothers (1995–2005)
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In 1989, Tim started making music with his younger brother Neil. They planned to release a Finn Brothers album. However, Neil later suggested adding their songs to the new album for his band, Crowded House. Eight of their songs ended up on the Crowded House album "Woodface". These included the popular hits "Weather with You" and "Four Seasons in One Day".
In 1993, both Tim and Neil were appointed Officers of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for their great contributions to music.
The Finn Brothers continued to work together and released their first album, Finn, in 1995. Their second and final album, Everyone Is Here, was released in 2004. A review in Mojo magazine said it had "some of the most haunting music to bear the Finn imprint."
Forenzics (2020–Present)
In 2020, Tim Finn started a new project called Forenzics with Eddie Rayner, who was the keyboardist for Split Enz. Forenzics is an experimental band. Their first album, Shades and Echoes (2022), reimagines songs from the old Split Enz album Mental Notes. Besides Tim and Eddie, other original Split Enz members like Noel Crombie and Phil Judd are also part of Forenzics.
Tim Finn's Family Life
Tim Finn is married to television presenter Marie Azcona. They got married in 1997. Tim and Marie have two children together. They have also worked together on several songs. Tim's son, Harper, and daughter, Elliot, are also musicians.
Awards and Recognition
Tim Finn has won many awards for his music.
RIANZ Awards (New Zealand Music Awards)
The New Zealand Music Awards are given out every year in New Zealand.
- 1984: Won the International Achievement award as a solo artist.
- 1989: Won Best Male Vocalist and Best Songwriter for "Parihaka".
- 2005: Won the International Achievement Award with the Finn Brothers for Everyone Is Here.
- 2007: Won Best Male Solo Artist for his album Imaginary Kingdom.
ARIA Awards (Australian Music Awards)
The ARIA Music Awards are given out every year in Australia.
- 1993: Nominated for Song of the Year for "Weather With You" (with Neil Finn for Crowded House).
- 1994: Nominated for Best Male Artist for Before and After and Song of the Year for "Persuasion".
- 1996: Nominated for Song of the Year for "Suffer Never" (with Neil Finn for The Finn Brothers).
Countdown Australian Music Awards
Countdown was a popular Australian TV music show.
- 1982: Won Best Australian Songwriter.
- 1983: Won Best Australian Album for Escapade, Best Video for "Fraction too Much Friction", Songwriter of the Year, and Most Popular Male Performer.
- 1985: Won Most Popular Male Performer.
Helpmann Awards (Australian Live Performance Awards)
The Helpmann Awards celebrate live performances in Australia.
- 2016: Won Best New Australian Work for the musical Ladies in Black (with Carolyn Burns and Simon Phillips). He was also nominated for Best Original Score for the same musical.
Images for kids
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Finn playing at the Southbound Festival in 2012
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Tim Finn in Split Enz costume.
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Tim and Neil as the Finn Brothers.
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Tim Finn performing in Wellington.
