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 June 25, 1952) is a talented singer, songwriter, and musician from New Zealand. He is most famous for being a founding member of the band Split Enz. Tim started the band in 1972 with Phil Judd and was their lead singer and main songwriter.
After Phil Judd left in 1977, Tim's younger brother, Neil Finn, joined the band. Tim wrote or co-wrote many of Split Enz's best-known songs, including "I See Red" and "Six Months in a Leaky Boat". While still with Split Enz, he also began a solo career. He had two hit songs in 1983: "Fraction Too Much Friction" and "Made My Day". He left Split Enz in early 1984 but returned briefly for their farewell tour later that year.
Later, Tim reunited with Neil and joined the band Crowded House for their third album, Woodface. He helped write most of the songs on this album, including popular 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 composed music for movies and musicals. In 1993, he and his brother Neil were honored with the Officer of the Order of British Empire award for their amazing contributions to music.
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Tim Finn's Early Life
Brian Timothy Finn was born on June 25, 1952, in Te Awamutu, New Zealand. His parents were Richard and Mary. He has two older 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 Music Career
Starting with Split Enz (1972–1984)
In 1971, Tim Finn began studying for a Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of Auckland. While there, he spent a lot of time playing music with friends who would later become members 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, he left university. A few months later, Phil Judd and Tim formed 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 its very last show on December 4, 1984, in Auckland.
Tim Finn's Solo Music (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 a member of Split Enz, Tim recorded his first solo album, Escapade. This album was very successful in both Australia and New Zealand. It included the hit song "Fraction Too Much Friction," which showed a more rhythm-focused sound 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 entirely on his solo career.
In 1986, Tim released his second studio album, Big Canoe. This album used many different instruments, including guitars, orchestral music, and traditional Indian instruments. One notable song was "No Thunder, No Fire, No Rain," which was inspired by the Bhopal chemical disaster. Although Big Canoe reached number three on the New Zealand charts, it did not become the big international hit that Tim or his record company had hoped for.
In 1987, Tim composed music for the Australian comedy movie Les Patterson Saves the World. This movie featured his Australian hit song "You Saved the World." Tim also had a small acting role in the Australian film The Coca-Cola Kid and a larger role in an Italian romance movie called La Donna della Luna.
In late 1988, Tim recorded his third album, Tim Finn. This album received great reviews and included the New Zealand hit "Parihaka". This song was inspired by 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 singer-songwriters Bic Runga and Dave Dobbyn. The album was recorded in August and September 2000 at different venues across New Zealand. 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 continued to compose for the theater. He worked on an opera called Star Navigator and a musical called Ladies in Black, which premiered in Brisbane in November 2015.
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 August 26, 2021. Tim and Phil produced the album together, with Phil playing most of the instruments and Tim singing.
The Finn Brothers (1995–2005)
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In 1989, Tim began making music with his younger brother Neil. They planned to release an album together as the Finn Brothers. After working on some songs, Neil suggested adding these tracks 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 British Empire for their contributions to music.
The Finn Brothers continued their 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 that this album contained "some of the most haunting music to bear the Finn imprint."
Recent Projects: Forenzics and Opera (2020–Present)
In 2020, Tim Finn co-created Forenzics with Eddie Rayner, who was the keyboardist for Split Enz. Forenzics is an experimental music project. Their first album, Shades and Echoes (released in 2022), reimagines songs from the Split Enz album Mental Notes. Besides Tim and Eddie, other original Split Enz members like Noel Crombie and Phil Judd also joined this project. Phil Manzanera, who helped with an earlier version of Mental Notes, also participated.
In 2021, Tim worked with Tahitian writer Célestine Hitiura Vaite and Tom Mcleod on an opera. This opera, called Ihitea ʻAveiʻa, tells the story of the navigator Tupaia. It was created for New Zealand Opera.
In 2022, Tim Finn took part in the Waiata / Anthems project. For this, he produced a Māori language version of his song "Six Months in a Leaky Boat", which was renamed "Ono Marama Takerehāia".
Tim Finn's Personal Life
Tim Finn was briefly married to English dancer Liz Malam from 1981 to 1982. He was in a relationship with actress Greta Scacchi from 1984 to 1989. Since 1997, he has been married to television presenter Marie Azcona. Marie used to work for MTV and TVNZ One's Music Week.
Tim and Marie have two children. They have also worked together on several songs, some of which are featured in Steel City, a dance show that Tim wrote. Tim's son, Harper Finn, and daughter, Elliot, are also musicians.
Images for kids
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Finn playing at the Southbound Festival in 2012
