I wish we could have known each other longer, but it was a Gas chatting to you like two old friends. That is something I will treasure. Your sharp sense of humour and your thought on Twink (now Mohammed Abdullah John Alder) will always stay with me. I am so pleased that we were able to give you the gift of being the 'star of the show' at the Bronze Bust Unveiling Reception. So many people will also treasure their completely informal meeting with you. You were under-rated by many. In fact before we became friends - I under rated you. But anyone watching the Born to Boogie DVD live gig footage can see what an amazing frontman you were while Marc was 'off' doing his guitar solos. No one ever saw this on TOTP's when it was a 3 minute mime. I am glad that you, like the other members of T-Rex who passed over are remembered in a small way with the Memorial Plaques at the steps. A Bithday to celebrate...but makin' a little bit sad...He would have turned 66 today...R.I.P. Mickey Finn (T.Rex)...
Mickey Finn or occasionally Micky Finn (born Michael Norman Finn, 3 June 1947 – 11 January 2003) was the percussionist and sideman to Marc Bolan in his band Tyrannosaurus Rex (on one album, A Beard of Stars), and later, the 1970s glam rock group, T.Rex. Often confused with other musicians by the same name, Michael Norman Finn (apart from T. Rex) only toured as a sideman in the 1960s with Hapshash and the Coloured Coat. After Bolan and T.Rex's demise, he worked as a session musician for The Blow Monkeys and The Soup Dragons.Finn was born in Thornton Heath, Surrey, England. After he joined T.Rex in late 1969, it was rumoured that Bolan had hired Finn for his good looks, and because he admired his motorcycle, rather than for his musical ability. Finn was unable to recreate the complex rhythmical patterns of his predecessor, Steve Peregrin Took, and was effectively hired as much for a visual foil for Bolan as for his drumming. The BBC news commented on this, saying "Marc Bolan was supposed to have said of Finn: 'He can't sing... but he looks superb.'"
Mickey Finn stated, on a Radio show in Denmark that he and Marc Bolan were appearing on as guest DJs, that his big influence in percussion was the prolific Master Henry Gibson from Curtis Mayfield's band.
In the early 1970s, Finn's contribution was essential. He was something of a character both on and off stage. However, due to T. Rex's sound becoming more and more electric-influenced, and the presence of a 'proper' drummer, Bill Legend, Mickey's days with Marc ended in 1975, when he like Took was sacked. Mickey Finn described it as like spending six years on a roller-coaster only to be thrown off landing on the ground with a massive thud.
During the late 1980s and early 1990s, Finn made a handful of guest appearances with the West London rock band, Checkpoint Charlie, fronted by Mick Lexington. In 1991 he joined Croydon R'n'B band WD40, which had a fluid line-up based around his very old friend drummer Stewart Childs (the Interns) Harp & vocalist Colin Goody and Vocalist and guitarist Pete Robins. The band then added guitarists, percussion etc. as required but unfortunately Mickey was forced to retire after about 12 months due to failing health. A couple of live tracks survive from this line up, but are currently out of print.
Finn returned to the mainstream music scene in 1997, fronting a new version of T. Rex, Mickey Finn's T. Rex. Certain people in the 'Bolan Scene' attacked him in print for his use of the name which hurt him greatly.
One triumphant gig was in 2002 two weeks after the Marc Bolan Bronze Bust Unveiling at Marc's Rock Shrine was at Penningtons where Mickey Finn's T.Rex played to over 2,000 fans accompanied on stage not only by Marc's only child and Heir Rolan Bolan, but also by the guitarist (the late Trevor Thoms) who was in the line-up of Steve Took' band 'The Horns'.
Such was the bias of the UK Fan Base this wonderful concert was almost completely ignored (other than on the TAG Web Site) while the gig for just 2000 people two weeks earlier by a tribute band was hailed a major success'!
Mickey Finn died from liver problems, in Croydon, Surrey, on 11 January 2003, aged 55.
A Memorial Concert in Croydon was organised, but was not as well attended as it could/should have been after a group of Marc Bolan fans (including ones who had given Mickey so much grief over the use of the name 'Mickey Finn's T.Rex' organised a Marc Bolan Event in London, just a few miles away on the same night, thus splitting the potential audience :-(
