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Finley Quaye (born 25 March 1974, Edinburgh, Scotland) is a Scottish musician. He won the 1997 Mobo Award for best reggae act, and the 1998 BRIT Award for Best Male Solo Artist. His debut album, Maverick A Strike, a fusion of many styles including reggae and soul, was a commercial success and was certified double platinum by the British Phonographic Industry.

Life

Finley Quaye is the son of vaudeville pianist Cab Kaye and the half-brother of the English guitarist Caleb Quaye.

Born in Edinburgh, Quaye went to school in London, Manchester and Edinburgh. However, he left school with no qualifications because of domestic violence in the household. Before making records he took employment spraying cars, smoking fish, making futons and as a stage-rigger and scaffolder.

His father was born in London, but considered himself as African. Although known as Cab Kaye, his full name was Nii Lante Augustus Kwamlah Quaye and he was a Chief of the Ga tribe centralized in Jamestown, Accra, Ghana. Kaye was the son of the pianist Caleb Jonas Quaye a.k.a. Mope Desmond, who was born in Accra, Ghana. Finley did not grow up with his father and only found out fully, in his twenties, about his father's history as a musician. Mope Desmond, Cab Kaye and Finley Quaye have all played Glasgow's Barrowlands, Wolverhampton's Wulfrun Hall and London's Cafe de Paris. Finley was on tour with his band when he met his father for the first time in Amsterdam.

Finley Quaye was inspired early on in his childhood by jazz musicians Pete King, Ronnie Scott, who started his musical career making tea and running errands in Finley's father's band, and Lionel Hampton. Quaye heard jazz as a child, living in London with his mother, who would take him with her to Ronnie Scott's jazz club to catch performances of American jazz musicians touring Europe such as Buddy Rich, who recorded his live album there in 1980 and also Ella Fitzgerald. Quaye's mother had long term relationships with musician Pete King, who hosted and performed at Ronnie Scott's club in Frith Street, London, as well as Dodi Fayed, a film producer who produced Breaking Glass with Hazel O'Connor and "The Long Good Friday with Bob Hoskins. Around this time Finley was also taken along to see the likes of The Ramones in rehearsal, with journalist photo editor for the music press the NME / Melodymaker, Howard a dear friend of his Mum's, Sharon. In Edinburgh shows that made an impact in early years were Frank Chickens during the Fringe Festival at The Hole In The Ground that was behind the Usher Hall. Peter Green of Fleetwood Mac at The Venue with Cozy Powell on drums around 1990. Art has always been an influence and a constant source of inspiration and central to Finley Quaye's mind set and artistic approach. Finley Quaye attended The Frieze ART Fair at Regents Park as well as Gilbert & George and Harlan Miller exhibitions and opening nights. Finley gave awards away at The Indian Film Awards at The Millennium dome in London as well as David Gray's Ivor Novello at The Dorchester Hotel in London.

Cab Kaye died while depressed in Amsterdam and ultimately died by Euthanasia which was organised by immediate family without Finley's approval or consent. Since then Finley has been unable to accept his Father's death or celebrate his life, or to write books about this or to make films covering this episode of his life.

Finley's youngest of two sons, Caleb Quaye, tragically took his own life in 2023.

Career

Quaye made a solo recording contract with Polydor Records and moved to New York City. He began working with Epic/Sony unlawfully while he was still signed to Polydor, and in late 1997 he reached the UK Top 20 twice, with "Sunday Shining" and "Even After All". His reputation was established by Maverick A Strike, released in September 1997. It went gold less than three weeks later, and led directly to the BRIT Award victory. The album is now certified 2× platinum in the UK. In 1998, Quaye recorded and produced George Gershwin's "It Ain't Necessarily So" for the Red Hot Organization's compilation album Red Hot + Rhapsody, a tribute to George Gershwin, which raised money for various charities devoted to increasing AIDS awareness and fighting the disease, on the recording Quaye played bass and guitar, Carl Robsinson played drums, Monty Alexander played piano and Ernest Ranglin played guitar. He recorded in 1998 with Buju Banton and Sly Dunbar in Kingston, Jamaica at Penthouse Studios and also recorded with Tricky and Iggy Pop at Sony Music Studios, in Manhattan, New York City.

Two more albums were released on Epic, Vanguard (2000) and Much More Than Much Love (2004). "Spiritualized" became his last single to score a top 40 landing in the UK chart when it was released in September 2000, reaching number 26. In 2004 the single "Dice" was released in collaboration with William Orbit and featuring Beth Orton. The song featured in Fox Network's The OC and on the season 1 soundtrack, becoming a minor hit.

He released the EP Pound for Pound with Intune Records in 2008, with Norman Grant of the Twinkle Brothers featuring Sly Dunbar and Lloyd Parks.

Three albums were made between 2019 and 2023 but also removed from distribution and outlets because of lack of recognition, interest or support in the United kingdom in terms of live agents, labels and publishers. This was the sole reason for the removal of the material.

In 2021 Finley was awarded by Queen Elizabeth II, the Queens Award For Voluntary Service with Food For All, for preparing food and for campaigning as well as distributing free and hot food to the homeless in London between 2000 and 2024.

Discography

Studio albums

Compilations

• The Best of the Epic Years 1995-2003 (2008)

Extended plays

• Oranges and Lemons (2005)
• Pound For Pound (2008)

Singles

Other collaborations

• "Finley's Rainbow" on A Guy Called Gerald's Black Secret Technology (1995)
• "Caravan" on Timo Maas' album Loud (2002)
• "Stranges Changes" on A Guy Called Gerald's To All Things What They Need (2005)
• "We Are Dreamers" on Cathy Claret's album Gypsy Flower (2007)
• "After Tonight" on Ava Leigh's La La La (2007)
• "Metamorphosis" on Christopher Chaplin's album M (2020)

References

1. Kenon, Marci (16 September 2000). "An Onslaught of New Product". Billboard. p. 68. Retrieved 23 January 2021 – via Google Books.
2. Monger, Timothy (n.d.). "Finley Quaye: Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
3. Music Scotland - The Vault - Biogs. BBC (1974-03-25). Retrieved on 2014-04-19.
4. "Finley Quaye Backs Brits Win with New Single and Tour". 16 January 1998.
5. ^ "Official Charts > Finley Quaye". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 13 May 2020.
6. ^ "BRIT Certified > Certified Awards Search". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 13 May 2020. N.B. User needs to enter 'Finley Quay' into the search box to display results.
7. Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (pdf ed.). Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 227.
8. "lescharts.com > Finley Quaye dans les Charts Français" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 13 May 2020.
9. ^ "dutchcharts.nl > Finley Quay in Dutch Charts" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 13 May 2020.
10. "charts.nz > Finley Quay in New Zealand Charts". Hung Medien. Retrieved 13 May 2020.
11. "OLD BAKERY STUDIOS | Finley Quaye + Rosie Crow SOLD OUT". OLD BAKERY STUDIOS.
12. "Billboard > Chart History > Finley Quaye > Alternative Songs". Billboard. Retrieved 13 May 2020.
13. "Billboard > Chart History > Finley Quaye > Dance Singles Sales". Billboard. Retrieved 13 May 2020.

External links

• Finleyquaye.com at the Wayback Machine (archived 29 July 2012) - official website
• Finley Quaye discography at Discogs

• 1974 births
• Living people
• Scottish pop musicians
• Black British rock musicians
• Black British people
• Brit Award winners
• Musicians from Edinburgh
• Scottish people of Ghanaian descent
• British trip hop musicians
• British reggae musicians