Members

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Dennis Taylor - Lead Vocals / Acoustic Guitar

When he was a young'n, Dennis' parents raised him on a steady diet of old time Gospel and C & W (Country and Western). After a stint in the Air Force (ours), he started singing and playing guitar in 1972 in a group called "Giving Room", playing at Pappa's Pizza Parlor on Northwest Hwy. In between orders for "pizza #42" he met Art Hoffman (bass). They eventually helped form T.T. Taylor and the Rice Paddy Raiders. They began playing at the Annex Club in Dallas and packed them in for months! Dennis went on to join "Boot Hill" during the mid 70's "progressive country" era. They played at the "Greenville Avenue General Store". He joined THE FINS in the late 80'S and we just can't seem to shake him. Even if we don't tell him about a gig, he knows where our website is!


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Patti Wilson - Lead Vocals / Percussion / Trombone(?)

Her background check complete and just thirty days to go before her Fins insurance benefits kick in, Patti shows solid vocal promise. Her twenty year background includes live performance, studio work, songwriting/arranging, and an eye-opening, two year stint in Music City exploring the potential of a major label recording deal, pursued under the “guidance” of what could best be described as a self-medicating, “Oh, you think this studio is nice? Well I’d like to show you my “home” studio…How’s Friday night sound?”-record producer type. On vocal style, we’ll borrow from the hit variety show “Donny and Marie”: “She’s a little bit country… She’s a little bit rock-n-roll… She’s a little bit Memphis and jazz-ville (don’t knock it…it rhymes)… But with a whole lotta’ love for Blues and Soul… She don’t know if that’s good or bad, but she sho’ loves it so... I am stuck on Band-aids ‘cause Band-aids stuck on me!


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David Lovrien - Saxophone / Vocals / Percussion

So there I was - stranded in the Yukon - with nothing but a rusty spoon and the dead moose carcass at my feet to sustain me. As I pondered my precarious predicament, I thought back to what my Uncle Phineas had told me all those years ago: "Reginald," he said - though my name was certainly not Reginald - "Reginald," he said, his gaze locked on me with his steely gray eye, "you must always remember, and never forget..." David plays sax and tambourine and stuff, and even sings sometimes when he's sure he won't be heard. When he's not rockin' with THE FINS, he can be found playing with the Dallas Wind Symphony and also Gallus, a traditional Irish band.


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Hank Hawthorne III - Lead Guitar/ Vocals

A recent transplant from Toronto, Canada, "The Hank" spent most of his childhood landing lead roles in school musical productions. The other kids never had a chance. When the 80's hit, it was clear that "The Hank" had to make a choice. Go into the family business of making baby sealskin boots, or pick up a guitar. Chicks tend to gravitate to axe slingers more than seal hunters. "The Hank" spent most of the 80's learning Motley Crue riffs and growing out his hair. It was pretty clear to Hank that "The Hank" would be a rockstar, so at 16 he played his first paying gig. He never looked back. Hank released a CD in 1997 with his band Funk Muscle. Hank still has 883 copies of it in the trunk of his car, of course available for $29.99. Understanding that there was still a demand for "The Hank", he spent the next 10 years ruling mediocrity in the chicken wing circuit. If you ask "The Hank" who his influences are, you will be pleasantly surprised to know his answer. The Hank! "The Hank" is currently loving Texas, almost as much as Texas is loving him. Just ask him. He's Great.
One final thing, if you want to hear, Mustang Sally or Freebird please see Dennis Taylor.


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Jimbo Lancaster - Keyboards

Music has always been a part of Jim's life - from piano lessons as a kid, through marching band in high school and college (where he was a decidedly ho-hum tenor sax player), to playing various keyboards ever since. Jim’s first electric keyboard was a Fender Rhodes, which he used to play in a variety of rock and blues bands in Lafayette, Louisiana in the mid-to-late seventies. The South Louisiana rhythms of bands like the Neville Brothers, and Dr. John (Mac Rebennack), and Professor Longhair were early influences. Other influences include the jazz-funk stylings of Joe Sample (Crusaders), the southern rock of Chuck Leavell (Allman Brothers, Rolling Stones), and the incredible Bill Payne (Little Feat). After graduating from LSU and moving to Dallas in 1983, Jim played in a number of bands that never made it out of the garage before becoming a founding member of THE FINS in 1987.


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Art Hoffman - Bass / Vocals

Art's been playing bass since 1970. First song ever recorded in a studio? Wilson Pickett's "Funky Broadway" (only after playing bass for 1 month - now that was easy!). He once played in a 16 piece band that only had two gigs. But as a result he had a new found appreciation for Soul, Motown and R & B music. His influences? The late, great James Jamerson (who's that you say? - go out and rent a copy of "Standing in the Shadows of Motown" and you'll find out!), Paul McCartney (of course), and Yes' Chris Squire. He was a founding member of Dallas' Southern Cross in 1971 and has played on and off with Dennis Taylor since 1972. Art can play a little bit of everything - from country to alt-rock. Recently, he's recorded several CD's with various local singer/songwriters. One, David Shehane has just released his debut CD "One Way Ride". David Lovrien (saxophone) also helps out on tin whistle! Usually his solos are "so low" you never hear them. Meaning he prefers to keep the groove going and hold down the bottom end. And much to his wife's disdain he still owns every bass he's ever bought!


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"Uncle" Mark Kessel - Drums

Mark has been playing drums since he was 12. He started playing professionally in Austin bands in 1969 at the legendary Vulcan Gas Company and later at the Armadillo World Headquarters. Sitting in at clubs in Austin gave him the opportunity to play with musicians such as Stevie Ray Vaughn and John Lee Hooker. His drummer inspirations are straight ahead " in the groove" drummers such as Charlie Watts , Doyle Bramhall, Ringo Starr , Al Jackson ( Al Green) etc. Mark still plays his vintage 1969 Ludwig Maple kit not only because he loves it but because he can't afford a new set of DW's!