Finley Quaye

Quaye is the son of Jazz musician, Cab Kaye the brother of noted guitarist, Caleb Quaye and jazz musician Terri Quaye. Finley's mother, Sharon McGowan, died when he was 10 years old, he was named Finley McGowan when he was born.
Born in Edinburgh, Quaye went to school in London, Spurley Hey High School in Gorton, Manchester and Edinburgh. However, he left school with no qualifications. 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. Kaye was the son of the pianist Caleb Jonas Quaye a.k.a Mope Desmond, who was born in Accra, Ghana. Kaye did not grow up with his father and only found out, 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 d'Paris. Finley was on tour with his band when he met his father for the first time in Amsterdam.
Finley was inspired early on in his childhood by jazz musicians, Pete King and Ronnie Scott, and Lionel Hampton. Additionally, Duke Ellington was Finley's Godfather. Finley heard Jazz as a child living in London with his mother who would take young Finley with her regularly to Ronnie Scott's jazz club catching very rare performances of American jazz musicians touring Europe such as Buddy Rich who recorded his live album there in 1980. His mother introduced him to Lionel Hampton in Edinburgh. Duke Ellington made an indelible impact on Finley's life and his musical outlook.