KC
& The Sunshine Band
KC
and THE SUNSHINE BAND is one of the most recognizable names from
the disco craze of the '70s. KC, otherwise known as Harry Wayne
Casey garnered a total of nine Grammy nominations, winning three
of them, including two for his work on the Saturday Night Fever
soundtrack, and an American Music Award as well.
KC's records
literally sold millions (75 million to be exact) keeping him on
a winning streak that lasted well into the eighties. KC became
a one-man hit factory for South Florida's T.K. Records, helping
several artists scale the charts with material he composed.
KC shares
a distinction with The Beatles as the first artist to have four
#1 singles in the span of one year: "Boogie Shoes",
"Rock Your Baby", "Get Down Tonight", and
"That's The Way (I Like It)". Notwithstanding, KC's
other hits like "(Shake, Shake, Shake), Shake Your Booty"
and "I'm Your Boogie Man" still stand as milestones
of the disco age.
Back then,
KC and The Sunshine Band were the most successful promulgators
of the boisterous, tropically funky dance music known as The Miami
Sound. Formed in 1973 in Hialeah, Florida and originally named
KC and The Sunshine Junkanoo Band, the band ruled both the Pop
and R&B charts, as well as the dance floors throughout the
'70s.
With funky
warm and vibrant tones, the brass oriented disco flavor that comprised
the backbone of KC and The Sunshine Band's sound was flexible
enough to incorporate the hodgepodge of additional styles that
KC soaked up in Miami; Motown, Funk, Latin percussion, Caribbean
spice, Southern soul, and groovin' pop hooks all seeped into the
mix to create a tasteful blend of homegrown music that is purely
KC.
Nevertheless,
while it's nearly impossible to talk about the '70s without making
mention of KC or his Sunshine Band, the disco king and his funked-out
court continue to fuse kaleidoscopic guitar sounds and pulsating
rhythms into a whirling blend of motion and emotion to this day.
Whenever KC
is asked about his well deserved and continued success, or about
the fervent following of his loyal and devoted fans, KC graciously
smiles and responds: "That's the way I like it!"
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