Harry Wayne Casey survived the “disco curse” and is still rocking.
Unlike so many other musical refugees of the 1970s disco era, Casey remains relevant and on Thursday at 7 p.m. brings KC and the Sunshine Band to The Sharon.
Back in the day, Casey and the band sold more than 100 million records and became a major musical influence. But the ’80s brought new sounds, new bands, new fashions and also MTV. The disco craze crashed and burned.
Casey always detested musical labels.
“Labels destroy music’s credibility – especially the disco label,” he said in a recent telephone interview. “People always try to come up with a label to describe music. But music is always changing and is always influenced by what came before it.”
Despite all the criticism, disco does a have a powerful musical legacy. Such performers as the late Donna Summer (“Last Dance”), Gloria Gaynor (“I Will Survive”), the Bee Gees (“Night Fever”) and the Trammps (“Disco Inferno”), still get regular airplay.
Not to mention KC and the Sunshine Band, who scored such hits as: “Get Down Tonight,” “That’s the Way (I Like It),” “Shake Your Booty” and “I’m Your Boogie Man.” The group was part of the “Saturday Night Fever” soundtrack album that sold more than 45 million copies.
Casey is proud of his musical history but doesn’t live in the past.
“Once you’ve recorded something, it’s there for all time and people can listen at any time,” he said. “The people who listen to our music know it was relevant to their lives and still is that way.
“I made records when I was 23 and I’m still singing those songs at 67. People still want to hear my music.”
Tony Violanti is a veteran journalist and writes for Villages-News.com.
