KC and the Sunshine Band was one of the ultimate disco groups from the ‘70s. Lead vocalist and keyboardist Harry (KC) Wayne Casey and bassist/songwriter/engineer Richard Finch founded this multi-member, multi-racial group in 1973 in Miami Florida. The group's original roundup expanded to include Jerome Smith, Fermin Goytisolo and Robert Johnson. Eventually more members were added. The band's current line-up is the biggest ever with Maria De Crescenzo and Charlotte McKinnon on backup vocals, Rusty Hamilton III and Zeljko (Nick) Marinovic on Keyboard, Jody Hill on drums and Steve Lashley on the bass. The band also includes some brass instruments with John Reid and Rick Benadetto on trumpet, Noah Bellamy on Trombone and Kenny Hamilton on Saxophone. Kenetha Morris and Giggi Thesman are the dancers for the group.In their first days together the band began small, but quickly rose to become one of the favorite bands of the era. KC proved to be a natural performer on stage, with his excellent vocals he soon discovered a latent ability to sing and play the keyboard at the same time during performances. In their heyday, the group toured between six and nine months a year, giving performances all over the US. Sadly the end of the disco age spelled the end for the band, at least for a time.During their time apart in the ‘80s the band suffered the loss of member Robert Johnson, who died of cancer at the age of 30 in '83. The year proceeding his death, KC also suffered a car crash, which threatened to take him out of the limelight permanently. But he was a fighter and returned stronger than ever. The band also lost rhythm guitarist Jerome Smith, who was killed in a freak construction accident in West Palm Beach, Florida on August 10, 2000. KC and the Sunshine Band is once more together, with a larger and more impressive line-up and going strong.