Interview: Jerry "Wyzard" Seay of Mother's Finest

The rock music business can be a rough ride for many bands. Even bands who grab the attention of critics and a core following can still find it hard to break out to the masses. This is indeed the story of one of the most powerful bands in rock. Mother's Finest hails from Atlanta and have been shooting for rock stardom since 1970! They have toured all over the world and have a relentless back catalog of music. They have opened for the likes of Ted Nugent, Black Sabbath, The Who and AC/DC and have been tagged as the most dangerous opening act around by musicians and critics alike for their full throttle live performances. Sadly the music biz has not been kind to "the Mother's". They have a strong cult following in Atlanta and in Europe but have never broken big in the States. I recently had the pleasure to sit down with Mother's Finest bass player Jerry " Wyzard" Seay (the self proclaimed brother from another mother) to get a little history on the group and to find out what keeps the band going after all these years.

Associated Content: Talk to me about the history of Mother's Finest. When did the band first get together?

Wyzard: Well the band formed in 1970 in Atlanta. Joyce Kennedy and Glen Murdock were an r&b duo and they wanted to get a band together. My brother actually played with them first and then I joined the original lineup in 1970.

AC: Your sound is a serious mix of hard rock, funk, heavy metal and soul. How did the band members decide on such a hybrid sound?

Wy: Everyone brought their natural influences to the sound. At the end of the day we are just a really powerful loud band!! HA! We got the offer to do a record for RCA back in the day. We (Glen, Joyce, Gary Moore and I) started writing and that mix of sounds is what we produced. It was just what we grew up on.

AC: From day one MF has had the reputation as a powerhouse live band and a very tough act to follow on stage. Who have you guys opened for?

Wy: Our first big gig was opening for Van Morrison. After that we ended up doing shows/tours with Ted Nugent, Black Sabbath, REO Speedwagon, and Aerosmith. I am proud to say that when it comes to playing live we have been able to hold our own with the best of them over the years!

AC: What is the single ingredient that has made Mother's Finest such a force when it comes to taking it to the stage?

Wy: There was a time when we were living together and hanging with each other 24/7. We practiced everyday! We rehearsed all the time no matter what. That kind of work ethic made the band really tight! Angus Young (of AC/DC) once told me he was really impressed!

AC: With so many world class bands/musicians singing your praises how come Mother's Finest is not a household name? Why does the band continue to have just a cult following?

Wy: I have to say David I just don't know. I stopped asking that question a long time ago. We have done the best we could. I am not going to sit around and blame any one person or entity. At some point I am gonna write a movie about this band and highlight what we have accomplished. We have toured all over the world and played to thousands and despite the lack of mainstream success we have had an influence on other artists!

AC: Was race ever an issue for the band and if so might that have been a reason the band did not hit big?

Wy: The only time race played a huge part in our career was the tour with Black Sabbath. There was one night where we came on stage and the crowd was filled with a lot of skinheads. They were yelling and taunting us the entire time on stage, but that was only one night of the tour. The next night we got on stage and the audience dug us! Race was never a huge issue for us. With regards to why we never hit big...race was not the issue. At different times we had bad management...bad record deals...took bad advice and made some bad choices but again I am not bitter.

AC: What is the status of the band?

Wy: We are all over the place but still together! I live in LA. We have band members living in Atlanta and overseas but we are still together and gearing up for some shows this summer.

AC: Where will you be performing and what does the future hold for the "Mother's"?

Wy: We are going on tour in Europe and playing a bunch of festivals. Joyce has a solo disc coming out...I have a few projects in the works including a start up record label with a few artists already in the loop, and there WILL be a new Mother's Finest disc out soon!!!