Cherokee – At 74 years young, Harry Wayne “KC” Casey is still spreading the sunshine with his band on the Doin’ It World Tour, which makes a stop Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort on Friday night.
By phone interview, the singer and keyboardist of the renowned 1970s dance band spoke about his connection to North Carolina.
“We came up there on family vacations to the Smokies, to Maggie Valley and that area, and I also have a home in the eastern part of the state, in a part of the forest where I just go to chill out. So North Carolina holds a special place in my heart,” Casey said.
The Hialeah, Fla.-native said he’s also a Southerner through and through. He is even known for having lived the majority of his life within a 10-mile radius of his hometown.
“I went to all the other places, Los Angeles just didn’t have what I need,” Casey said.”And I have a rather large extended family, so it makes sense for me to be based here in Florida.”
That Miami area is part of what influenced Casey and the other members of the band with a mélange of musical influences to create their signature sound. It flourished at the height of the 1970s with a mix of funk, rhythm and blues, disco and soul as the foundation of their influential sound based in brass, percussion and KC’s keyboard dexterity.
Known for their high-energy shows full of dance moves and celebratory feel-good beats, KC & the Sunshine Band have, over the last 50 years, become a staple of that bygone era of music. Even past what most people would call retirement age, KC still showcases those moves, as seen in a recent YouTube video from the world tour.
With more than 20 albums, including live and best-of compilations, and chart-toppers such as “Boogie Shoes,” “Get Down Tonight,” “Shake Your Booty” and “That’s the Way (I Like It),” the band continues to provide infectious grooves for generations of fans.
Casey is also a prolific songwriter, penning tunes for George McRae and Jimmy “Bo” Horne, among other artists. He was instrumental as a producer on the seminal Saturday Night Fever soundtrack, which garnered him a Grammy both for Album of and Producer of the Year in 1978.
When asked about the new wave of fans KC, celebrates the way TikTok contributed a resurgence of interest in his music.
“We had a brief retirement in the 1990s, but we came back together in the 2000s. The band is whoever needs to be in and play for a while,” Casey said. “Sure, we’ve lost some people over the years, but everyone is welcome who wants to play and I always ask everyone who’s played on a record if they want to come and join in. That makes it more authentic and keeps the family around us.
“We had something like 30 million views from people using our songs within the last couple of years, and somehow we were No. 1 again. It’s interesting to see how artists use the internet and platforms now. While there’s still quite a lot of dance music with artists like Lizzo and Bruno Mars, our music still stands out because it makes people feel good. That’s always our goal, and we’ve embraced new technology to reach fans as well.”
With almost a half-million subscribers on the band’s various social media sites and fan club, there is definitely still interest in the music. KC said that’s what it’s all about, with the Doin’ It Tour hitting four continents for a whirlwind of feel-good experiences.
“Sometimes I can’t explain it, but to go out and utilize your God-given talent to entertain people is such a blessing. To make the fans feel good and dance and enjoy life. To showcase the musicianship of the band and to share that energy with people in this world is a gift,” Casey said.
“Touring keeps me young still, and so do the fans and crowds.”
That gift will also take form in a long-term touring musical show titled Who Da Ya Love? which will begin hitting stages in September. The show already had its premiere and initial month-long run in July and August 2024 at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland.
The show focuses on the early beginnings of the band with Casey and Richard Finch, of how most of the band was comprised of musicians who played on the original records who then became the family of touring players, and how the band evolved through the early years of what became the disco era.
Casey said the show is “a sort of origin story and a peek behind the curtain” of his early musical life and the band’s forming. The musical is about “a true story using the music of KC and the band, and it’s a good evening. You’ll laugh and cry, and it’s a good time with the music and our five different storylines.”
When asked about what this show in Cherokee brings both decades-long fans and those just newly introduced to the band, Casey said, “I don’t want anyone to come any with any preconceived ideas. I want everyone to come and enjoy the show and have fun. I want it to both rekindle old memories while they make new ones. See this amazing band and escape the world for a while.
“I want to share with them every part of the musicianship. We do all the originals, all the songs are part of every performance. It’s a fun night. That’s what we’re there for,” Casey added.
And that’s the way he likes it. The booty-shaking show begins at 9 p.m. Friday. Tickets are still available online.
Details: Visit caesars.com/harrahs-cherokee/shows and heykcsb.com.