As a child, Tim wanted to become a priest or a teddy boy, but soon got interested in music. He took piano lessons from a Catholic nun and concocted and produced school plays. At his parents' parties, he got to sing together with his younger brother Neil. When Tim was 13 years old he went on a scholarship to Sacred Heart College, a Catholic boarding school. He devoted his spare time to rugby and music.
Following his time there, in 1971 Tim went on to study philosophy and politics for a Bachelor of Arts degree at the Auckland University. He spent a lot of time in the music room, Room 129, where he jammed with his friends Mike Chunn, Robert Gillies, Philip Judd and Noel Crombie. Music soon became more important to Tim than his studies and in mid-1972 he quit from the University.
A few months later, Tim formed a group called Split Enz. During 12 years, Tim was the lead singer of the group and experienced both highs and lows with the group and in his private life. In January 1981 he married English dancing girl Liz Malam, but the marriage collapsed in October 1981 and he went through a period of a nervous breakdown.
In 1983, while Split Enz was taking a break, Tim recorded and released his debut solo album, "Escapade", which was a huge commercial success in Australia and New Zealand. A desire to be a solo artist made him take the decision to leave Split Enz for a solo career in June 1984. In early 1985 Tim moved to London.
In late 1989 he was back living in Melbourne for the first time in five years. He got together with his younger brother and former Split Enz bandmate Neil Finn to write songs for a Finn Brothers record. Instead, Tim became a member of Crowded House, the group Neil formed after Split Enz, in 1990 and appears on the group's third album Woodface. However, during a European tour in late 1991, they realised it wasn't working out and parted ways by mutual agreement and Tim continued with his solo career.
In 1994, Tim and Neil started work on a long-planned Finn Brothers album, and also Tim put together an album together with Liam O'Mainlai of Hothouse Flowers and Irish songwriter Andy White, under the moniker ALT.
BANDS: Stillwater 1971
Split Enz 1972-1984 (nine albums, two live albums, singles)
Crowded House 1990-91 (one studio album)
ALT 1994- (one studio album)
Finn Brothers 1994-
SESSIONS: Phil Manzanera "Listen Now", LP, 1977
Phil Manzanera "K Scope", LP, 1978
Citizen Band "Just Drove Through Town", LP, 1979
"Puberty Blues" soundtrack, 1981 (w/ Les Gock)
"Starstruck" soundtrack, 1982 (w/ Joe Kennedy & The Swingers)
Dave Dobbyn "Footrot Flats", LP, 1986
Rock Party "Everything To Live For", 12", 1986
"Les Patterson Saves
The World" soundtrack, LP, 1987
Jenny Morris "Body And Soul", LP, 1987
"White Mischief" soundtrack, LP, 1987
Crowded House "Temple Of Low Men", LP, 1988
Pretenders "Packed", LP, 1990
Phil Manzanera "Southern Cross", LP, 1990
"The Big Steal" soundtrack, LP, 1990
Archie Roach "Charcoal Lane", LP, 1990
Yothu Yindi "Tribal Voices", LP, 1991
M. Seymour/P. Kelly "Hey Boys", single, 1992
Crowded House "Together Alone", CD, 1993
Dave Dobbyn "Twist", CD, 1994
Wendy Matthews "The Witness Tree", CD, 1994
Phil Manzanera "The Manzanera Collection", CD, 1995