Not long after Harry Wayne Casey founded KC and The Sunshine Band with some of his musician friends in the 1970s, he knew he was becoming a part of something groundbreaking. As an interracial R&B group, KC and The Sunshine Band had a unique place in the music industry, and their disco songs inspired a dance revolution. With hits like "Get Down Tonight" and "(Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty," the group sold 100 million records worldwide -- they even became the first group to have four No. 1 pop songs in a single year (1975) since the Beatles.
During the height of their success, however, Casey struggled with his loss of anonymity, as he tells "Oprah: Where Are They Now?" in the above video.
"The reaction for us, to me, felt like Beatlemania," he says. "It was crazy with us. I mean, there would be 5,000 people outside of our hotel everywhere we went. I couldn't go anywhere."
While fans were clamoring to get close to the star, Casey felt more alone that ever.
"People say, 'Well, wasn't that exciting?' For me, it was the most loneliest time of my life," he says. "I remember just looking out of my hotel window down into that crowd and wishing that I could just stand in the middle of them."
Even thinking about that loneliness and pain 40 years later makes Casey emotional.
"I really wanted to go there; I wanted to be a part of it. And, for some reason, I didn't feel a part of it," he says, wiping away tears. "Sorry. I've never gotten that way before."
The isolation was too much to bear. "I just wanted out," Casey says. "I started taking prescription drugs... I just started partying."
Following his struggle with addiction, Casey reunited KC and The Sunshine Band in the '90s. "I've been touring all over the world," he says. "We've now recorded a new album... 'Feeling You! The 60s.'"
In the decades since his initial rise to fame, the 64-year-old frontman has come to view his experience in the entertainment industry through a wider lens.
"It's taken me 40 years to understand who Casey of KC and The Sunshine Band is," he says. "I know that my music has brought a lot of enjoyment to a lot of people. We all have purposes here on earth. That's one of my purposes. My purpose was to bring joy into people's lives, and I'm so glad that God used me as His tool to help facilitate that."
"Oprah: Where Are They Now?" airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on OWN.
Support HuffPost
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
At HuffPost, we believe that everyone needs high-quality journalism, but we understand that not everyone can afford to pay for expensive news subscriptions. That is why we are committed to providing deeply reported, carefully fact-checked news that is freely accessible to everyone.
Whether you come to HuffPost for updates on the 2024 presidential race, hard-hitting investigations into critical issues facing our country today, or trending stories that make you laugh, we appreciate you. The truth is, news costs money to produce, and we are proud that we have never put our stories behind an expensive paywall.
Would you join us to help keep our stories free for all? Your contribution of as little as $2 will go a long way.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you’ll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.
Support HuffPostAlready contributed? Log in to hide these messages.