"It's the Music": Kent Finlay's Cheatham Street Warehouse In
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Andrews: It's the Music Kent Finlay’s Cheatham Street Warehouse inSanMarcos,Warehouse Cheatham Street Finlay’s Kent Texas “‘It’s“It’s thethe Music’: Music”: theMusic”: “It’s Kent Finlay’s Cheatham Street Warehouse in San Marcos, Texas The weekly Songwriters Circle is the heart and soul of Canada, Australia, Mexico, Germany, Norway, The Netherlands, Gregg Andrews Finlay’s vision for the now legendary honky tonk that he and other regions of the world, songwriters make the pilgrimage opened in June, 1974. Seasoned songwriters are well-aware that to Cheatham Street to sample the influences of this very special Wednesday nights at Cheatham Street are much more than night of “church” under Kent Finlay’s creative ministry. “open mic” nights. For historical purposes, Finlay carefully Although Songwriters Circle is Finlay’s real passion, it is only preserves the yellow legal pads that contain years of lists of part of his broader vision of Cheatham Street—a vision that is Songwriters Night performers. As he often reminds the rooted in his own personal evolution. He was born in Brady, audience when he kicks off the show at nine o’clock, usually Texas, on February 9, 1938, the oldest of five children with his song, “I’ll Sing You a Story, I’ll Tell You a Song,” this (Barbara, Mike, Tommy, and Steve), to parents Grace (Short) Although Finlay grew up in a farm family, it became apparent during high school that his future would be in music and education, not farming. is “church,” and “we’re here to listen.” Little wonder, then, that and James Finlay, Jr. As anyone who has heard Finlay sing, “I’m Ace Ford has called Finlay the “Godfather of Texas Hanging My Hat Just Down the Road,” an entertaining song Songwriters.” Al Barlow, Director of Music Programs and about his wide travels in Texas, can tell you, he grew up in the Community Relations at the New Braunfels Museum of Art tiny west Texas town of Fife in McCulloch County. Some of his and Music and a popular singer-songwriter who got his start at ancestors gave Fife its name in 1882 to honor Fifeshire in Finlay’s Songwriters Night, has observed that Cheatham Street Scotland. Since only about 50 people lived in Fife at that time, “is kind of like the Ryman Auditorium for Texas songwriters.”1 his earliest education took place in a one-room school house.2 9 The fast-rolling trains that shake and rattle Cheatham Street’s Musical talent abounds on both sides of Finlay’s family, walls and tin sheeting may be especially on his mother’s side. too close-by for some folks’s His father had a good singing comfort, but for songwriters voice, and his mother and her Photo of Cheatham Street Warehouse, 1974. Courtesy, Nathan Allen Nathan 1974. Courtesy, Warehouse, of Cheatham Street Photo and other musicians, the trains family played at house dances are an important prop. Located in the area. One of his mother’s just a few yards from the cousins, “Sleepy” Short, was a railroad tracks, the honky tonk great fiddler who played in a with its low ceilings and well- popular Western swing band, seasoned wood provides the Texas Top Hands. Kent and fabulous acoustics in a setting his family often sat in the back that fires the imagination of yard at night to watch the stars writers. Woven into the folklore and play music. Since all of his As songwriters step inside Kent Finlay’s Cheatham Street Warehouse every of the old warehouse are brothers and sisters developed numerous stories about the their talent and appreciation Wednesday night in San Marcos, Texas, perhaps the most frequently asked outside crashing sounds of for music, family reunions question of the bartender and others gathered inside is,“Is the list out yet?” rumbling trains occasionally usually featured music, Of course, the “list,”which the bartender does not put out until eight o’clock picking off a stray car parked primarily piano, guitar, and (bar time), is a sign-up sheet for songwriters who hope to perform that too closely to the tracks. Charles Marshall (left) and Kent Finlay, FFA Talent Show, 1956. fiddle. Finlay took piano Except for newcomers who at Courtesy, Kent Finlay lessons as a kid but became night. Hopefuls eagerly check out the Budweiser Light clock behind the times need to be reminded of the unwritten courtesy code that bored with the regimentation, quit, and began to play on his bar in anticipation, aware that their position on the sign-up sheet might discourages talking, shooting pool, or distracting behavior while own and to try his hand at other instruments. During his determine whether they perform two songs or only one, depending on the songwriters are on stage, writers and faithful members of the freshman year of high school, he bought his first guitar in San number of names on the list. audience regard Wednesday nights at Cheatham Street with Angelo while on a Future Farmers of America (FFA) trip. It was reverential awe. They appreciate that they are part of something during high school that he had his first public gig. culturally distinctive and inspirational. Whether from small Although Finlay grew up in a farm family, it became Texas towns and cities, other parts of the United States, or apparent during high school that his future would be in music Produced by The Berkeley Electronic Press, 2005 1 Journal of Texas Music History, Vol. 5 [2005], Iss. 1, Art. 3 Kent Finlay’s Cheatham Street Warehouse inSanMarcos,Warehouse Cheatham Street Finlay’s Kent Texas “‘It’s“It’s thethe Music’: Music”: theMusic”: “It’s Kent Finlay’s Cheatham Street Warehouse in San Marcos, Texas The weekly Songwriters Circle is the heart and soul of Canada, Australia, Mexico, Germany, Norway, The Netherlands, Gregg Andrews Finlay’s vision for the now legendary honky tonk that he and other regions of the world, songwriters make the pilgrimage opened in June, 1974. Seasoned songwriters are well-aware that to Cheatham Street to sample the influences of this very special Wednesday nights at Cheatham Street are much more than night of “church” under Kent Finlay’s creative ministry. “open mic” nights. For historical purposes, Finlay carefully Although Songwriters Circle is Finlay’s real passion, it is only preserves the yellow legal pads that contain years of lists of part of his broader vision of Cheatham Street—a vision that is Songwriters Night performers. As he often reminds the rooted in his own personal evolution. He was born in Brady, audience when he kicks off the show at nine o’clock, usually Texas, on February 9, 1938, the oldest of five children with his song, “I’ll Sing You a Story, I’ll Tell You a Song,” this (Barbara, Mike, Tommy, and Steve), to parents Grace (Short) Although Finlay grew up in a farm family, it became apparent during high school that his future would be in music and education, not farming. is “church,” and “we’re here to listen.” Little wonder, then, that and James Finlay, Jr. As anyone who has heard Finlay sing, “I’m Ace Ford has called Finlay the “Godfather of Texas Hanging My Hat Just Down the Road,” an entertaining song Songwriters.” Al Barlow, Director of Music Programs and about his wide travels in Texas, can tell you, he grew up in the Community Relations at the New Braunfels Museum of Art tiny west Texas town of Fife in McCulloch County. Some of his and Music and a popular singer-songwriter who got his start at ancestors gave Fife its name in 1882 to honor Fifeshire in Finlay’s Songwriters Night, has observed that Cheatham Street Scotland. Since only about 50 people lived in Fife at that time, “is kind of like the Ryman Auditorium for Texas songwriters.”1 his earliest education took place in a one-room school house.2 9 The fast-rolling trains that shake and rattle Cheatham Street’s Musical talent abounds on both sides of Finlay’s family, walls and tin sheeting may be especially on his mother’s side. too close-by for some folks’s His father had a good singing comfort, but for songwriters voice, and his mother and her Photo of Cheatham Street Warehouse, 1974. Courtesy, Nathan Allen Nathan 1974. Courtesy, Warehouse, of Cheatham Street Photo and other musicians, the trains family played at house dances are an important prop. Located in the area. One of his mother’s just a few yards from the cousins, “Sleepy” Short, was a railroad tracks, the honky tonk great fiddler who played in a with its low ceilings and well- popular Western swing band, seasoned wood provides the Texas Top Hands. Kent and fabulous acoustics in a setting his family often sat in the back that fires the imagination of yard at night to watch the stars writers. Woven into the folklore and play music. Since all of his As songwriters step inside Kent Finlay’s Cheatham Street Warehouse every of the old warehouse are brothers and sisters developed numerous stories about the their talent and appreciation Wednesday night in San Marcos, Texas, perhaps the most frequently asked outside crashing sounds of for music, family reunions question of the bartender and others gathered inside is,“Is the list out yet?” rumbling trains occasionally usually featured music, Of course, the “list,”which the bartender does not put out until eight o’clock picking off a stray car parked primarily piano, guitar, and (bar time), is a sign-up sheet for songwriters who hope to perform that too closely to the tracks.