HalleyAnna Finlay featured at Songwriters event
Special to the LPR
Somewhat new as a Lockhart resident, HalleyAnna Finlay will be the featured guest for Evenings with the Songwriter on the last Tuesday of this month, Nov. 28, at 7 p.m. This concludes the eleventh season from the historic Dr. Eugene Clark Library. Its acclaimed monthly series has been hosted and produced by veteran Lockhart songwriter Fletcher Clark, offered free to the public.
Finlay has been studying the art of songwriting and performance for nearly three decades. She literally grew up in the bosom of one of Texas’ most important incubators for songwriters. In 1974, Her father, Kent Finlay, opened legendary San Marcos venue Cheatham Street Warehouse: a regular stop for legends such as Guy Clark and Townes Van Zandt; the launch of George Strait’s first band; its regular Songwriters Circle furthering the nascent careers of Randy Rogers, Terri Hendrix, Hal Ketchum, Adam Carroll, Shelley King, and scores more. HalleyAnna carries forward the spirit that has been embodied at Cheatham Street for decades: She writes, in the Townes Van Zandt tradition, simply “for the sake of the song.”
It has been said that her words flow as naturally as sunlit barroom daydreams, independent spirits reaching skyward. HalleyAnna has said, “Any time I’d go through a heartache growing up, my dad would say, ‘Well, you’ll get a good song out of it,’ and sure enough, I really did.” Grammy-winning producer Lloyd Maines (Dixie Chicks) says, “HalleyAnna takes a subtle approach to blowing people away with her music. HalleyAnna writes meaningful lyrics and her singing and guitar-playing deliver her songs in grand form.”
This will be the last appearance by Fletcher Clark as host who created the series in 2010. The reins have been turned over to Lockhart songwriter Stoney Gabel for the 2024 season. “HalleyAnna Finlay and Dustin Welch having moved to Lockhart (along with Mandy Rowden, James McMurtry, et al.) ushers in a new era for our music community,” said host Fletcher Clark. “As the new millennium progresses, this daughter and son of two important figures in Texas songwriting bring all their accumulated sense of tradition with their own fresh take on songwriting. I look forward to sitting on the porch and enjoying the realization of a dream.”
Celebrated past guests of Evenings with the Songwriter have included Tish Hinojosa, Shake Russell, Michael Hearne, Vince Bell, Susan Gibson, Butch Hancock, Christine Albert, and plus local favorites Dustin Welch, Mandy Rowden, and Mark Jungers.
