SAN MARCOS, TX (CelebrityAccess) — Kent Finlay, songwriter, performer and owner of the Cheatham Street Warehouse, died on Monday, March 2nd. He was 77 at the time of his passing.
Kent was the longtime owner of Cheatham Street Warehouse, the San Marcos-based venue known best for the songwriter circle he hosted Wednesday nights. The venue was instrumental in the careers of numerous artists, including Steve Ray Vaughan, The Sexton Brothers and George Strait, who debuted at the venue as frontman of what is now called the Ace In the Hole Band. The group would play at the club regularly until their popularity necessitated the move to bigger venues.
"Country music–and just music in general really– lost a great friend today. His legend will live forever in Texas, though. We'll never forget our friend Kent Finlay. Sad day," said George Strait in a press statement following Finlay's death.
According to Austin360, Finlay was survived by his former wife, Diana Finlay Hendricks, and her husband, Mark Hendricks; his three children, Jenni Finlay and her husband Clay McNeill; Sterling Finlay; and HalleyAnna Finlay; a granddaughter, Annie Finlay; his three brothers and a sister. – Staff Writers
