By Jeff Walker
Features Editor
San Marcos —
Kent Finlay’s response is simple.
He told you so back in 2001.
San Marcos musical product the Randy Rogers Band continues to shine on a national scale after being nominated recently for “Top Vocal Group of the Year” by the Academy of Country Music (ACM).
The 45th annual ACM awards will air at 7 p.m. April 18 on CBS.
Rogers started out singing and playing at Finlay’s weekly songwriters’ circle more than 10 years ago while attending then Southwest Texas State University. Finlay eventually gave Rogers and his band their own night at his club, the Cheatham Street Warehouse, and within months, the band had cut their first record, Live at Cheatham Street Warehouse. Not long after that, they signed their Mercury Records contract at Finlay’s venue.
“Randy’s a great person, all the guys in the band are great people. They’ve worked so hard, and that’s a big part of it,” Finlay said. “We’re always proud when one of our guys goes to the top.”
Other artists nominated for “Vocal Group of the Year” include Lady Antebellum, Little Big Town, Rascal Flatts and the Zac Brown Band. The Randy Rogers Band was nominated for the same category in 2009.
The group has released six studio albums , most recently 2008’s self titled LP. In 2007, Rolling Stone included them in its list of “Top 10 Must-See Artists” in the summer.
The band continues to return to Cheatham Street to perform while between tours.
