A Night for Guy: A Brief History
A Night for Guy debuted on May 17, 2017, exactly one year after songwriter Guy Clark passed away. Founders Shawn Parks and Matt Harlan had an idea: What if local Houston musicians rallied and sang the legend’s songs on the day he died, every year, both as a tribute and as a celebration of the artists still writing and working in the city where Guy first wrote songs?
The inaugural show took place at Anderson Fair, Houston’s beloved folk incubator, where Guy played in the 70s. Shawn and Matt didn’t know how many Houstonians would be there that night––and really, as the show approached, they worried less and less about numbers. Musicians in the lineup who were lifelong fans of Guy Clark were polishing their versions of his songs, while others who were new to his catalog were encountering his understated genius for the first time. It really didn’t matter who else was there: The songs were enough.
But then, people came. A lot of people. A line formed outside of Anderson Fair that night before the doors opened, and snaked around the building. As fans stood outside waiting, a familiar figure in starched jeans and a sports coat walked up to the venue, carrying his guitar in a case.
Lyle Lovett had heard about the show, too. He decided to come sing a few of his late friend’s songs in a club that meant so much to him, tucked away in his hometown. That night, all proceeds went to the volunteer-run Anderson Fair and Tamara Saviano and her team, who were then still hard at work on Without Getting Killed or Caught, the future award-winning documentary that explored the lives of Guy, Susanna Clark, and Townes Van Zandt.
For those and countless other reasons, A Night for Guy 2017 was unforgettable.
The next year, Shawn and Matt wondered: How on earth do we top that?
The pair set out on a mission: Getting Verlon Thompson––Guy’s longtime guitar player, co-writer, touring companion, and friend, as well as a brilliant musician and storyteller on his own––to come play the show.
Verlon came. At A Night for Guy 2018, Verlon joined the core, original lineup––Shawn and Matt, plus Paul Beebe, Charlie Harrison, The Mighty Orq, Brant Croucher and Lainey Balagia, Brad Absher, Tommy Lewis, Will Van Horn, and folk hero / defense attorney Dick DeGuerin––along with two other special guests: Hayes Carll and Jamie Lin Wilson.
Lyle Lovett performs at A Night for Guy 2017. Photo by Anthony Rathbun.
Once again held at Anderson Fair, A Night for Guy 2019 featured the return of Verlon and Jamie Lin, and the addition of Noel McKay, one of Guy’s favorite young writers. Libby Koch and Chuck Hawthorne joined the lineup, too.
The pandemic forced a hiatus of A Night for Guy in 2020 and 2021. By 2022, the world had changed––and A Night for Guy did, too.
Rice University and its Houston Folk Music Archive stepped up not just to sponsor, but to host A Night for Guy that year. And so on May 11, 2022, A Night for Guy returned to the stage at Duncan Recital Hall on the Rice campus.
Dick DeGuerin performs at A Night for Guy 2022. Photo by Van Williams.
Prompting joy and awe among the show’s fans and performers alike, Verlon came back––as did Noel and the majority of the original lineup. Katie Rushing joined the bill, along with a red-letter new special guest: Shawn Camp, whom Guy called “the Boy Wonder” in a grinning nod to the former’s sheer virtuosity. Camp produced Guy’s Grammy-winning album My Favorite Picture of You and the two often wrote and performed together. Camp is also a hit songwriter, singer, and musician, as a solo artist and member of award-winning groups including the Earls of Leicester.
That night, funds benefitted 90.1 KPFT, Houston’s only independent radio station––and the first to play Guy.
The 5th A Night for Guy was held May 17, 2023, at Rockefeller’s, a venue Guy played numerous times. Verlon returned, along with Houston favorites who have been part of the show since the beginning. New voices, including Sergio Trevino of Buxton and Ancient Cat Society, and singer-songwriter Nick Gaitan, jumped in, while Shawn Parks remained the host.
Proceeds once again benefitted 90.1 KPFT. 2023 sponsors included Rice University’s Houston Folk Music Archive, BB’s Tex-Orleans, KPFT, Blue Corn Music, Ginger House Music, and Bojangles Music School.
In 2024, the 6th A Night for Guy returned to Rockefeller’s. Proceeds benefited Soldier, Songs, and Voices, a nonprofit working to improve the quality of life of veterans and their families through songwriting and music.
Performers gather backstage at A Night for Guy 2018. Photo by Van Williams.
Save the Date: May 15, 2025
