The Amazing Story of How Billy Joe Shaver Will Open Up A New Music Venue in Chattanooga This Weekend

A lot of times, I'll find myself walking down some downtown street, speculating on what I would do with that old building on the corner if I had the money.

I've done it several times while walking past that old church building at the corner of Lindsay and MLK downtown.

I thought if I had the money, I'd turn it into a performance hall.

Well, someone did come up with the money.

And this weekend, another piece of Chattanooga's history is reborn as the Lindsay Street Hall.

See Renee LaSalle's story on the new facility, here.

The first shows come Friday night as a Nightfall after party (bluegrass from the New Binkley Brothers and roots rock from Big Kitty).

But the real coming out will be on Saturday night when Billy Joe Shaver christens the stage.

It's just a fluke that we even got this show.

At the last minute, Billy Joe found himself (and his band) in town Saturday night on the way to another gig.

His management started asking around about a possible gig in town.

Riverfront Nights had already shot their budget, and everyone else in town was booked.

All except for the new Lindsay Street Hall.

So now, without any advance warning, we're getting a Riverbend quality performer at a reasonable price ($15), in an intimate new venue.

If you're not familiar with the legend of Billy Joe Shaver, let me tell you, he's on my all-time music bucket list.

He's in the Texas Music Hall of Fame, he's won an Americana Music lifetime achievement award, and he's one of the founding fathers of the Outlaw country movement.

His big break came in 1973, when Waylon Jennings did an entire album of his songs.. the classic Honky Tonk Heroes. (you can see him on the album cover, standing at the bar, looking at Waylon)

That exposure launched Shaver's own recording career that has gone on now for more than 30 years.

He records the albums and then stars from Elvis, to Cash to Widespread Panic have plucked songs off of them to record.

Billy Joe has also done a little movie acting (The Apostle, Second Hand Lions, Bait Shop) and even sings the title song for the Cartoon Network's Squidbillies.

But for all the acclaim, Billy Joe Shaver's story is one of soap opera and tragedy.

He was raised in poverty by his grandmother.   He lost several fingers to a machine.  He had a star-crossed love.. leaving and then re-marrying his wife multiple times.  He reconnected with his estranged son (guitarist Eddy Shaver) and then formed a band with him.

And then all in one year (1999), his mother died, his wife died, his son died and he suffered a heart attack.

Still, at the age of 70, Billy Joe is soldiering on, delivering in-your-face gospel songs one minute, and then hell-raising party songs the next.

By now he's a weathered, institution of optimism, faith and hard knocks.

That's the man.  Now hear the songs.

From the old days.. Black Rose.. "The devil made me do it the first time, the second time I did it on my own."

Georgia on a Fast Train, with his son, Eddy, in the band Shaver..  "I got a good Christian raisin' and a 8th grade education.. there ain't no cause in y'all a treatin' me this way."

Live Forever, from a CMT session with Big & Rich... "I'm going to live forever, I'm going to cross that river, I'm going to catch tomorrow, now."

Billy Joe Shaver plays at the new Lindsay Street Hall (next to Bessie Smith Hall) at 10:00 Saturday night.

The ticket is $15 at the door.