Present Of The Past :: Houston’s Folk Underground

The early 1960’s: folk songs reflecting social change and protest amidst the Civil Rights Movement could be heard on radios everywhere. Peter, Paul and Mary, Bob Dylan, and Joan Baez inspired many a youth to pick up a guitar and harmonize with their peers. One of the lesser known communities that sprung up in the immediate aftermath was based in Houston, TX at a club called The Jester Lounge. Opening in 1962, The Jester is known to be the supposed birthplace of folk music in Houston. Notable early performers from this period included K.T. Oslin, Guy Clark, Lightnin’ Hopkins, Townes Van Zandt and Janis Joplin (Songwriter Scott Holtzman once quipped “She had to go to California to get famous!”).