In a culture obsessed with all things young and new it’s nice to see someone realize a dream who is neither.
Robert Finley is 63 years old. His adult life has been lived doing respectable adult things. He served in the Army in the 1970’s. When he left the service, he spent decades as a carpenter in Northern Louisiana where he was born.
When his eyesight began to fail him, he couldn’t read the tape measure any longer, so building something truly square became almost impossible. Robert fell back on something he had dreamed of since he was a child. He would sing the blues professionally.
From the day he bought his first guitar as a child for $19.95, Robert loved the blues and soul music. His father was deeply religious and did not approve of those styles of music being played in the house. That prohibition did not dissuade the young Finley. He developed skills as a player that allowed him to entertain at local bars around Monroe, LA as a hobby while he pursued his regular occupations.
From Harland Sanders of Kentucky Fried Chicken fame who established his brand when he was 62 years old, to Grandma Moses who began her prolific painting career at 78 years of age, Finley joins the ranks of a rare group of people who accomplish a big dream in the latter years of life.
Finley’s debut album is called Age Don’t Mean A Thing and it is getting great reviews from the blues community. It should be an inspiration to all who are 50 and older. Your life isn’t over. There is still big living to do. And don’t forget the words of Robert Finley…..Age Don’t Mean A Thing.
Checkout the video and if you like the song as much as I did, share this post with someone who needs to know it’s not too late to pursue a dream.
“It’s like the song says, ‘Age Don’t Mean a Thing.’ See, you’ve got to hold to your dream; don’t ever let somebody tell you what you can’t do.”
