HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

 1-1           WHEREAS, Of the many contributions that Texas has made to the

 1-2     world at large, music is one of the most notable and appreciated,

 1-3     for the Lone Star State is internationally recognized as the

 1-4     birthplace of an unusually wide variety of influential and

 1-5     well-loved music; and

 1-6           WHEREAS, The State of Texas has traditionally recognized a

 1-7     number of official symbols as tangible representations of the proud

 1-8     spirit and heritage of our state, and the adoption of a  symbol

 1-9     touting the Lone Star State's contributions to the world of music

1-10     will fittingly commemorate this vital aspect of the state's

1-11     culture; and

1-12           WHEREAS, Texan preeminence in pop, blues, country and

1-13     western, jazz, rock, and tejano music is an apt expression of the

1-14     state's rich diversity, and these musical styles all make extensive

1-15     use of the guitar; appropriately, many of the undisputed masters of

1-16     this versatile instrument, including Buddy Holly, Stevie Ray

1-17     Vaughan, and Willie Nelson, have hailed from Texas, and the

1-18     guitar's  place in the state's musical history is beyond question;

1-19     and

1-20           WHEREAS, Originally from Spain, the guitar has through the

1-21     years transcended its national origin and is now forever entwined

1-22     in popular culture with the songs of the cowboys, sharecroppers,

1-23     railroad workers, and migrant laborers who built Texas and opened

1-24     the American West; since the popularization of the electric guitar

 2-1     in the 1940s and 1950s, the instrument has also become a mainstay

 2-2     of jazz performance and a crucial element in the development of

 2-3     rock and roll, and the state's vital contributions to these two

 2-4     uniquely American art forms have been well documented; and

 2-5           WHEREAS, The guitar's pivotal role in the musical history of

 2-6     the Lone Star State, combined with its continuing popularity among

 2-7     music fans of all tastes, identify it as an ideal symbol of the

 2-8     depth and breadth of Texas music, and it is appropriate that it be

 2-9     recognized as such at this time; now, therefore, be it

2-10           RESOLVED, That the 75th Legislature of the State of Texas

2-11     hereby designate the guitar as the official State Musical

2-12     Instrument of Texas.

                                                                       Maxey

         _______________________________     _______________________________

             President of the Senate              Speaker of the House

               I certify that H.C.R. No. 23 was adopted by the House on May

         7, 1997, by a non-record vote.

                                             _______________________________

                                                 Chief Clerk of the House

               I certify that H.C.R. No. 23 was adopted by the Senate on May

         26, 1997, by a viva-voce vote.

                                             _______________________________

                                                 Secretary of the Senate

         APPROVED:  _____________________

                            Date

                    _____________________

                          Governor