By Merritt                                       H.R. No. 349

      75R9241 JTR-D                           

                                 R E S O L U T I O N

 1-1           WHEREAS, Neal McCoy has distinguished himself as a devoted

 1-2     family man, a dedicated humanitarian, and one of the bright lights

 1-3     of modern country music, and it is indeed fitting to recognize Neal

 1-4     for his outstanding achievements; and

 1-5           WHEREAS, A Jacksonville, Texas, native, Neal grew up

 1-6     listening to the rich variety of music that Texas offers, and his

 1-7     love of  country and western, rhythm and blues, and pop music has

 1-8     brought breadth and depth to his wildly popular albums, which

 1-9     routinely sell in the millions; one of contemporary country's most

1-10     versatile singers, his distinctive baritone has graced a noteworthy

1-11     string of hit singles, including "Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye,"

1-12     "You Gotta Love That," and "No Doubt About It"; and

1-13           WHEREAS, Neal's stature as a top recording artist is further

1-14     augmented by his reputation for giving one of the best live shows

1-15     in country music; an enthusiastic and accomplished entertainer, he

1-16     is well known for his spontaneous and engaging approach to

1-17     performance, and he has made many a new fan solely on the strength

1-18     of his exciting concerts; and

1-19           WHEREAS, This notable Texan's concern for others not so

1-20     fortunate extends far beyond his professional life, and he gives

1-21     freely of his time and energy to numerous worthy causes;  most

1-22     notably, he and members of his family formed the East Texas Angel

1-23     Network to raise the necessary funds for the cure of children with

1-24     life-threatening diseases, and this gift of hope and love has made

 2-1     an unbelievable difference in the lives of children and their

 2-2     families; and

 2-3           WHEREAS, Neal's family is the source of his greatest joy; he

 2-4     and his wife of 16 years, Melinda, take justifiable pride in their

 2-5     beautiful children, Miki and Swayde; and

 2-6           WHEREAS, Although Neal is best known to his many fans both

 2-7     national and international as a performer of singular gifts, Neal

 2-8     is a vital and valued member of the Longview community, and his

 2-9     numerous charitable endeavors demonstrate his heart to be as big as

2-10     his musical talent; now, therefore, be it

2-11           RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 75th Texas

2-12     Legislature hereby honor Neal and his family for their unselfish

2-13     efforts and achievements, extend to them sincere best wishes for

2-14     continued success and happiness in the future, and proclaim Neal

2-15     McCoy a true star of Texas; and, be it further

2-16           RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be

2-17     prepared for Mr. Neal McCoy as an expression of high regard by the

2-18     Texas House of Representatives.