By:  Barrientos                                         S.R. No. 16

 1-1     By:  Barrientos                                         S.R. No. 16

 1-2                              SENATE RESOLUTION

 1-3           WHEREAS, The Senate of the State of Texas takes pleasure in

 1-4     recognizing the Bells of Joy, an Austin-based gospel quartet, for

 1-5     its outstanding accomplishments; and

 1-6           WHEREAS, A group of Christian men who have been singing God's

 1-7     praises in churches and communities for the last 48 years, they

 1-8     have brought great joy and happiness to their attentive audiences;

 1-9     and

1-10           WHEREAS, This distinguished group has delighted audiences with

1-11     performances since the 1940s; known first as the Starlight Singers,

1-12     they became the Bells of Joy in 1951; and

1-13           WHEREAS, In 1951, the group recorded "Let's Talk About Jesus"

1-14     for Peacock Records, and the record reached the rhythm and blues

1-15     top 10 in Billboard magazine, selling more than a million

1-16     copies; and

1-17           WHEREAS, Among the first to introduce guitar and drum

1-18     accompaniment to the local scene, the Bells of Joy featured the

1-19     local talents of its lead singers and utilized the background

1-20     harmonies in a rhythmical call and response counterpoint; and

1-21           WHEREAS, Part of an ongoing tradition of active local gospel

1-22     music, the original group decided to continue in Austin, confining

1-23     performances to weekends and vacations; and

 2-1           WHEREAS, Honored by its invitation to participate in the

 2-2     Texas Festival at the Kennedy Center on June 11-22, 1991, the

 2-3     Bells of Joy continues to perform on special occasions although

 2-4     several of the original members have left; today, its members

 2-5     are A. C. Littlefield, Ester Littlefield, Willis Littlefield,

 2-6     A. D. Watson, Alton Cyphers, J. T. Stewart, Edward Demond, and

 2-7     Al Brown; and

 2-8           WHEREAS, The success of this notable gospel group is due

 2-9     to the friendly association of the singers, their sincerity, and

2-10     their love of singing; now, therefore, be it

2-11           RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas,

2-12     75th Legislature, hereby commend and applaud the Bells of Joy

2-13     for its superb service to the Austin community and to the

2-14     State of Texas; and, be it further

2-15           RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared for the

2-16     Bells of Joy as an expression of the high regard and esteem of the

2-17     Texas Senate.

2-18                                  ______________________________________

2-19                                          President of the Senate

2-20                                       I hereby certify that the above

2-21                                  Resolution was adopted by the Senate

2-22                                  on January 21, 1997.

2-23                                  ______________________________________

2-24                                          Secretary of the Senate

2-25                                  ______________________________________

2-26                                           Member, Texas Senate