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                                                                  H.R. No. 448


R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, The year 2005 marks the 100th birthday anniversary of Lone Star musical pioneer Bob Wills, and the Texas House of Representatives is pleased to recognize March 3, 2005, as Bob Wills Day at the Capitol in celebration of the life and cultural contributions of this true Texas original; and WHEREAS, Born in Limestone County on March 6, 1905, James Robert Wills was the eldest of 10 children and a musical prodigy who found his calling at a young age, making his professional debut at the age of 10; the undisputed King of Western Swing, he continued his lifelong love affair with music until his passing in May 1975, at the age of 70, in Fort Worth; and WHEREAS, A member of the Country Music Hall of Fame, Mr. Wills cut his musical teeth playing fiddle at square dances, traveling with a medicine show, and performing with the Wills Fiddle Band, Aladdin's Laddies, and the Light Crust Doughboys, one of the era's most successful bands; and WHEREAS, Following an acrimonious split with manager W. Lee "Pappy" O'Daniel, Mr. Wills and several erstwhile Doughboys reformed as Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys; the group broke new musical ground by combining traditional country music with the popular big band style, and this visionary fusion redefined American musical tastes and propelled Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys to national prominence; and WHEREAS, Mr. Wills and his world-renowned band produced several major hit records during their extraordinary career, including "New San Antonio Rose," "Ida Red Likes the Boogie," "Faded Love," and the band's biggest hit, "New Spanish Two Step," which topped the charts for 16 weeks; and WHEREAS, Bob Wills left an indelible mark on the landscape of popular music, inspiring future generations of musicians to explore the boundaries of the musical terrain, and his contributions will undoubtedly continue to have a positive and lasting effect for years to come; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 79th Texas Legislature hereby recognize March 3, 2005, as Bob Wills Day at the Capitol and pay tribute to the memory of this iconic Texas musician. Naishtat Craddick Geren Menendez Allen of Harris Giddings Merritt Allen of Dallas Gonzales Miller Alonzo Gonzalez Toureilles Moreno of Harris Anchia Goodman Moreno of El Paso Anderson Goolsby Morrison Bailey Griggs Mowery Baxter Grusendorf Naishtat Berman Guillen Nixon Blake Haggerty Noriega Bohac Hamilton Oliveira Bonnen Hamric Olivo Branch Hardcastle Orr Brown of Kaufman Harper-Brown Otto Brown of Brazos Hartnett Paxton Burnam Hegar Pena Callegari Herrero Phillips Campbell Hilderbran Pickett Casteel Hill Pitts Castro Hochberg Puente Chavez Hodge Quintanilla Chisum Homer Raymond Coleman Hope Reyna Cook of Navarro Hopson Riddle Cook of Colorado Howard Ritter Corte Hughes Rodriguez Crabb Hunter Rose Crownover Hupp Seaman Davis of Harris Isett Smith of Tarrant Davis of Dallas Jackson Smith of Harris Dawson Jones of Lubbock Smithee Delisi Jones of Dallas Solis Denny Keel Solomons Deshotel Keffer of Dallas Strama Driver Keffer of Eastland Straus Dukes King of Parker Swinford Dunnam King of Zavala Talton Dutton Kolkhorst Taylor Edwards Krusee Thompson Eiland Kuempel Truitt Eissler Laney Turner Elkins Laubenberg Uresti Escobar Leibowitz Van Arsdale Farabee Luna Veasey Farrar Madden Villarreal Flores Martinez Vo Flynn Martinez Fischer West Frost McCall Wong Gallego McClendon Woolley Gattis McReynolds Zedler ______________________________ Speaker of the House I certify that H.R. No. 448 was adopted by the House on March 3, 2005, by a non-record vote. ______________________________ Chief Clerk of the House