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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, A man who devoted his life to promoting the timeless |
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American music that he cherished, Clifford Jamal Antone of Austin |
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passed away on May 23, 2006; and |
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WHEREAS, Known as "C. J." to his close acquaintances, |
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Clifford Antone was born on October 27, 1949, in Port Arthur and |
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moved to the capital city in the late 1960s to attend The University |
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of Texas at Austin; his most rewarding studies came not in college |
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classrooms, however, but from his own investigation of blues music; |
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Mr. Antone once commented that "when I finally heard the Chicago |
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blues, man, it was like I finally discovered what had been in my |
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mind my whole life"; in 1975, he made his passion his business by |
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opening Antone's, a music club that helped transform Austin into |
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the self-proclaimed Live Music Capital of the World; and |
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WHEREAS, From the beginning, Antone's booked the legendary |
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blues stars that its owner admired, including Muddy Waters, Willie |
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Dixon, Fats Domino, John Lee Hooker, and B. B. King; in giving these |
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artists and many others a welcoming place to perform, Clifford |
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Antone helped bring their music to a new generation of fans; in |
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addition, young musicians converged on the club to study the |
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masters, and Mr. Antone nurtured their interest and abilities by |
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allowing them to take the stage; with his help, blues-powered acts |
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such as Stevie Ray Vaughan and the Fabulous Thunderbirds honed |
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their talents and achieved national stardom; today, more than three |
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decades after it first opened, Antone's remains one of the |
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best-known music clubs in Texas; and |
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WHEREAS, Clifford Antone's enthusiasm for American music |
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never waned, and in later years, he was able to share his |
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encyclopedic knowledge of the blues in college courses that he |
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taught at UT and at Texas State University-San Marcos; he also took |
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an active role in helping those in need, raising funds for the |
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American YouthWorks organization, which assists at-risk young |
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people in Austin, and staging a star-studded benefit for victims of |
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Hurricane Katrina; and |
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WHEREAS, Revered by musicians and fans alike, Clifford Antone |
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became an influential ambassador for the blues and a friend to the |
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many musicians whose careers he assisted, and in so doing, this |
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renowned impresario helped build and preserve the rich musical |
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legacy of the Lone Star State; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 80th Texas |
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Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of Clifford Antone and |
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extend deepest condolences to the members of his family: to his |
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sisters, Susan Antone and Janelle Antone Raad, to his niece and |
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nephew, Georgette and Jamal Raad, and to his other relatives and |
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many friends; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of |
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Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Clifford |
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Antone. |