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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Country music fans in the Lone Star State and around |
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the world bid farewell to a legendary performer with the passing of |
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George Jones on April 26, 2013, at the age of 81; and |
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WHEREAS, A proud son of East Texas, Mr. Jones was born on |
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September 12, 1931, in Saratoga and grew up in Beaumont, where he |
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began playing music on the city's street corners shortly after |
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receiving his first guitar at age nine; he cut his first record in |
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1954 and scored his initial hit the following year with "Why, Baby, |
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Why?"; and |
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WHEREAS, He followed with a phenomenal run of country songs |
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that would become classics of the genre, all rendered in a voice |
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that managed to combine immense range and nuance with |
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heart-wrenching expressiveness; from honky-tonk stompers, such as |
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"White Lightning" and "The Race Is On," to moving stories of |
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heartbreak, like "The Window Up Above" and "She Thinks I Still |
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Care," he managed to record at least one top-10 hit each year |
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between 1958 and 1971; and |
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WHEREAS, Further success followed in the 1970s and 1980s, as |
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he climbed the charts with the many duets he recorded with his wife, |
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Tammy Wynette, while also delivering exquisite lovelorn ballads as |
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a solo artist, including "He Stopped Loving Her Today" and "If |
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Drinkin' Don't Kill Me (Her Memory Will)"; fame took its toll, |
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however, and for a time, Mr. Jones became notorious for living out |
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his tragic songs of excess and despair; happily, he found his way to |
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a more stable way of life, and his career continued into the 21st |
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century with new albums and a steady schedule of concert dates; at |
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the time of his death, he was in the midst of a farewell tour, which |
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drew legions of admirers to shows around the nation; and |
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WHEREAS, Revered throughout the music world, Mr. Jones was |
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lauded by performers as diverse as Frank Sinatra and Keith |
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Richards, and his artistry earned some of the most prestigious |
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accolades in the industry; he was inducted into the Country Music |
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Hall of Fame, received the National Medal of the Arts, was selected |
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as a Kennedy Center honoree, and accepted a Grammy Lifetime |
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Achievement Award in 2012; and |
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WHEREAS, George Jones was also the recipient of a less formal |
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but perhaps more profound tribute: he was widely regarded as one of |
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the greatest singers in the history of country music, and that |
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legacy is certain to endure; while his departure from the stage |
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brings great sadness to all who have appreciated his work through |
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the decades, it also provides an opportunity to reflect on his |
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incomparable career and to recognize his contributions to the rich |
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musical tradition of the Lone Star State; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 83rd Texas |
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Legislature hereby honor the life of George Jones and extend |
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deepest sympathy to all those who mourn his passing; and, be it |
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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 George |
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Jones. |