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SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 810
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WHEREAS, Over the course of a long and accomplished career, |
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Juan "Johnny" Canales of Corpus Christi has played an important |
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role in popularizing Tejano music through his influential work as |
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a television and radio host, and his contributions are deeply |
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appreciated by legions of fans; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Canales grew up in Robstown, and his |
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introduction to music and hard work came at an early age; he |
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helped his family in the cotton fields by day and then played |
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guitar and sang at night as part of a duo with his father; and |
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WHEREAS, After serving his nation as a member of the United |
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States Army in the late 1960s and early 1970s, Mr. Canales |
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returned home and started a band, Johnny Canales y Su Orquesta; |
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the group specialized in providing entertainment for migrant |
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workers throughout the nation, and the band's recording "El |
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Corrido de Augustine Ramirez" became a hit on Tejano stations in |
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Texas; and |
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WHEREAS, His fame as a musician helped Mr. Canales land a |
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job as a disc jockey at Radio Jalapeno in Corpus Christi, and he |
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quickly became a popular on-air personality, famous for his |
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catchphrase, "You got it! Take it away!"; he made the jump to |
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television in the early 1980s with El Show de Johnny Canales, a |
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variety program that was initially syndicated to stations in |
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Texas and later broadcast in the United States by Univision and |
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in 23 other countries by Televisa; and |
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WHEREAS, Living up to its slogan "Donde nacen las |
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estrellas" ("Where stars are born"), El Show de Johnny Canales |
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hosted some of the earliest TV performances of the Tejano |
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superstar Selena, and the show was also instrumental in launching |
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such popular performers as Los Huracanes del Norte, Conjunto |
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Primavera, Los Temerarios, Bronco, Ramon Ayala y Sus Bravos del |
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Norte, and Bobby Pulido, among many others; after the tragic |
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death of Selena in 1995, Mr. Canales broadcast a television |
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special in her memory, "Recordando Selena," which garnered huge |
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ratings and helped demonstrate the growing power and sweep of the |
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Latino audience; a measure of his popularity in international |
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markets came in 2001, when a taping of his show in Monterrey, |
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Mexico, drew 135,000 fans; and |
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WHEREAS, Throughout his career, Mr. Canales has used his |
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fame and influence to support causes he believes in; he has been |
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active in civic and voter-education initiatives, and he has |
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assisted such organizations as the Mexican American Legal Defense |
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and Educational Fund, Operation Supply Our Students, the League of |
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United Latin American Citizens, the American G.I. Forum, and the |
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Southwest Voter Registration Education Project; and |
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WHEREAS, This beloved entertainer's show business |
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achievements and his efforts to benefit others have earned him |
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hundreds of official honors, including recognition from the |
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Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute and a Lifetime Achievement |
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Award from the Tejano Music Awards; ten video performances from |
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The Johnny Canales Show are part of the permanent collection of |
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the UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center and have previously been |
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exhibited at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, Through his talent and dedication to showcasing |
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gifted entertainers, Johnny Canales has brought enjoyment to |
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countless people and helped further the influence of Latino music |
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and culture in Texas, across the nation, and around the world; |
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now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 83rd |
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Legislature, hereby congratulate Juan "Johnny" Canales on his |
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lasting success in the entertainment industry and honor him for |
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his civic contributions; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this Resolution be |
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prepared for Mr. Canales as an expression of high regard and best |
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wishes by the Texas Senate. |
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Hinojosa, Lucio |
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________________________________ |
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President of the Senate |
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I hereby certify that the |
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above Resolution was adopted by |
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the Senate on May 2, 2013. |
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________________________________ |
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Secretary of the Senate |
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________________________________ |
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Member, Texas Senate |
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________________________________ |
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Member, Texas Senate |