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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Henry "Pepsi" Peña, a beloved stalwart of the San |
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Antonio music scene, marked his 70th birthday on April 25, 2017; and |
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WHEREAS, The son of Enrique and Elva Peña, Henry Peña was born |
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in Kingsville in 1947; he started a band, Henry and the Kasuals, |
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when he was a sophomore at South San Antonio High School, and the |
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following year, KUKA Radio hired him as a disc jockey for the Top |
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Teen Tunes show; following graduation, he married his high school |
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sweetheart, Brenda, and they became the parents of three treasured |
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children, Derek, Amanda, and Dion; with the passing years, his |
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family has grown to include five grandchildren; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Peña worked full-time for KUKA, adding a morning |
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drive program and ad sales to his responsibilities; he also played |
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in the Patio Andaluz and other clubs with his band and emceed dances |
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at the convention center and the municipal auditorium; from 1967 to |
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1968, he served in the United States Air Force; he subsequently |
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hosted an American Bandstand-style program, The Pepsi Peña Show, on |
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television station KWEX, as well as a TV talk show, Henry Peña y las |
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Estrellas, for the Houston market; and |
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WHEREAS, In 1978, Mr. Peña pursued a second career in real |
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estate, and he established his own company, Henry Peña Realtors; to |
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the delight of his fans, he eventually found his way back to the |
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music business, emceeing a Patio Andaluz reunion in 2010; five |
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years later, he returned to radio as host of the San Antonio Oldies |
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radio show on KEDA, which is also syndicated to 11 other stations; |
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he has produced two more Patio Andaluz reunions at the Tobin Center |
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to showcase local bands and highlight San Antonio music of |
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the '50s, '60s, and early '70s, and he has booked concerts by such |
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national artists as Jimmy Charles and Archie Bell; in 2016, he was |
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inducted into the Texas Radio Hall of Fame; and |
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WHEREAS, Pepsi Peña has enriched the lives of innumerable |
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people by sharing his love and deep knowledge of the classic |
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Westside Sound, and it is a pleasure to join his loved ones and his |
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many admirers in honoring him as he celebrates this milestone in his |
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life; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 85th Texas |
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Legislature hereby congratulate Henry "Pepsi" Peña on his 70th |
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birthday and extend to him sincere best wishes for continued |
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success and happiness; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for Mr. Peña as an expression of high regard by the Texas |
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House of Representatives. |