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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Benard Ighner of Houston, composer of the timeless |
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classic "Everything Must Change," passed away on August 14, 2017, |
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at the age of 72; and |
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WHEREAS, The son of Erma and Booker T. Ighner, Benard Ighner |
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was born in the Bayou City on January 18, 1945, and grew up with four |
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siblings, Jo Carole, Sondra, Anita, and Keith; although he had no |
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formal training, he demonstrated musical talent at an early age and |
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learned how to play piano, guitar, bass, and drums, as well as a |
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number of wind instruments; he graduated from Yates High School and |
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moved to San Diego, California, with his family before enlisting in |
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the U.S. Army; and |
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WHEREAS, After serving his country in Germany, Mr. Ighner |
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returned to California and met Dizzy Gillespie at the home of his |
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older sister; the jazz legend was so impressed by his rich baritone |
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voice that he invited him to tour and record with his band; |
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subsequently, he introduced Mr. Ighner to composer Lalo Schifrin, |
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who featured him on the album Rock Requiem, and they cowrote "Like |
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Me," featured on the Dirty Harry soundtrack; later, they teamed for |
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an orchestral performance and album with Sarah Vaughan; and |
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WHEREAS, Quincy Jones received a demo of Mr. Ighner's |
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composition "Everything Must Change" and asked him to sing it on his |
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1974 album Body Heat; the LP soared to the top of the charts, and the |
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haunting melody became a standard, covered by everyone from |
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vocalists Nina Simone, Randy Crawford, and Barbra Streisand to jazz |
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musicians Lester Bowie, Archie Shepp, and David "Fathead" Newman; |
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Mr. Ighner eventually recorded a new version of the song on his only |
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solo album, Little Dreamer, which featured his brother, Keith, on |
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bass; he also appeared with his sister, Sondra, on a Sergio Mendes |
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album that featured two of his songs, "You Been Away Too Long" and |
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"Davy"; superstar Shirley Bassey flew to Los Angeles to record |
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"Davy" with him as a duet, and the tune appeared alongside other |
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Ighner compositions on the popular soul-jazz album he produced for |
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Marlena Shaw; over the years, many others recorded his work, and he |
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sang harmony vocals for James Taylor, Jimmy Smith, and other |
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artists and performed for commercials; and |
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WHEREAS, Kind, gentle, and enormously gifted, Benard Ighner |
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brought joy to innumerable people, and he left a musical legacy for |
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all to treasure; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 86th Texas |
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Legislature hereby pay tribute to the memory of Benard Ighner and |
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extend sincere condolences to all 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 Benard |
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Ighner. |