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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, A life enriched by faith, family, and a passion for |
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music drew to a close with the death of Gerald Mansfield Burnett |
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Sr. on January 3, 2021, at the age of 41; and |
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WHEREAS, Gerald Burnett was born in Dallas on August 4, 1979, |
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to Harold and Willie Eva Burnett, and he grew up in a loving |
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Christian home with four siblings, Sharyl, Harold, Carole, and |
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Daryl; his talent as a singer was evident from an early age, and |
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throughout his life, he regularly sang tenor with his family as a |
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member of the Burnett5; in middle school, he began studying piano as |
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well as voice, and after graduating from the Booker T. Washington |
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High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in 1997, he enrolled |
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at Southwestern Christian College; in 2001, he earned a bachelor's |
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degree in music from Oklahoma Christian University, where he was a |
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member of the chamber singers and the university choir; and |
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WHEREAS, This gifted musician began his career as a music |
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educator with the Lancaster Independent School District, and he |
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went on to serve for 15 years as choral director for two schools in |
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Duncanville ISD, where he wrote the school song for Kennemer Middle |
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School and was named Teacher of the Year; since the fall of 2020, he |
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had served as assistant choral director of DeSoto High School; |
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deeply involved in his church, he was the minister of music at |
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Mountain View Church of Christ for two decades; he also composed, |
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arranged, and engineered five eclectic albums through his company, |
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G-Note Productions and Studio, combining such genres as gospel, |
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classical, and jazz, and he produced albums for many other artists |
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as well; and |
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WHEREAS, In all his endeavors, Mr. Burnett enjoyed the love |
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and support of his wife, Frederica Smith, whom he married in 2016, |
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and he took great pride in his son, Gerald Burnett II, and in his |
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stepson, Aiden Groce; and |
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WHEREAS, Gerald Burnett lived a rich and purposeful life, and |
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though he was taken much too soon, he leaves behind a legacy that |
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will continue to inspire all those who were fortunate enough to know |
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him; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 87th Texas |
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Legislature hereby pay tribute to the memory of Gerald Mansfield |
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Burnett Sr. and extend sincere condolences to his relatives and his |
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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 Gerald |
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Burnett. |
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Sherman, Sr. |
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______________________________ |
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Speaker of the House |
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I certify that H.R. No. 308 was unanimously adopted by a |
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rising vote of the House on March 25, 2021. |
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______________________________ |
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Chief Clerk of the House |
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