MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2010

By: Senator(s) Horhn, Burton, Butler, To: Rules Dearing, Fillingane, Frazier, Jackson (11th), Jackson (32nd), McDaniel, Simmons

SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 642

1 A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION CELEBRATING AND COMMENDING THE CAREER 2 OF LEGENDARY GOSPEL MUSIC STARS THE JACKSON SOUTHERNAIRES. 3 WHEREAS, The Jackson Southernaires, one of America's most 4 outstanding gospel recording groups, was formed by Frank Crisler 5 in 1940 in Jackson, Mississippi, and are currently celebrating 6 their 70-year Anniversary; and 7 WHEREAS, The Jackson Southernaires were the first Gospel 8 group in the State of Mississippi to use the guitar, base, drum

9 and keyboard in their stage performances. Over a 70-year span, 10 The Jackson Southernaires have shared the stage with more than 15 11 members. In 1965, it was Frank Williams who introduced Huey 12 Williams to the music of The Jackson Southernaires; Huey was 13 singing with the Southern Gospel Singers during that time. It was 14 in the late 1960s, after Huey joined The Jackson Southernaires, 15 that their music caught the attention of Duke/Peacock Records. In 16 1968 the group released the single Too Late, which became one of

17 Duke/Peacock Records' largest selling albums; and 18 WHEREAS, in 1972, on the ABC/Dunhill Label, the album Look 19 Around was released and in 1974, Save My Child was released. The

20 albums Look Around and Save My Child charted nationally and 21 brought the group worldwide acclaim. In 1975, Malaco Records 22 signed The Jackson Southernaires as the first Gospel group for 23 this blues and R&B record company. It was The Jackson 24 Southernaires that set the standard for the other Gospel artists

25 soon to be signed under Malaco Records. The release of the album 26 Down Home drew national recognition for both The Jackson 27 Southernaires and Malaco Records. In 1979, the group received a S. C. R. No. 642 *SS26/R1437* N1/2 10/SS26/R1437 PAGE 1 28 Grammy nomination for the hit song Teddy Bear. The group left 29 Malaco in 2005 to start their own record label, JS Records. On 30 this label, the album Reality was released; and 31 WHEREAS, The Jackson Southernaires have many accomplishments 32 in the Jackson, Mississippi, area. For more than 40 years they 33 produced and hosted a Sunday morning Gospel radio show and hosted

34 a television program entitled "Gospel Unlimited" for five years. 35 The members of The Jackson Southernaires are not only singers, 36 musicians and performers, they are also producers and songwriters. 37 Many of the songs were penned by the members themselves. This 38 type of talent has given them 19 Top Ten Albums, four of which 39 have been Number One selling albums; and 40 WHEREAS, from 1986 to 1988, The Jackson Southernaires 41 received awards from the Gospel Music Workshop of America. The

42 year 1987 brought with it a nomination from the NAACP Image Awards 43 as Traditional Male Group. In 1989, not only did they receive the 44 Stellar Award for "Traditional Male Group of the Year" but they 45 also received a Stellar Award for their album, On the Third Day. 46 This album was ranked as one of the group's best selling albums; 47 and 48 WHEREAS, in 1999, The Jackson Southernaires were inducted 49 into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in Detroit, Michigan. They

50 have been nominated three times for Grammy Awards and nominated 51 for over 20 Stellar Awards. They were inductees into the 52 Mississippi Music Hall of Fame for the years 2002 and 2004; and 53 WHEREAS, in October 2008, The Jackson Southernaires released 54 the new album, Destiny, under the Blackberry Records Label. Never 55 losing sight of their hometown, Jackson, Mississippi, they were 56 the Grand Marshals for the City of Jackson, Mississippi's 2008 57 Christmas Parade. It was on this same day that the former Mayor 58 of Jackson, The Honorable Frank E. Melton, officially named

59 December 6th as "The Jackson Southernaires Day"; and

S. C. R. No. 642 *SS26/R1437* 10/SS26/R1437 PAGE 2 60 WHEREAS, the members of The Jackson Southernaires are Huey 61 (Paul) Williams, Sr., Maurice Surrell, Sr., and James Burks, all 62 native Mississippians; and 63 WHEREAS, for 70 years The Jackson Southernaires have graced 64 the world with their music and God-given talent. Although there 65 have been many changes with musicians, vocalists, and record

66 labels, there has been one thing that has stood the test of time: 67 the fact that The Jackson Southernaires are true legendary 68 gentlemen of Gospel music: 69 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF 70 MISSISSIPPI, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING THEREIN, That 71 we do hereby celebrate and commend the career of legendary gospel 72 music stars, The Jackson Southernaires, and extend our best wishes 73 as they mark their 70th Anniversary Celebration.

74 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this resolution be presented to 75 The Jackson Southernaires, forwarded to the Mississippi Arts 76 Commission and be made available to the Capitol Press Corps.

S. C. R. No. 642 *SS26/R1437* 10/SS26/R1437 ST: Celebrate and commend career of The Jackson PAGE 3 Southernaires.