25 LC 112 3358
House Resolution 602
By: Representatives Crawford of the 89
th
, Tran of the 80
th
, Au of the 50
th
, Park of the 107
th
,
and Hong of the 103
rd
A RESOLUTION
Commending Hyong Kun "Sam" Yi (hereinafter "Sam Yi") for his trailblazing and
1
extraordinary contributions to Georgia's jazz community; and for other purposes.2
WHEREAS, Sam Yi was a renowned patron, aficionado, and guiding light of jazz music in3
Atlanta, having co-founded the celebrated former Atlanta jazz club Churchill Grounds in the4
historic Fox Theatre building in Midtown; and5
WHEREAS, Sam Yi was born on May 25, 1963, in Seoul, South Korea, the son of the late6
Sang Hu Yi and Sang Son Yi, and he immigrated to the United States as an 11-year-old with7
his parents, eventually settling permanently in the State of Georgia in 1987; and8
WHEREAS, he was the beloved husband of Ok Hyun "Nina" Yi (née Park), who always9
supported his vision and dreams; and10
WHEREAS, Churchill Grounds, which Sam Yi opened on May 1, 1997, became a Mecca11
for jazz musicians through his steadfast promotion, helping artists maintain a sense of12
belonging and providing listeners with a venue to hear the latest talent, nurturing improvised13
music by giving novices and professionals alike a place to hone their craft before enthusiastic14
audiences; and15
H. R. 602
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WHEREAS, in 2003, he expanded Churchill Grounds to include The Whisper Room stage,
16
where high-profile musicians such as Wynton Marsalis, Harry Connick Jr., the Harper17
Family (Danny, Terry, Terrence, Philip, Darius, and the late Dishan Harper), and Lady Gaga18
performed, while also giving then-unknown artists their first break, including Russell Gunn,19
Lizz Wright, Gary Motley, Bernard Linnette, and David Sánchez; and20
WHEREAS, Churchill Grounds officially closed on July 31, 2016, an occasion marked by21
a proclamation from the City of Atlanta designating the day as Churchill Grounds Café Day;22
and23
WHEREAS, over the past decade, Sam Yi worked toward providing audiences with a new24
destination for jazz by organizing jam sessions and pop-up performances at Mason Tavern,25
Apple House, and his own restaurant, Brew & Bird, in Decatur as well as most recently26
partnering with the club Ten ATL in East Atlanta with hopes of opening a new Churchill27
Grounds; and28
WHEREAS, he was the curator and face of an incubator for Atlanta's jazz talent as well as29
the reason that jazz is alive in the city to this day; and30
WHEREAS, Sam Yi unfortunately passed away after an illness and joined the ancestors on31
February 3, 2025; he is survived by his mother, Sang Son Yi; his sister, Lily Yi Giffin; his32
wife, Nina Yi; and his nieces and nephews; and33
WHEREAS, it is abundantly fitting and proper that the extraordinary accomplishments of34
this distinguished Georgian and pillar of the jazz community be appropriately recognized.35
H. R. 602
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NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that
36
the members of this body commend Hyong Kun "Sam" Yi posthumously for his many37
achievements and express the deepest and most sincere regret at his passing.38
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is authorized39
and directed to make an appropriate copy of this resolution available for distribution to the40
family of Hyong Kun "Sam" Yi.41
H. R. 602
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