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Regular Session, 2010
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTI ON NO. 11
BY REPRESENTATIVE ANDERS
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTI ON
To recognize Saturday, May 22, 2010, as Will Haney Day in Ferriday.
WHEREAS, it is appropriate to recognize Saturday, May 22, 2010, as Will Haney
Day in Ferriday in honor of his outstanding contributions to blues music as operator of
Haney's Big House; and
WHEREAS, born in Vidalia, Will Haney served with great pride and valor in the
United States Army, was stationed in France during World War I, and earned the rank of
first sergeant; and
WHEREAS, after returning from military service following World War I, Will
Haney sold life and accident insurance as a representative of People's Life Insurance of New
Orleans; and
WHEREAS, during the floods of the 1930s and 1940s, many of Mr. Haney's
policyholders were unable to work, so Mr. Haney traveled to New Orleans to tell the
company that he would not allow his customers' policies to lapse due to the flood; and
WHEREAS, after turning over the insurance business to a relative, Will Haney
opened a barbeque joint that had a dirt floor, paneled walls that ran halfway up the building,
and a screen that ran above the walls to the ceiling; and
WHEREAS, by the late 1930s, Will Haney constructed a barroom at the same
location and called the place Haney's, creating what would eventually become the legendary
Haney's Big House; and
WHEREAS, after enlarging his business, the bluesmen of the Mississippi Delta and
the jazzmen of New Orleans would often travel to Ferriday to play at Haney's; and
WHEREAS, Will Haney operated the famous nightclub known worldwide as Haney's
Big House in Ferriday, Louisiana, during the 1940s and 1950s; and ENROLLEDHCR NO. 11
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WHEREAS, Haney's Big House was a part of what is known as the "chitlin circuit",
playing host to legends of blues music, including Fats Domino, Duke Ellington, Louis
Armstrong, B.B. King, Irma Thomas, and Percy Sledge, among others; and
WHEREAS, blues music is the most influential form of American roots music, and
its impact is heard around the world in rock 'n' roll, jazz, rhythm and blues, country, and
classic musical; and
WHEREAS, with the success of Haney's Big House, Mr. Haney built a two-story
motel called Haney's Motel behind the club to accommodate musicians and patrons; and
WHEREAS, the glory years of Haney's Big House spanned about two decades before
a fire destroyed the entire block in 1966, and Haney's property burned to the ground and was
never rebuilt; and
WHEREAS, Will Haney was a loving husband to his wife Lillie and a devoted father
to his only daughter, Willie, who attended an all-girls college in North Carolina; and
WHEREAS, Will Haney passed away after becoming ill during the late 1960s, but
his legacy lives on forever in the minds and hearts of the people of Ferriday; and
WHEREAS, as an African American man during turbulent times, Will Haney made
a place in history for both himself and Ferriday that will never be surpassed; and
WHEREAS, Ferriday recently joined a handful of cities outside Mississippi,
including Chicago, Memphis, New Orleans, and London, that were selected to receive a
Mississippi Blues Trail marker, and the marker is being placed at the site of Haney's Big
House in honor of the legendary blues musicians that played there; and
WHEREAS, May 22, 2010, has been proclaimed Will Haney Day by the town of
Ferriday; and
WHEREAS, thanks to the success of Will Haney and Haney's Big House, Ferriday
became legendary and continues to stand out in music culture today.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
recognize Saturday, May 22, 2010, as Will Haney Day in Ferriday, does hereby
posthumously commend Will Haney for his contributions to blues music as operator of
Haney's Big House, and does hereby extend enduring appreciation for the tremendous pride
and honor that this wonderful man continues to bring to the citizens of the town of Ferriday
and the state of Louisiana. ENROLLEDHCR NO. 11
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BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a suitable copy of this Resolution be transmitted
to Glen B. McGlothin, Jr., mayor of the town of Ferriday.
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATI VES
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE