HLS 15RS-952 ORIGINAL
2015 Regular Session
HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 27
BY REPRESENTATIVE MONTOUCET
COMMENDATIONS: Commends Jo-El Sonnier upon winning the Grammy for Best
Regional Roots Album at the 57
th
Grammy Awards
1 A RESOLUTION
2To commend Jo-El Sonnier for winning the Grammy Award for Best Regional Roots Album
3 at the 57th Annual Grammy Awards.
4 WHEREAS, Jo-El Sonnier hails from Rayne, Louisiana, the son of French-speaking
5sharecroppers who gave Jo-El a toy accordion to keep him busy while neighbors visited; as
6he grew, it became apparent that music was his calling; news spread of this gifted child who
7sang only in French, and Jo-El debuted on the radio when he was six years old; at the age
8of eleven, Jo-El's singing and playing were recorded in a studio session; and
9 WHEREAS, Jo-El Sonnier explored country music in 1974 when he signed with
10Mercury Records; as a prolific songwriter, his tunes have been recorded by Johnny Cash,
11George Strait, EmmyLou Harris, and Jerry Lee Lewis; and
12 WHEREAS, besides the accordion, Jo-El Sonnier plays bass guitar, acoustic guitar,
13drums, and harmonica, but his accordion playing has been recorded on albums of music
14legends Hank Williams, Jr., Johnny Cash, Neil Diamond, Elvis Costello, Merle Haggard, and
15Dolly Parton; and
16 WHEREAS, Jo-El Sonnier has performed around the world in twenty-eight countries
17from Canada to Europe to South America and Japan, and he has shared his music onstage
18in forty-nine of the fifty United States; and
19 WHEREAS, in October of 2009, Jo-El's talents received recognition in his home
20state; he was inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame; and
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HR NO. 27
1 WHEREAS, Jo-El Sonnier's album, "The Legacy", won the Grammy Award, the
2highest honor an artist can receive for outstanding achievement in the music industry, for
3Best Regional Roots Album at the 57th Annual Grammy Awards on February 8, 2015; it was
4his fourth Grammy nomination and his first win; and
5 WHEREAS, the Grammy-winning album exemplifies the proud tradition of Cajun
6music and features songs that are sung mostly in French; and
7 WHEREAS, Jo-El Sonnier merits a sincere and heartfelt measure of commendation
8for his outstanding professional achievements and for the tremendous honor and pride that
9he brings to his family, friends, community, the state of Louisiana, and his fans all around
10the world.
11 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the House of Representatives of the
12Legislature of Louisiana does hereby commend Jo-El Sonnier upon winning his first
13Grammy at the 57th Grammy Awards; does hereby recognize his accomplishments and the
14manifold contributions he has made to the Cajun and country music industry; does hereby
15record for posterity his extraordinary career in singing, writing, and performing; and does
16hereby extend to him best wishes for continued success, prosperity, and happiness in the
17future.
18 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a suitable copy of this Resolution be transmitted
19to Jo-El Sonnier.
DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute
part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
HR 27 Original 2015 Regular Session Montoucet
Commends Jo-El Sonnier upon winning the 2015 Grammy Award for Best Regional Roots
Album.
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