ENROLLED
2015 Regular Session
HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 27
BY REPRESENTATIVE MONTOUCET
A RESOLUTION
To commend Jo-El Sonnier for winning the Grammy Award for Best Regional Roots Album
at the 57th Annual Grammy Awards.
WHEREAS, Jo-El Sonnier hails from Rayne, Louisiana, the son of French-speaking
sharecroppers who gave Jo-El a toy accordion to keep him busy while neighbors visited; as
he grew, it became apparent that music was his calling; news spread of this gifted child who
sang only in French, and Jo-El debuted on the radio when he was six years old; at the age
of eleven, Jo-El's singing and playing were recorded in a studio session; and
WHEREAS, Jo-El Sonnier explored country music in 1974 when he signed with
Mercury Records; as a prolific songwriter, his tunes have been recorded by Johnny Cash,
George Strait, EmmyLou Harris, and Jerry Lee Lewis; and
WHEREAS, besides the accordion, Jo-El Sonnier plays bass guitar, acoustic guitar,
drums, and harmonica, but his accordion playing has been recorded on albums of music
legends Hank Williams, Jr., Johnny Cash, Neil Diamond, Elvis Costello, Merle Haggard, and
Dolly Parton; and
WHEREAS, Jo-El Sonnier has performed around the world in twenty-eight countries
from Canada to Europe to South America and Japan, and he has shared his music onstage
in forty-nine of the fifty United States; and
WHEREAS, in October of 2009, Jo-El's talents received recognition in his home
state; he was inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame; and
WHEREAS, Jo-El Sonnier's album, "The Legacy", won the Grammy Award, the
highest honor an artist can receive for outstanding achievement in the music industry, for
Best Regional Roots Album at the 57th Annual Grammy Awards on February 8, 2015; it was
his fourth Grammy nomination and his first win; and
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WHEREAS, the Grammy-winning album exemplifies the proud tradition of Cajun
music and features songs that are sung mostly in French; and
WHEREAS, Jo-El Sonnier merits a sincere and heartfelt measure of commendation
for his outstanding professional achievements and for the tremendous honor and pride that
he brings to his family, friends, community, the state of Louisiana, and his fans all around
the world.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the House of Representatives of the
Legislature of Louisiana does hereby commend Jo-El Sonnier upon winning his first
Grammy at the 57th Grammy Awards; does hereby recognize his accomplishments and the
manifold contributions he has made to the Cajun and country music industry; does hereby
record for posterity his extraordinary career in singing, writing, and performing; and does
hereby extend to him best wishes for continued success, prosperity, and happiness in the
future.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a suitable copy of this Resolution be transmitted
to Jo-El Sonnier.
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
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