H.R. No. 63
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, The birthday of Rod Kennedy provides a welcome
opportunity to sing the praises of this extraordinary man; and
WHEREAS, While still a teenager, Mr. Kennedy entered the
entertainment industry as a vocalist with the Bill Creighton
Orchestra in Buffalo, New York; a live radio variety show in Albany
soon hired him as a singer and cohost, and he gained further
experience as the host of a jazz program in Boston before joining
the U.S. Marines and deploying to Korea; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Kennedy later enrolled at The University of
Texas at Austin and assisted in establishing its radio station,
KUT; he served as the original manager of KAZZ-FM and became the
owner of Austin station KHFI-FM, which helped numerous Austin folk
artists reach a wider audience over the airwaves and at its summer
concerts in Zilker Park; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Kennedy demonstrated a deep commitment to his
community and to the arts, serving as a director of the Austin
Symphony Orchestra, the Austin Ballet Society, the Austin Civic
Theater, and the Austin Aqua Festival; moreover, he coproduced the
Longhorn Jazz Festival, which brought such giants as Miles Davis,
Thelonious Monk, and Dizzy Gillespie to the Lone Star State;
playing an increasingly important role in developing the Austin
singer-songwriter scene, he opened the Chequered Flag nightclub, a
notable showcase for emerging artists, among them future icons
Townes Van Zandt and Jerry Jeff Walker; and
WHEREAS, In 1972, Mr. Kennedy founded the Kerrville Folk
Festival; it grew to become one of the nation's most popular live
music events and helped launch the careers of Lyle Lovett, Robert
Earl Keen, the Dixie Chicks, Lucinda Williams, and a host of other
singer-songwriters; Mr. Kennedy also created the Kerrville Music
Foundation to support educational services and sponsor a
competition for beginning songwriters; while guiding the festival
for some three decades, he produced more than 30 albums documenting
performances there, as well as the Kerrville Wine & Music Festival
and a variety of concerts across the United States and in Mexico;
and
WHEREAS, Mr. Kennedy retired from the folk festival in 2002
but continued to serve as a consultant to its organizers and to
promoters around the country; in addition, he produced the "Music
from Kerrville" concert in The Woodlands in 2007 along with 24 major
events for his nonprofit organization, the Kerrville Special Events
Association; Mr. Kennedy's production credits over the past six
decades number more than 1,500, and the list of artists he has
worked with reads like an encyclopedia of contemporary American
music; the many honors accorded this industry luminary through the
years include the Armstrong Foundation Award for FM Broadcasting
Excellence from Columbia University and a Lifetime Achievement
Award from the World Folk Music Association; and
WHEREAS, Although it is impossible to gauge the full effect
Rod Kennedy has had on Texas music, it is clear that the best way to
celebrate his still-evolving legacy is to continue to enjoy and
support the rich creativity he has nurtured; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas
Legislature hereby commend Rod Kennedy for his enormous
contributions to music in the Lone Star State and beyond and extend
to him sincere best wishes for a very happy birthday; and, be it
further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for Mr. Kennedy as an expression of high regard by the
Texas House of Representatives.
Hilderbran
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 63 was adopted by the House on April
7, 2011, by a non-record vote.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House