H.R. No. 223
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, The death of acclaimed songwriter Bill Dees on
October 24, 2012, at the age of 73, brought a great loss to the music
world and profoundly saddened his family and friends; and
WHEREAS, Born in Electra on January 24, 1939, William Marvin
Dees was the son of Beecher and Dorine Dees; he grew up in Borger and
showed talent at an early age, singing harmony with his brothers on
an Amarillo radio show and winning a gold watch at the county fair
in the third grade for his rendition of "I'm a Lonely Little Petunia
in an Onion Patch"; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Dees attended Phillips High School, where his
music teacher recruited him for a group called the Five Bops; after
scoring a regional hit with the song "Jitterbuggin'," the band was
chosen to open several local concerts for Roy Orbison, then a rising
star; Mr. Orbison later produced a recording session for Mr. Dees,
and the pair cowrote "Borne on the Wind," which became a top 5
single in the United Kingdom; and
WHEREAS, In 1964, Mr. Dees moved to Nashville and lined up
steady work before approaching Mr. Orbison about further
collaborations; they became songwriting partners and made the top
10 with the unusually sophisticated pop composition "It's Over";
building on that success, they wrote "Oh, Pretty Woman," which
reached the top of the charts in the United States and some 20 other
countries and became a rock and roll classic; Mr. Dees, who sang
harmony on the recording, gave up his day job to play keyboards in
Mr. Orbison's touring band for more than a year and appeared with
him on The Ed Sullivan Show; ultimately, the legendary singer
recorded nearly 70 songs cowritten with Mr. Dees, as well as several
numbers by Mr. Dees alone; and
WHEREAS, Other artists also recorded songs by Mr. Dees, among
them Loretta Lynn, Dinah Shore, Johnny Cash, Glen Campbell, and
Lynn Anderson; he continued to follow his muse and performed in his
own ensembles and as a solo act; in 2002, he released his first
album under his own name, Saturday Night at the Movies, which
featured three songs from his final writing sessions with his great
friend Mr. Orbison; he followed up with two more albums, and in
2006, he was honored by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at "An Evening
With Bill Dees"; and
WHEREAS, Although he moved to the Ozarks in the 1970s, Mr.
Dees maintained strong Texas ties, and his buoyant personality
endeared him to countless residents of the New Boston area; he
shared many a funny story, new song, or favorite Bible verse with
delighted friends in the Lone Star State, and his ready smile and
frequent laughter brightened every encounter; and
WHEREAS, Bill Dees brought joy to people around the globe
through his musical talent, and those who were fortunate enough to
know this charming, warm, and generous man will forever remember
him with deepest admiration and affection; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 83rd Texas
Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of Bill Dees and extend
sincere condolences to his loved ones; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for the members of his family and that when the Texas House
of Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of William
Marvin Dees.
Price
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 223 was unanimously adopted by a
rising vote of the House on February 18, 2013.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House