| 2 | 3 | | |
|---|
| 3 | 4 | | |
|---|
| 4 | 5 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
|---|
| 5 | 6 | | WHEREAS, The State of Texas lost one of its most admired |
|---|
| 6 | 7 | | musicians with the passing of fiddle virtuoso Johnny Gimble of |
|---|
| 7 | 8 | | Dripping Springs on May 9, 2015, at the age of 88; and |
|---|
| 8 | 9 | | WHEREAS, Born in Tyler on May 30, 1926, John Paul Gimble began |
|---|
| 9 | 10 | | performing with his brothers as a boy, and they appeared regularly |
|---|
| 10 | 11 | | on a local radio show; his talent soon took him to Louisiana, where |
|---|
| 11 | 12 | | he backed the Shelton Brothers on KWKH in Shreveport and played |
|---|
| 12 | 13 | | tenor banjo in the campaign band of Jimmie Davis, the popular |
|---|
| 13 | 14 | | country singer and future governor of Louisiana; during World War |
|---|
| 14 | 15 | | II, he served in Europe with the United States Army; and |
|---|
| 15 | 16 | | WHEREAS, Mr. Gimble joined the legendary Bob Wills and His |
|---|
| 16 | 17 | | Texas Playboys in 1949, and he played on their 1950 hit "Faded |
|---|
| 17 | 18 | | Love"; when the king of Western swing relocated to California, |
|---|
| 18 | 19 | | Mr. Gimble stayed in Dallas, leading the Bob Wills Ranch House Band |
|---|
| 19 | 20 | | and recording with Marty Robbins, Lefty Frizzell, and Ray Price at a |
|---|
| 20 | 21 | | prominent local studio; he also performed on The Big D Jamboree |
|---|
| 21 | 22 | | variety show; and |
|---|
| 22 | 23 | | WHEREAS, Subsequently, Mr. Gimble and his wife, Barbara, |
|---|
| 23 | 24 | | moved to Waco to raise their three children, Cyndi, Gay, and Dick; |
|---|
| 24 | 25 | | he hosted a weekly television variety show, Johnny Gimble and the |
|---|
| 25 | 26 | | Homefolks, and supplemented his income as a barber; in 1968, he |
|---|
| 26 | 27 | | relocated to Nashville, and his distinctive sound, improvisational |
|---|
| 27 | 28 | | skill, and extraordinary versatility, on mandolin as well as |
|---|
| 28 | 29 | | fiddle, made him a top session player; he recorded with everyone |
|---|
| 29 | 30 | | from Merle Haggard, Charley Pride, Connie Smith, and Dolly Parton |
|---|
| 30 | 31 | | to the Everly Brothers, Paul McCartney, and Rosemary Clooney; he |
|---|
| 31 | 32 | | was a member of the Hee Haw Million Dollar Band, and Chet Atkins |
|---|
| 32 | 33 | | featured him on the all-star album Superpickers; in 1974, |
|---|
| 33 | 34 | | Mr. Gimble released Fiddlin' Around, the first of many solo albums; |
|---|
| 34 | 35 | | his popular compositions included "Under the X in Texas," which |
|---|
| 35 | 36 | | would become the theme song for a long-running show by that name on |
|---|
| 36 | 37 | | Austin radio station KOOP; and |
|---|
| 37 | 38 | | WHEREAS, Mr. Gimble returned to Texas in the late 1970s and |
|---|
| 38 | 39 | | settled in Dripping Springs; he joined Willie Nelson's band, and he |
|---|
| 39 | 40 | | recorded with George Strait, Guy Clark, Asleep at the Wheel, and a |
|---|
| 40 | 41 | | host of others; among the myriad accolades he won were two Grammy |
|---|
| 41 | 42 | | Awards, five Country Music Association Instrumentalist of the Year |
|---|
| 42 | 43 | | Awards, and nine consecutive Academy of Country Music Awards; he |
|---|
| 43 | 44 | | started giving his trophies away to younger musicians to encourage |
|---|
| 44 | 45 | | them, and when the National Endowment of the Arts conferred on him a |
|---|
| 45 | 46 | | National Heritage Fellowship, entailing $10,000, he joked: "Can I |
|---|
| 46 | 47 | | pay it in installments?"; and |
|---|
| 47 | 48 | | WHEREAS, Over the years, the affable Mr. Gimble was a |
|---|
| 48 | 49 | | frequent guest on the NPR series A Prairie Home Companion, and he |
|---|
| 49 | 50 | | appeared on public television's Austin City Limits more times than |
|---|
| 50 | 51 | | any other musician; he led a band with his son, Dick, on bass, and |
|---|
| 51 | 52 | | his granddaughter, Emily, on piano and vocals, and he and his son |
|---|
| 52 | 53 | | conducted fiddle and guitar camps; he suffered a stroke on |
|---|
| 53 | 54 | | Christmas Eve in 1999 but continued to perform and teach, and in |
|---|
| 54 | 55 | | 2010, he released Johnny Gimble: Celebrating with Friends, graced |
|---|
| 55 | 56 | | by such guest vocalists as Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson, and Vince |
|---|
| 56 | 57 | | Gill; and |
|---|
| 57 | 58 | | WHEREAS, Johnny Gimble brought joy to innumerable people, and |
|---|
| 58 | 59 | | he influenced generations of musicians; although he will be deeply |
|---|
| 59 | 60 | | missed, he leaves behind a legacy that will be forever treasured by |
|---|
| 60 | 61 | | music fans across the Lone Star State and beyond; now, therefore, be |
|---|
| 61 | 62 | | it |
|---|
| 62 | 63 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas |
|---|
| 63 | 64 | | Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of Johnny Gimble and |
|---|
| 64 | 65 | | extend sincere condolences to his loved ones; and, be it further |
|---|
| 65 | 66 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
|---|
| 66 | 67 | | prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of |
|---|
| 67 | 68 | | Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Johnny |
|---|
| 68 | 69 | | Gimble. |
|---|