H.R. No. 3022
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, The State of Texas lost one of its most admired
musicians with the passing of fiddle virtuoso Johnny Gimble of
Dripping Springs on May 9, 2015, at the age of 88; and
WHEREAS, Born in Tyler on May 30, 1926, John Paul Gimble began
performing with his brothers as a boy, and they appeared regularly
on a local radio show; his talent soon took him to Louisiana, where
he backed the Shelton Brothers on KWKH in Shreveport and played
tenor banjo in the campaign band of Jimmie Davis, the popular
country singer and future governor of Louisiana; during World War
II, he served in Europe with the United States Army; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Gimble joined the legendary Bob Wills and His
Texas Playboys in 1949, and he played on their 1950 hit "Faded
Love"; when the king of Western swing relocated to California,
Mr. Gimble stayed in Dallas, leading the Bob Wills Ranch House Band
and recording with Marty Robbins, Lefty Frizzell, and Ray Price at a
prominent local studio; he also performed on The Big D Jamboree
variety show; and
WHEREAS, Subsequently, Mr. Gimble and his wife, Barbara,
moved to Waco to raise their three children, Cyndi, Gay, and Dick;
he hosted a weekly television variety show, Johnny Gimble and the
Homefolks, and supplemented his income as a barber; in 1968, he
relocated to Nashville, and his distinctive sound, improvisational
skill, and extraordinary versatility, on mandolin as well as
fiddle, made him a top session player; he recorded with everyone
from Merle Haggard, Charley Pride, Connie Smith, and Dolly Parton
to the Everly Brothers, Paul McCartney, and Rosemary Clooney; he
was a member of the Hee Haw Million Dollar Band, and Chet Atkins
featured him on the all-star album Superpickers; in 1974,
Mr. Gimble released Fiddlin' Around, the first of many solo albums;
his popular compositions included "Under the X in Texas," which
would become the theme song for a long-running show by that name on
Austin radio station KOOP; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Gimble returned to Texas in the late 1970s and
settled in Dripping Springs; he joined Willie Nelson's band, and he
recorded with George Strait, Guy Clark, Asleep at the Wheel, and a
host of others; among the myriad accolades he won were two Grammy
Awards, five Country Music Association Instrumentalist of the Year
Awards, and nine consecutive Academy of Country Music Awards; he
started giving his trophies away to younger musicians to encourage
them, and when the National Endowment of the Arts conferred on him a
National Heritage Fellowship, entailing $10,000, he joked: "Can I
pay it in installments?"; and
WHEREAS, Over the years, the affable Mr. Gimble was a
frequent guest on the NPR series A Prairie Home Companion, and he
appeared on public television's Austin City Limits more times than
any other musician; he led a band with his son, Dick, on bass, and
his granddaughter, Emily, on piano and vocals, and he and his son
conducted fiddle and guitar camps; he suffered a stroke on
Christmas Eve in 1999 but continued to perform and teach, and in
2010, he released Johnny Gimble: Celebrating with Friends, graced
by such guest vocalists as Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson, and Vince
Gill; and
WHEREAS, Johnny Gimble brought joy to innumerable people, and
he influenced generations of musicians; although he will be deeply
missed, he leaves behind a legacy that will be forever treasured by
music fans across the Lone Star State and beyond; now, therefore, be
it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas
Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of Johnny Gimble and
extend sincere condolences to his loved ones; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of
Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Johnny
Gimble.
Anderson of McLennan
Hughes
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 3022 was unanimously adopted by a
rising vote of the House on May 30, 2015.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House