85R22830 BPG-D
By: Bernal H.R. No. 1504
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Henry "Pepsi" Peña, a beloved stalwart of the San
Antonio music scene, marked his 70th birthday on April 25, 2017; and
WHEREAS, The son of Enrique and Elva Peña, Henry Peña was born
in Kingsville in 1947; he started a band, Henry and the Kasuals,
when he was a sophomore at South San Antonio High School, and the
following year, KUKA Radio hired him as a disc jockey for the Top
Teen Tunes show; following graduation, he married his high school
sweetheart, Brenda, and they became the parents of three treasured
children, Derek, Amanda, and Dion; with the passing years, his
family has grown to include five grandchildren; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Peña worked full-time for KUKA, adding a morning
drive program and ad sales to his responsibilities; he also played
in the Patio Andaluz and other clubs with his band and emceed dances
at the convention center and the municipal auditorium; from 1967 to
1968, he served in the United States Air Force; he subsequently
hosted an American Bandstand-style program, The Pepsi Peña Show, on
television station KWEX, as well as a TV talk show, Henry Peña y las
Estrellas, for the Houston market; and
WHEREAS, In 1978, Mr. Peña pursued a second career in real
estate, and he established his own company, Henry Peña Realtors; to
the delight of his fans, he eventually found his way back to the
music business, emceeing a Patio Andaluz reunion in 2010; five
years later, he returned to radio as host of the San Antonio Oldies
radio show on KEDA, which is also syndicated to 11 other stations;
he has produced two more Patio Andaluz reunions at the Tobin Center
to showcase local bands and highlight San Antonio music of
the '50s, '60s, and early '70s, and he has booked concerts by such
national artists as Jimmy Charles and Archie Bell; in 2016, he was
inducted into the Texas Radio Hall of Fame; and
WHEREAS, Pepsi Peña has enriched the lives of innumerable
people by sharing his love and deep knowledge of the classic
Westside Sound, and it is a pleasure to join his loved ones and his
many admirers in honoring him as he celebrates this milestone in his
life; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 85th Texas
Legislature hereby congratulate Henry "Pepsi" Peña on his 70th
birthday and extend to him sincere best wishes for continued
success and happiness; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for Mr. Peña as an expression of high regard by the Texas
House of Representatives.