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Texas Senate Bill SR639

Texas 2023 - 88th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SR639 Compare Versions

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1-SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 639
1+88R29832 JRI-D
2+ By: Eckhardt S.R. No. 639
3+
4+
5+ R E S O L U T I O N
26 WHEREAS, The Broken Spoke, Austin's iconic country dance
37 hall, was honored with the dedication of an Official Texas
48 Historical Marker on April 12, 2023; and
5- WHEREAS, Native Austinite James White opened the Broken
6- Spoke in 1964 as a cafe in a former lumberyard on South Lamar
7- Boulevard; the business quickly won the loyalty of country
8- music lovers with its jukebox and live performers, and in 1966,
9- it expanded to its current size with the addition of a
10- bandstand and a large dance floor; from the outset, it featured
11- the same atmospheric decor it has today, complete with
12- red-checkered tablecloths, pool tables, and low ceilings; as
13- Mr. White put it in the famous pronouncement he would make from
14- the stage each night, the Broken Spoke has always been "a real
15- Texas honky-tonk . . . not Car-neg-ie Hall!"; and
9+ WHEREAS, Native Austinite James White opened the Broken Spoke
10+ in 1964 as a cafe in a former lumberyard on South Lamar Boulevard;
11+ the business quickly won the loyalty of country music lovers with
12+ its jukebox and live performers, and in 1966, it expanded to its
13+ current size with the addition of a bandstand and a large dance
14+ floor; from the outset, it featured the same atmospheric decor it
15+ has today, complete with red-checkered tablecloths, pool tables,
16+ and low ceilings; as Mr. White put it in the famous pronouncement he
17+ would make from the stage each night, the Broken Spoke has always
18+ been "a real Texas honky-tonk . . . not Car-neg-ie Hall!"; and
1619 WHEREAS, Within a few years of its opening, the dance hall
1720 began booking well-known country music artists, such as Bob Wills
18- and His Texas Playboys, Tex Ritter, Ray Price, and Ernest Tubb;
19- in the 1970s, it became a popular venue for Willie Nelson, Kris
20- Kristofferson, and other outlaw country acts, and George Strait
21- was among the performers who cut their teeth at the Spoke early in
22- their careers; the music royalty who have graced the stage
23- through the years also includes Kitty Wells, Roy Orbison, Dolly
24- Parton, and Garth Brooks, and the impressive lineup of stars is
25- commemorated in the "Tourist Trap" museum that occupies a room at
26- the nightspot; and
21+ and His Texas Playboys, Tex Ritter, Ray Price, and Ernest Tubb; in
22+ the 1970s, it became a popular venue for Willie Nelson, Kris
23+ Kristofferson, and other outlaw country acts, and George Strait was
24+ among the performers who cut their teeth at the Spoke early in their
25+ careers; the music royalty who have graced the stage through the
26+ years also includes Kitty Wells, Roy Orbison, Dolly Parton, and
27+ Garth Brooks, and the impressive lineup of stars is commemorated in
28+ the "Tourist Trap" museum that occupies a room at the nightspot; and
2729 WHEREAS, Standing alongside the performers in most of the
2830 museum photographs is Mr. White, who together with his wife,
2931 Annetta, ran the Broken Spoke for more than a half century; his
3032 friendly greeting welcomed generations of patrons, and his
31- unwavering allegiance to the venue's traditional country roots
32- made it a cultural landmark known around the globe; although
33- Mr. White passed away in 2021, the White family continues to
34- operate the Spoke, maintaining its traditions of hosting live
35- music five nights a week, offering lessons for those taking their
36- first steps across the sawdust-covered dance floor, and serving
37- its famous chicken-fried steak; and
33+ unwavering allegiance to the venue's traditional country roots made
34+ it a cultural landmark known around the globe; although Mr. White
35+ passed away in 2021, the White family continues to operate the
36+ Spoke, maintaining its traditions of hosting live music five nights
37+ a week, offering lessons for those taking their first steps across
38+ the sawdust-covered dance floor, and serving its famous
39+ chicken-fried steak; and
3840 WHEREAS, Over the years, the Broken Spoke has been featured
39- in countless publications and on such television programs as
40- Austin City Limits and the Country Music Television special
41- "Honky Tonk Sounds"; it also served as a location in the Willie
42- Nelson movie Honeysuckle Rose, NBC's Friday Night Lights
43- television series, and the movie Wild Texas Wind, which featured
44- Spoke mainstay Asleep at the Wheel; in 2010, the dance hall was
45- inducted into the Texas Western Swing Hall of Fame, and Donna
46- Marie Miller authored a book about its history titled The Broken
47- Spoke: Austin's Legendary Honky-Tonk; and
41+ in countless publications and on such television programs as Austin
42+ City Limits and the Country Music Television special "Honky Tonk
43+ Sounds"; it also served as a location in the Willie Nelson movie
44+ Honeysuckle Rose, NBC's Friday Night Lights television series, and
45+ the movie Wild Texas Wind, which featured Spoke mainstay Asleep at
46+ the Wheel; in 2010, the dance hall was inducted into the Texas
47+ Western Swing Hall of Fame, and Donna Marie Miller authored a book
48+ about its history titled The Broken Spoke: Austin's Legendary
49+ Honky-Tonk; and
4850 WHEREAS, For nearly six decades, two-steppers and country
49- music aficionados have found a slice of honky-tonk heaven under
50- the neon lights of the Broken Spoke, and this beloved cultural
51- treasure is indeed deserving of this official acknowledgment of
52- its historical legacy; now, therefore, be it
53- RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 88th
54- Legislature, hereby commemorate the dedication of an Official
55- Texas Historical Marker for the Broken Spoke dance hall and
56- extend to the White family and to all those associated with the
57- venue sincere best wishes for the future; and, be it further
51+ music aficionados have found a slice of honky-tonk heaven under the
52+ neon lights of the Broken Spoke, and this beloved cultural treasure
53+ is indeed deserving of this official acknowledgment of its
54+ historical legacy; now, therefore, be it
55+ RESOLVED, That the Senate of the 88th Texas Legislature
56+ hereby commemorate the dedication of an Official Texas Historical
57+ Marker for the Broken Spoke dance hall and extend to the White
58+ family and to all those associated with the venue sincere best
59+ wishes for the future; and, be it further
5860 RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
59- prepared for the Broken Spoke as an expression of high regard
60- from the Texas Senate.
61- Eckhardt, Alvarado, Gutierrez, Parker
62- ________________________________
63- President of the Senate
64- I hereby certify that the
65- above Resolution was adopted by
66- the Senate on May 23, 2023.
67- ________________________________
68- Secretary of the Senate
69- ________________________________
70- Member, Texas Senate
71- ________________________________
72- Member, Texas Senate
73- ________________________________
74- Member, Texas Senate
75- ________________________________
76- Member, Texas Senate
61+ prepared for the Broken Spoke as an expression of high regard by the
62+ Texas Senate.