89R13735 JH-D
By: Shofner H.C.R. No. 74
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, The Lone Star State is renowned around the world for
its extensive contributions to country music, and the city of
Carthage has played a significant role in furthering the genre and
celebrating and preserving its cultural legacy; and
WHEREAS, Carthage is home to the Texas Country Music Hall of
Fame, which focuses on the state's contributions to this
American-born artform and on the many Texas performers and
songwriters who have shaped its development; and
WHEREAS, That illustrious list includes two country legends
who trace their roots to the Carthage area: Tex Ritter and Jim
Reeves; Mr. Ritter hailed from Murvaul, just south of Carthage, and
during a career that stretched from the 1930s to the 1970s, he
became a beloved cowboy singer and star of more than 70 Western
movies; his achievements are chronicled in the Tex Ritter Museum,
which was first organized in Carthage in 1993 and is now part of the
Texas Country Music Hall of Fame; Mr. Reeves, a Carthage High
School graduate, earned legions of fans for his velvet-voiced style
of singing and recorded numerous hits from the early 1950s until his
tragic death in a plane crash in 1964; his gravesite east of
Carthage continues to draw visitors from around the globe; and
WHEREAS, In addition to paying tribute to Mr. Ritter and
Mr. Reeves, the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame includes an elite
roster of other Texas-born musicians; inductees range from early
figures such as Ernest Tubb and Bob Wills, to classic country
superstars like Willie Nelson and George Jones, to influential
performers and songwriters such as Tanya Tucker, Clint Black, Cindy
Walker, and Carthage native Linda Davis, to name but a few of those
who are honored; and
WHEREAS, Each summer, the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame
presents the Classic Country Music Festival, a multiday celebration
that draws thousands of visitors from across the state and beyond to
enjoy live performances, the hall of fame induction ceremony, and
other events; and
WHEREAS, Another annual musical highlight is the John Ritter
Showcase, which spotlights emerging talent in country music and
celebrates the late John Ritter, the son of Tex Ritter, who was an
iconic entertainer in his own right as well as an effective advocate
for the arts; moreover, Carthage hosts the Country Music Hayride, a
continuing series of performances at the Esquire Theater; and
WHEREAS, The citizens of Carthage have demonstrated a lasting
commitment to celebrating the rich history of Texas country music,
and the city's efforts to foster greater appreciation of the genre
and the state's impressive pantheon of performers is indeed
deserving of special recognition; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the 89th Legislature of the State of Texas
hereby designate Carthage as the official Country Music Capital of
Texas; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That, in accordance with the provisions of
Section 391.003(e), Government Code, this designation remain in
effect until the 10th anniversary of the date this resolution is
finally passed by the legislature.