Bill Text: MS SC581 | 2017 | Regular Session | Enrolled

Mississippi Senate Concurrent Resolution 581 (Prior Session Legislation)

Bill Title: Recognize Vasti Jackson as recipient of the 2017 Governor's Arts Award for serving as Arts Ambassador for the State of Mississippi.

Sponsorship: Bipartisan Bill

Status: (Passed) 2017-02-14 - Enrolled Bill Signed [SC581 Detail]

Download: Mississippi-2017-SC581-Enrolled.html

MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE

2017 Regular Session

To: Rules

By: Senator(s) Horhn, Simmons (13th), Carmichael, Jackson (11th), Polk, Witherspoon, Burton, Hudson, Barnett, Blackwell, Chassaniol, Dearing, Frazier, Jackson (32nd), McMahan, Norwood

Senate Concurrent Resolution 581

(As Adopted by Senate and House)

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION EXTENDING THE RECOGNITION OF THE MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE TO VASTI JACKSON AS RECIPIENT OF THE 2017 GOVERNOR'S ARTS AWARD FOR SERVING AS ARTS AMBASSADOR FOR THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI.

WHEREAS, the Governor's Arts Awards Program has announced its 2017 recipients, which includes Vasti Jackson for serving as Arts Ambassador for the State of Mississippi; and

WHEREAS, Hattiesburg's Vasti Jackson is Mississippi's modern version of a Renaissance Man. His titles include: singer, performer, writer, composer, arranger, filmmaker, producer and educator, but he is best known for his showmanship and virtuosic guitar playing; and

WHEREAS, born in McComb, Vasti has been studying Mississippi's contributions to the music world since childhood. He has also been a working musician for four decades. In the 1980s and early 1990s, Mr. Jackson was a prolific Session Musician working for Malaco Records in Jackson and Alligator Records in Chicago. He developed his crowd-pleasing performance skills while working as Musical Director and Guitarist to numerous performers, including ZZ Hill, Bobby Bland, and Swamp Queen Katie Webster; and

WHEREAS, before long, Vasti Jackson was releasing his own music and bringing his high energy concerts to audiences around the world. Since 2012, he has been associated with the group "Playing For Change," a movement created to inspire and connect the world through music. Vasti was named a Mississippi Cultural Ambassador in 2014, which promotes his mission of teaching people around the globe about the rich heritage of African-American music that comes from Mississippi and the United States; and

WHEREAS, Vasti Jackson's solo releases include "No Borders to the Blues," "Bourbon Street Blues" and "New Orleans: Rhythm Soul Blues"; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Jackson has received numerous honors and awards. He was selected as a Mississippi Living Blues Legend in 2011 and was inducted into the Mississippi Musicians Hall of Fame the following year. Vasti recently received his biggest nod yet

as a 2017 Grammy Award nominee for Best Traditional Blues Album for "The Soul of Jimmie Rodgers"; and

WHEREAS, it is with great pride that we pay tribute and express appreciation for the talent of a world-class Mississippi Musician who has made Mississippi a better place and exemplifies the musical traditions of our great state:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING THEREIN, That we do hereby extend the recognition of the Mississippi Legislature to Vasti Jackson as recipient of the 2017 Governor's Arts Award for serving as Arts Ambassador for the State of Mississippi, and extend our congratulations to a world-class musician on this auspicious occasion.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this resolution be presented to Vasti Jackson as part of the Governor's Arts Awards presentation on Thursday, February 16, 2017, and made available to the Capitol Press Corps.