Bill Text: TX HCR159 | 2011-2012 | 82nd Legislature | Introduced

Texas House Concurrent Resolution 159 (Prior Session Legislation)

Introduced

Bill Title: Designating Marshall as the official Birthplace of Boogie Woogie.

Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Republican 2)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2011-05-23 - Received from the House [HCR159 Detail]

Download: Texas-2011-HCR159-Introduced.html

	82R27829 JH-D

	By: Hughes	H.C.R. No. 159



	CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
	WHEREAS, The driving, danceable sound of boogie woogie music
	is a distinctive American art form, and its energetic style is all
	the more notable for having been born in the Lone Star State; and
	WHEREAS, Music historians have traced boogie woogie to
	northeastern Texas in the 1870s, when large numbers of African
	Americans were working in railroad construction and in logging and
	turpentine camps in the Piney Woods region; a common feature of the
	work camps was a barrelhouse, which often contained a piano to
	provide entertainment for the workers during off hours; and
	WHEREAS, In those makeshift gathering spots, a new,
	percussive style of piano developed, marked by a repeated "walking"
	bass line, a fast tempo, and a 12-bar blues arrangement; this
	spirited music quickly grew in popularity and became known by a
	number of names, including "barrelhouse," "fast western," "fast
	Texas," and--as it became best known--boogie woogie; and
	WHEREAS, As the hub of the Piney Woods and the headquarters of
	the Texas and Pacific Railway, the city of Marshall played an
	especially important role in these events; this crossroads town was
	a frequent meeting place for the piano players that traveled from
	camp to camp, and it figured prominently in the early development of
	boogie woogie; and
	WHEREAS, The city's status as a rail center made it a fitting
	home for the music because boogie woogie was heavily influenced by
	the locomotive; with their pounding piano, musicians imitated the
	huff and clatter of the trains and drew their rhythmic inspiration
	from the propulsive rotation of the steam engine driver wheel; and
	WHEREAS, Ultimately, the railroad helped to transport boogie
	woogie far beyond its birthplace; as wandering musicians took the
	style to cities throughout the country, its rollicking sound rolled
	across the South and Midwest and on to big cities such as Chicago
	and New York; through the decades, its elements would be melded into
	other genres, including the uniquely American sounds of jazz,
	rhythm and blues, and rock and roll; and
	WHEREAS, This interesting chapter in Texas history further
	underscores the Lone Star State's reputation as a center for
	musical creativity, and by hosting concerts and festivals and
	establishing a boogie woogie artist-in-residence, Marshall is
	embracing its part in creating this important musical innovation;
	now, therefore, be it
	RESOLVED, That the 82nd Legislature of the State of Texas
	hereby designate Marshall as the official Birthplace of Boogie
	Woogie.