Bill Text: VA HJR121 | 2022 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Commending Old Dominion.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2022-01-27 - Bill text as passed House and Senate (HJ121ER) [HJR121 Detail]
Download: Virginia-2022-HJR121-Introduced.html
WHEREAS, Old Dominion, a contemporary country music band with roots in the Commonwealth, has delighted audiences across the nation for 15 years; and
WHEREAS, Old Dominion was established in 2007 by lead vocalist Matthew Ramsey, guitar and keyboard player Trevor Rosen, drummer Whit Sellers, bassist Geoff Sprung, and guitarist Brad Tursi; the band's name as an homage to four of the five members' connections to Virginia; and
WHEREAS, Matthew Ramsey grew up in Botetourt County and attended James River High School and Virginia Commonwealth University, while Whit Sellers attended James River's cross-county rival, Lord Botetourt High School, and James Madison University, where he met Geoff Sprung and Brad Tursi; and
WHEREAS, the members of Old Dominion coalesced in Nashville where they met Trevor Rosen, a transplant from Michigan, and began recording songs they had each written individually; several members of the band have writing credits on hit songs by Luke Bryan, Kenny Chesney, The Band Perry, Kelsea Ballerini, Blake Shelton, and other country artists; and
WHEREAS, Old Dominion gained attention with their early songs "Dirt on a Road" and "Shut Me Up," and released their first extended play record in 2014; the band subsequently toured as an opener for Kenny Chesney and released their debut studio album Meat and Candy the following year; and
WHEREAS, Old Dominion released a second studio album, Happy Endings, in 2017, and launched the Make It Sweet Tour, the band's first tour as a headliner, in 2018; "Make It Sweet" appeared on the band's self-titled third album in 2019, along with "One Man Band," which became their highest-peaking single on the Billboard Hot 100 chart at number 20; and
WHEREAS, on October 8, 2021, Old Dominion released their most recent album, Time, Tequila & Therapy, which featured Motown legend Gladys Knight on the song "Lonely Side of Town"; and
WHEREAS, over the course of their career, the members of Old Dominion have earned numerous awards and accolades, including the New Vocal Duo or Group of the Year award from the Academy of Country Music and the Breakthrough Group/Duo of the Year award from American Country Countdown in 2016; and
WHEREAS, in 2018 and 2019, Old Dominion won back-to-back Vocal Group of the Year awards from both the Academy of Country Music and the Country Music Association, and in 2020, the band added another Vocal Group of the Year award from the Country Music Association and a Song of the Year award for "One Man Band" from the Academy of the County Music; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend Old Dominion for the band's contributions to country music over the past 15 years; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the members of Old Dominion as an expression of the General Assembly's admiration for their musical achievements.
