HR0732 LRB093 21453 KEF 48440 r

1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3 Representatives wish to recognize the musical group, the Dells,
4 on their induction into the Rock-n-Roll Hall of Fame on March
5 15, 2004; and
 
6     WHEREAS, The Dells are the "grandaddies" of Rythm and Blues
7 harmony; they are the group many others have attempted to
8 emulate but none have surpassed; and
 
9     WHEREAS, Initially known as the El-Rays, the group was
10 formed in 1952 at Thornton Township High School in Harvey,
11 Illinois; they have maintained unchanging personnel for the
12 past 39 years: lead baritone Marvin Junior, lead tenor Johnny
13 Carter, second tenor Verne Allison, baritone Michael McGill,
14 and basso Chuck Barksdale; from Carter's chirping highs to
15 Barksdale's resonant lows, the Chicago-based quintet continues
16 to set the standard for top-to-bottom male harmony, and
17 Junior's robust voice remains among the most powerful and
18 urgent instruments in the annals of soul music; and
 
19     WHEREAS, Between 1956 and 1992, the Dells had a total of 46
20 hits on Billboard's R&B singles chart, including such classics
21 as "Oh, What a Night," "Stay in My Corner," "Always Together,"
22 and "Give Your Baby a Standing Ovation"; they have their first
23 new album in eight years, Reminiscing, on Volt Records, a
24 division if Fantasy, Inc., with a current artist roster that
25 boasts such other old school soul greats as the Delfonics, the
26 Dramatics, and Brenda Holloway; and
 
27     WHEREAS, Today, 50 years after their inception, the Dells
28 continue to headline concert halls and nightclubs around the
29 globe; and
 
30     WHEREAS, The Nineteenth Annual Induction Ceremony will be

 

 

HR0732 - 2 - LRB093 21453 KEF 48440 r

1 held on March 15, 2004, in New York at the Waldorf Astoria
2 Hotel; therefore, be it
 
3     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
4 NINETY-THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
5 congratulate the Dells on their many successes as a group and
6 on their induction into the Rock-n-Roll Hall of Fame; and be it
7 further
 
8     RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
9 presented to each member of the Dells as a token of our respect
10 and esteem.