Texas HCR 74: In memory of B. J. "Red" McCombs of San Antonio.

Bill Text

89(R) HCR 74 - Enrolled version - Bill Text

  

  

  
 H.C.R. No. 74

  

  

   

 HOUSE 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.

  

   

 Shofner

  

  

  
 ______________________________
 ______________________________

  
    President of the Senate
 Speaker of the House     

  

  

   

        I certify that H.C.R. No. 74 was adopted by the House on May 

   

 1, 2025, by the following vote:  Yeas 126, Nays 16, 4 present, not 

   

 voting.

   

   

 ______________________________

   

 Chief Clerk of the House   

  

  

   

        I certify that H.C.R. No. 74 was adopted by the Senate on May 

   

 9, 2025, by the following vote:  Yeas