[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 109 (Tuesday, July 23, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Page S8582]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        SALUTE TO ISAAC TIGRETT

 Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I rise today to recognize an 
outstanding entrepreneur and a proud son of the great State of 
Tennessee. Isaac Tigrett has long been known for founding the world-
famous Hard Rock Cafe chain, which combined rock music, memorabilia, 
and the all-American hamburger in locations throughout the United 
States and internationally. But his most recent business venture, the 
House of Blues, has not only gained enormous popularity in its short 
existence, it is showcasing a bit of Tennessee and Southern heritage 
for audiences on the east and west coasts.
  A native west Tennessean, Isaac Tigrett grew up a stone's throw from 
the actual birthplace of the blues--Memphis, TN. The influence of the 
blues and black culture on him was strong and has stayed with him over 
the years. Music of all kinds, but especially the blues, actually takes 
center stage in his House of Blues restaurant-clubs. With restaurants 
in Cambridge, MA; Los Angeles; New Orleans; and the brand-new Olympic 
special in Atlanta, the music that had such an influence on Isaac 
Tigrett's life in west Tennessee is quickly finding new homes and new 
fans across the country.
  In addition to spreading blues music, Isaac Tigrett is also working 
to spread a message to America's youth. Through the House of Blues 
Foundation, he is reaching out to inner city youth and providing a new 
outlook on African-American culture in the United States. His 
foundation brings school children to the House of Blues--either in 
person or by using video teleconferencing equipment--and lets them 
experience the history that the blues and the folk art lining the 
restaurants' walls so eloquently express. The House of Blues also 
provides college scholarships in the arts, sponsors a program for blues 
musicians to present workshops for kids, and supports a training center 
for teachers interested in the blues.
  Mr. President, I want to commend Isaac Tigrett for his ingenuity and 
his entrepreneurship. As anyone who knows him can attest, the four 
House of Blues locations in the United States and the House of Blues 
Foundation are just the beginning for Isaac. And to me and many other 
Tennesseans living throughout this Nation, the House of Blues is not 
just great entertainment, it's a piece of home.

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