[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 129 (Thursday, September 18, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Pages S11711-S11712]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    HONORING THE LIFE OF JOHNNY CASH

  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to the immediate consideration of S. Con. Res. 68.
  The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will report the concurrent 
resolution by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A concurrent resolution (S. Con. Res. 68) to honor the life 
     of Johnny Cash.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
concurrent resolution.
  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, S. Con. Res. 68 reflects upon the recent 
loss of Johnny Cash. Tennessee and the world, indeed, lost one of its 
great heroes. His influence simply cannot be understated in any way. It 
is felt today, and it will be felt for many years to come.
  A country music legend, and one of Rock 'n Roll's founding fathers, 
Cash's work transcended both generation and genre. But what so many 
will remember is that he was a man of the people across this great 
Nation--indeed, across the world, giving a voice to so many people who 
really did not have a voice before. He captured that not just over one 
generation but several generations. And that voice will carry on over 
many generations in the future.
  I extend my condolences to the Cash family. I know I speak for many 
in saying that Johnny Cash is a legend, and his imprint on American 
music and culture is and will continue to be profound.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the concurrent resolution 
be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and the motion to reconsider 
be laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate.
  The PRESIDENT pro tempore. Is there objection to the request?
  Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The concurrent resolution (S. Con. Res. 68) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:

[[Page S11712]]

                            S. Con. Res. 68

       Whereas Johnny Cash was one of the most influential and 
     recognized voices of American music throughout the world, 
     whose influence spanned generations and musical genres;
       Whereas Johnny Cash was born on February 26, 1932, in 
     Kingsland, Arkansas, and moved with his family at the age of 
     3 to Dyess, Arkansas, where the family farmed 20 acres of 
     cotton and other seasonal crops;
       Whereas those early years in the life of Johnny Cash 
     inspired songs such as ``Look at Them Beans'' and ``Five Feet 
     High and Rising'';
       Whereas Johnny Cash eventually released more than 70 albums 
     of original material in his lifetime, beginning with his 
     first recording in 1955 with the Tennessee Two;
       Whereas Johnny Cash was a devoted husband to June Carter 
     Cash, a father of 5 children, and a grandfather;
       Whereas Johnny Cash received extensive recognition for his 
     contributions to the musical heritage of the Nation, 
     including membership in the Grand Old Opry; induction into 
     the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, the Country Music 
     Hall of Fame, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame; and his 
     receipt of numerous awards, including Kennedy Center Honors, 
     11 Grammy awards, and the 2001 National Medal of Arts;
       Whereas Johnny Cash embodied the creativity, innovation, 
     and social conscience that define American music;
       Whereas Johnny Cash was a vocal champion of the 
     downtrodden, the working man, and Native Americans; and
       Whereas the Nation has lost one of its most prolific and 
     influential musicians with the death of Johnny Cash on 
     September 12, 2003, in Nashville, Tennessee: Now, therefore, 
     be it
       Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives 
     concurring), That Congress--
       (1) honors the life and accomplishments of Johnny Cash;
       (2) recognizes and honors Johnny Cash for his invaluable 
     contributions to the Nation, Tennessee, and our musical 
     heritage; and
       (3) extends its condolences to the Cash family on the death 
     of a remarkable man.

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