[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 104 (Monday, June 23, 2008)]
[House]
[Pages H5831-H5832]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page H5831]]
HONORING THE LIFE OF LOUIS JORDAN ON THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF HIS BIRTH

  Mr. SARBANES. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to 
the resolution (H. Res. 1242) honoring the life, musical 
accomplishments, and contributions of Louis Jordan on the 100th 
anniversary of his birth, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                              H. Res. 1242

       Whereas Louis Thomas Jordan was born July 8, 1908, in 
     Brinkley, Arkansas;
       Whereas he studied music as a young child under his father 
     James Aaron Jordan, who was the bandleader of the Brinkley 
     Brass Band;
       Whereas in the late 1920s he attended Arkansas Baptist 
     College in Little Rock, Arkansas, and majored in music;
       Whereas he joined Chick Webb's Savoy Ballroom band in 1936 
     in New York where he played saxophone and performed 
     occasionally as a singer;
       Whereas in 1938 he started his own band, the Elks Rendez-
     Vous Band, and in 1939 he changed the name of the group to 
     the Tympany Five;
       Whereas his prolific musical career consists of 54 hit 
     singles including, ``Five Guys Named Moe'', ``Let the Good 
     Times Roll'', ``Don't Let the Sun Catch You Cryin' '', and 
     ``Barnyard Boogie'', and 18 number 1 hits on Billboard's R&B 
     chart including ``Beans and Cornbread'', ``Run Joe'', ``Ain't 
     That Just Like A Woman'', ``Blue Light Boogie'', and the 1946 
     hit ``Choo Choo Ch'Boogie'', which topped the Billboard's R&B 
     chart for 18 weeks;
       Whereas 15 of his hits made it onto the Pop charts, 
     including ``Baby It's Cold Outside'', ``Caldonia'', ``Is You 
     Is or Is You Ain't My Baby'', ``Ain't Nobody Here But Us 
     Chickens'', ``Buzz Me'', and ``Beware'';
       Whereas he actively recorded for the Armed Forces Radio 
     Service and the V-Disc program during World War II, and one 
     of the his songs recorded during this period, ``G.I. Jive'', 
     was number 1 on the Pop chart for 2 weeks;
       Whereas he was featured in a variety of short musical films 
     in the 1940s, such as the 1945 short film ``Caldonia'', and 
     played cameo roles in movies like ``Follow the Boys'' and 
     ``Swing Parade of 1946'';
       Whereas his 1949 recording of ``Saturday Night Fish Fry'' 
     was one of the earliest musical examples of what would later 
     become known as ``Rock and Roll'';
       Whereas he died on February 4, 1975, in Los Angeles, 
     California;
       Whereas a host of prominent musicians including Chuck 
     Berry, Bo Didley, B.B. King, Ray Charles, James Brown, and 
     Sonny Rollins have counted him as an influence;
       Whereas he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 
     in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1987;
       Whereas in 2004, Rolling Stone Magazine named him one of 
     the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time; and
       Whereas Louis Jordan will be highlighted on a United States 
     Postal Service stamp, as part of the 2008 commemorative stamp 
     program: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the United States House of Representatives--
       (1) honors the life of Louis Jordan, on the 100th 
     anniversary of his birth; and
       (2) recognizes his important contributions to American 
     music as a musician, composer, and entertainer.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Maryland (Mr. Sarbanes) and the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. 
Foxx) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Maryland.


                             General Leave

  Mr. SARBANES. Madam Speaker, I request 5 legislative days during 
which Members may revise and extend and insert extraneous material on 
H. Res. 1242 into the Record.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Maryland?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. SARBANES. I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 1242, which honors 
the life and recognizes the importance of Louis Jordan and his 
contributions to America as a musician, composer and entertainer.
  July 8, 2008 will be Louis Jordan's 100th birthday, the celebration 
of his 100th birthday. And in celebration of this day, we should 
recognize Jordan's contributions to this country.
  Louis Jordan, born in 1908, is a Brinkley, Arkansas native. Under the 
musical tutelage of his father, who was a local band leader, music 
found Jordan at an early age. He expanded and mastered formal 
components of music through his collegial experience at Arkansas 
Baptist College in Little Rock. Jordan majored there in music. He 
learned to play the saxophone, sing, and entertain audiences through 
his personal experiences and watching his father.
  Highly touted musicians, such as B.B. King, Ray Charles, James Brown, 
Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley and Sonny Rollins, all pointed to Jordan as an 
influence on their own careers. His prolific musical success consists 
of 54 hit singles and 18 number one songs on Billboard's R&B charts. 
Two short musical films were centered around his songs.
  Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987, Jordan's 
contribution to his art is immeasurable. Rolling Stone Magazine named 
him one of the 100 greatest artists of all time.
  Though Jordan passed away in 1975, his legacy flourishes through the 
work of other artists. He helped shape rock and roll. On this day, I 
would like to commemorate Jordan's work. Let us recognize his 
contribution by honoring his 100th birthday.
  I urge support of this resolution.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time
  Ms. FOXX. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 1242, 
honoring the life, musical accomplishments and contributions of Louis 
Jordan on the 100th anniversary of his birth.
  Louis Thomas Jordan, vocalist, bandleader and saxophonist, ruled the 
charts, stage, screen and airwaves of the 1940s and profoundly 
influenced the creators of R&B, rock and roll, and post-World War II 
blues.
  Jordan was born July 8, 1908 in Brinkley, Arkansas. His father, James 
Aaron Jordan, led the Brinkley Brass Band. His mother died when he was 
young.
  Jordan studied music under his father and showed promise in horn 
playing, especially clarinet and saxophone. Due to World War I, there 
were vacancies in his father's band, so Jordan filled in. Soon he was 
good enough to join his father in a professional traveling show touring 
Arkansas, Tennessee and Missouri instead of doing farm work when school 
closed.
  Jordan briefly attended Little Rock's Arkansas Baptist College in the 
1920s and performed with Jimmy Pryor's Imperial Serenaders. He played 
saxophone and clarinet with them, as well as Bob Alexander's Harmony 
Kings.
  In the 1930s, based in Philadelphia, Jordan found work in the Charlie 
Gaines Band playing clarinet, and soprano and alto sax, in addition to 
doing vocals, which he recorded and toured with Louis Armstrong. During 
this time, Jordan also learned baritone sax, and he joined nationally 
popular drummer Chuck Webb's Savoy Ballroom Band featuring Ella 
Fitzgerald.
  Jordan created his own band, which was called Tympany Five, 
regardless of number of pieces. The small size of Tympany Five made it 
innovative structurally and musically in the Big Band era.
  Among the first to join electric guitar and bass with horns, Jordan 
set the framework for decades of future R&B and rock combos. Endless 
rehearsals, matching suits, dance moves, and routines built around 
songs made the band Jordan's singular brand of sophisticated, yet down-
home, jump blues and vocals made it a success.
  In the 1940s, Jordan released dozens of hit songs, including the 
swinging ``Saturday Night Fish Fry,'' one of the earlier and most 
powerful contenders for the title of ``First Rock and Roll Record,'' 
``Blue Light Boogie,'' the comic classic ``Ain't Nobody Here But Us 
Chickens,'' ``Buzz Me,'' ``Ain't That Just Like a Woman,'' 
``Caldonia,'' and the million-dollar seller, ``Choo Choo Ch'Boogie.''

                              {time}  1715

  Jordan died in Los Angeles, California, in 1975. A host of prominent 
musicians claimed his influence, including Ray Charles, James Brown, Bo 
Diddley, and Chuck Berry. His songs have appeared in commercials, TV, 
and movies and have been recorded by dozens of popular artists. Louis 
Jordan leaves a musical legacy that influences popular music as we know 
it today.
  I ask my colleagues to support this resolution.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. SARBANES. Madam Speaker, it is my privilege now to yield such 
time

[[Page H5832]]

as he may consume to the sponsor of this bill, the gentleman from 
Arkansas (Mr. Snyder).
  Mr. SNYDER. Proudly today, Madam Speaker, the House of 
Representatives solutes another great American, acknowledging the 
contributions of a remarkable man to our great country.
  Entertainers reflect the rich history of America, and their stories, 
their personal stories, tell our story. No more worthy among these is 
Arkansas native Louis Jordan, a musician, songwriter, entertainer, and 
even movie performer. Nothing could stifle this remarkably talented 
man, not racial bigotry or upbringing a century ago in rural Arkansas.
  Louis Jordan was born July 8, 1908, in Brinkley, Arkansas, and in the 
late 1920s he attended Arkansas Baptist College where I live, in Little 
Rock, Arkansas, and majored in music. He became a songwriter, 
performer, and movie actor. He actively recorded for the Armed Forces 
Radio Service and the V-Disc program during World War II, and one of 
his songs recorded during this period, ``G.I. Jive,'' was number one on 
both the R&B and Pop charts. He appeared in soundies, which were short 
musical films in the 1940s displayed on coin-operated film jukeboxes, 
and played cameo roles in movies like ``Follow the Boys'' and ``Swing 
Parade'' of 1946.
  Previous speakers have acknowledged some of his remarkable 
accomplishments: the ``Saturday Night Fish Fry'' recording of 1949, 
which many say was the first rock and roll song; his induction into the 
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland in 1987; and in 2004 being 
named one of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time by Rolling Stone 
Magazine.
  I am pleased that the House today will pass this resolution, but in 
some ways we don't get the full flavor of his accomplishments and the 
richness of the heritage of what he did without talking specifically 
about these songs. Let me go through the list of hits briefly here 
today.
  His career began in the early days of World War II, some dark years 
for America. The 1942 hits included ``I'm Gonna Leave You on the 
Outskirts of Town'' and ``What's the Use of Getting Sober (When You 
Gonna Get Drunk Again).''
  In 1943: ``The Chicks I Pick are Slender and Tender and Tall,'' 
``Five Guys Named Moe,'' ``That'll Just 'Bout Knock Me Out,'' ``Ration 
Blues.''
  In 1944: ``G.I. Jive,'' ``Is You Is or Is You Ain't My Baby.''
  In 1945: ``Mop! Mop!,'' ``You Can't Get That No More,'' ``Caldonia,'' 
``Somebody Done Changed the Lock on My Door,'' ``My Baby Said Yes.''
  And then truly the remarkable year of 1946 in which he had 13 hits: 
``Buzz Me''; ``Don't Worry 'Bout That Mule''; ``Salt Pork, West 
Virginia''; ``Reconversion Blues''; ``Beware (Brother, Beware)''; 
``Don't Let the Sun Catch You Cryin'''; ``Stone Cold Dead in the Market 
(He Had it Coming)''; ``Petootie Pie''; ``Choo Choo Ch'Boogie''; ``That 
Chick's Too Young to Fry''; ``Ain't That Just Like a Woman (They'll Do 
It Every Time)''; ``Ain't Nobody Here But Us Chickens''; ``Let the Good 
Times Roll.''
  And then on to 1947: ``Texas and Pacific''; ``I Like 'Em Fat Like 
That''; ``Open the Door, Richard!''; ``Jack, You're Dead''; ``I Know 
What You're Puttin' Down''; ``Boogie Woogie Blue Plate''; ``Early in 
the Mornin'''; ``Look Out.''
  In 1948: ``Barnyard Boogie''; ``How Long Must I Wait for You''; 
``Reet, Petite and Gone''; ``Run Joe''; ``All for the Love of Lil''; 
``Pinetop's Boogie Woogie''; ``Don't Burn the Candle at Both Ends''; 
``We Can't Agree''; ``Daddy-O''; ``Pettin' and Pokin'.''
  In 1949: ``Roamin' Blues''; ``You Broke Your Promise''; ``Cole Slaw 
(Sorghum Switch)''; ``Every Man to His Own Profession''; ``Baby, It's 
Cold Outside''; ``Beans and Corn Bread''; ``Saturday Night Fish Fry.''
  In 1950, four hits: ``School Days, ``Blue Light Boogie,'' ``I'll 
Never Be Free,'' ``Tamburitza Boogie.''
  And in 1951: ``Lemonade,'' ``Tear Drops from My Eyes,'' ``Weak Minded 
Blues.''
  Those song titles from the remarkable career of hits of Louis Jordan 
give you a flavor for the kinds of songs, the kind of music, the 
richness of American heritage.
  This was really brought home to me when I was getting signatures to 
sign onto this bill, and one of the first people I talked to was one of 
our colleagues Congressman Steve Israel from New York, a long way from 
rural Arkansas, and he immediately told me--he signed on--that he had 
seen ``Five Guys Named Moe'' in New York three times. He started 
singing the songs and knew the lyrics of many of these songs, even 
though Louis Jordan died over 30 years ago.
  I appreciate the efforts by the majority and minority today to bring 
this bill to the floor, and today we salute a remarkable American: 
Louis Jordan.
  Ms. FOXX. Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I 
yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. SARBANES. Madam Speaker, I want to thank my colleague from 
Arkansas for that wonderful history on Louis Jordan, and I want to urge 
my colleagues to support H. Res. 1242.
  Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Sarbanes) that the House suspend the rules 
and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 1242.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. SARBANES. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.

                          ____________________