[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 193 (Tuesday, November 28, 2017)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1608]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      CELEBRATING THE 60TH ANNIVERSARY OF ROYAL STUDIOS IN MEMPHIS

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                            HON. STEVE COHEN

                              of tennessee

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, November 28, 2017

  Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate with my 
constituents and the entire music-loving world the 60th anniversary of 
Willie Mitchell's Royal Studios in my hometown of Memphis, Tennessee. 
Everyone knows a song mixed in the iconic South Memphis recording 
studio--whether it's last year's Grammy Award Record of the Year, Mark 
Ronson and Bruno Mars' ``Uptown Funk,'' Al Green's classic ``I'm Still 
in Love With You,'' Boz Skaggs' album full of tunes called ``Memphis,'' 
or Bobby ``Blue'' Bland's ``Touch of the Blues.'' Royal Studios, 
started in 1957 by the late Willie Mitchell, was the home of Hi and the 
Hi Rhythm Section and produced chart-topping hits throughout the 1960s 
and '70s. One of the oldest continuously operating recording studios, 
it remains a place of pilgrimage under a second generation of Mitchell 
leadership, hosting such stars as the Rolling Stones' Keith Richards 
and Led Zeppelin's Robert Plant, among many others. I recently attended 
the electrifying 60th anniversary celebration for Royal Studios at the 
historic Orpheum Theatre and heard Tony Joe White play ``A Rainy Night 
in Georgia,'' Syl Johnson's meditative version of Al Green's and the 
late Mabon ``Teenie'' Hodges' ``Take Me to the River,'' and Anthony 
Hamilton's soulful version of Green's signature ``Tired of Being 
Alone.'' Grammy Award winning saxophonist Kirk Whalum opened the show, 
which featured Ronnie Brooks doing Otis Clay's ``Trying to Live My Life 
Without You'' and Natalie Stovall's memorable version of ``I Can't 
Stand the Rain.'' Bluesman Robert Cray and Dave Stewart of the 
Eurythmics also charmed the crowd. The show, emceed by Willie's son 
Lawrence ``Boo'' Mitchell, who engineered ``Uptown Funk'' and saw it 
stay at No. 1 on Billboard's Hot 100 for 14 weeks, paid tribute to a 
Memphis institution still going strong into is seventh decade. I want 
to congratulate all the Royal family of musicians and technicians and 
encourage my friends to find the time this holiday season to sit and 
listen to Boz Skaggs' version of ``So Good to Be Here,'' or any of the 
hundreds of songs on the Royal Studios discography. We're so glad Royal 
Studios continues to bring Memphis music to the world and help it dance 
to a Memphis beat. I wish it many more years of success.

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