[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 135 (Tuesday, August 5, 2025)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E751]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





                 CELEBRATING ELGIN VINES' 90TH BIRTHDAY

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. HILLARY J. SCHOLTEN

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, August 5, 2025

  Ms. SCHOLTEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the life of my 
constituent, Elgin Vines, who turned 90 years old on May 19, 2025. 
Through the segregation of the Jim Crow South, on stages big and small 
across the world, Mr Vines' career as a bassist continues to be a 
bridge in the jazz community--connecting worlds, hearts, and histories.
  Born on May 19, 1935, in Suffolk, Virginia, at a time when the odds 
were not in his favor, Mr. Vines charted a course that was uniquely his 
own. As a student at Norfolk State University with a Biology/Medical 
Technology major, Mr. Vines paid his tuition and fees with gigs along 
the Virginia Beach ``strip,'' before graduating as an ASCP-certified 
medical technologist. During that time, he was also a member of the 
house trio on the daily ``Morty Nevins Television Show'' for three 
years. In his eight-year stint as a bassist for the touring group ``The 
New Direction,'' Mr. Vines was a guest on national programs like The 
Tonight Show. He has also played alongside giants like Frank Sinatra 
Sr. and Jr., the Mills Brothers, and toured on the same circuits as 
Ella Fitzgerald and Elvis Presley. What Mr. Vines remembers most is not 
the glitz of the spotlight, but the dignity of people who, like him, 
believed music could tear down walls.
  Mr. Vines moved to West Michigan in 1972, where he married his wife 
of nearly 52 years, Jackie, and played bass for the Bennie Carew Trio--
quickly becoming an indispensable member of our local music community. 
Mr. Vines has been a member of the Grand Rapids Symphony Orchestra Jazz 
Ensemble, played for the Grand Rapids Public Museum and the Gerald R. 
Ford Presidential Museum, and worked in many local trios. He has gifted 
his love of jazz to both neighbors and Hollyhock Lane parade-goers for 
decades. Mr. Vines is more than a bassist. He is a living example of 
compassion, resilience, and strength.
  Mr. Speaker, once more, I ask my colleagues to join me in commending 
Mr. Elgin Vines for his lifelong impact. His rhythm has carried 
generations, and his soulful steadiness has graced every room he's 
walked into. I wish him another happy, healthy, and fulfilling year 
ahead.

                          ____________________