[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 9]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 12083]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 CONGRATULATING JERRY DOUGLAS ON HIS SELECTION AS A 2004 NEA NATIONAL 
                            HERITAGE FELLOW

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JIM COOPER

                              of tennessee

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, June 14, 2004

  Mr. COOPER. Mr. Speaker, every year, the National Endowment for the 
Arts honors an elite group of master folk and traditional artists for 
their lifetime contributions to the Nation's musical and artistic 
heritage. The prestigious National Heritage Fellowships, awarded by the 
NEA, honor artists not only for their artistic excellence but for their 
commitment to passing on their skills and cultural traditions to a new 
generation.
  I am especially proud that one of this year's winners hails from the 
Fifth District of Tennessee. Mr. Jerry Douglas, of Nashville, is a 
peerless player of the steel guitar, the ``Dobro's matchless 
contemporary master,'' according to the New York Times. He is a musical 
innovator often compared to Jimi Hendrix and Charlie Parker, having 
garnered eight Grammy Awards among his myriad accolades. He is in fact 
one of the few artists to have a special model of the Dobro named in 
his honor.
  Mr. Douglas learned music at an early age, first as a singer and a 
player of the mandolin and guitar. But he says that once he discovered 
the Dobro, ``I stopped singing because it was like I'd found another 
way to have a voice.'' Since finding that voice, Mr. Douglas has 
influenced all forms of American music, including bluegrass, country, 
rock, jazz, and blues. He has taken the Dobro from its Southern rural 
roots into Celtic and even classical music, adapting his instrument to 
embrace all styles.
  This prolific career has yielded Mr. Douglas more than 1,000 
recordings. He has worked in the company of a diverse array of well-
known artists, including Garth Brooks, Paul Simon, James Taylor, Reba 
McEntire, and the late Ray Charles. He is acclaimed by fellow musician 
Alison Krauss as ``the greatest Dobro player the world has ever 
known'' and by Life Magazine as one of the top ten best country 
musicians of all time.
  I am honored to recognize Mr. Douglas for his achievements and 
contributions to American music and congratulate him on his recognition 
by the NEA. It is thanks to artists such as Mr. Douglas that Nashville 
continues to be proudly known as Music City, USA.

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