TITLE: Designating Carthage as the official Country Music Capital of Texas for a 10-year period ending in 2035.

SUMMARY: Designating Carthage as the official Country Music Capital of Texas for a 10-year period ending in 2035.

FULL TEXT:
WHEREAS, The Lone Star State is renowned around the world for its extensive contributions to country music, and the city of Carthage has played a significant role in furthering the genre and celebrating and preserving its cultural legacy; and WHEREAS, Carthage is home to the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame, which focuses on the state's contributions to this American-born artform and on the many Texas performers and songwriters who have shaped its development; and WHEREAS, That illustrious list includes two country legends who trace their roots to the Carthage area: Tex Ritter and Jim Reeves; Mr. Ritter hailed from Murvaul, just south of Carthage, and during a career that stretched from the 1930s to the 1970s, he became a beloved cowboy singer and star of more than 70 Western movies; his achievements are chronicled in the Tex Ritter Museum, which was first organized in Carthage in 1993 and is now part of the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame; Mr. Reeves, a Carthage High School graduate, earned legions of fans for his velvet-voiced style of singing and recorded numerous hits from the early 1950s until his tragic death in a plane crash in 1964; his gravesite east of Carthage continues to draw visitors from around the globe; and WHEREAS, In addition to paying tribute to Mr. Ritter and Mr. Reeves, the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame includes an elite roster of other Texas-born musicians; inductees range from early figures such as Ernest Tubb and Bob Wills, to classic country superstars like Willie Nelson and George Jones, to influential performers and songwriters such as Tanya Tucker, Clint Black, Cindy Walker, and Carthage native Linda Davis, to name but a few of those who are honored; and WHEREAS, Each summer, the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame presents the Classic Country Music Festival, a multiday celebration that draws thousands of visitors from across the state and beyond to enjoy live performances, the hall of fame induction ceremony, and other events; and WHEREAS, Another annual musical highlight is the John Ritter Showcase, which spotlights emerging talent in country music and celebrates the late John Ritter, the son of Tex Ritter, who was an iconic entertainer in his own right as well as an effective advocate for the arts; moreover, Carthage hosts the Country Music Hayride, a continuing series of performances at the Esquire Theater; and WHEREAS, The citizens of Carthage have demonstrated a lasting commitment to celebrating the rich history of Texas country music, and the city's efforts to foster greater appreciation of the genre and the state's impressive pantheon of performers is indeed deserving of special recognition; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the 89th Legislature of the State of Texas hereby designate Carthage as the official Country Music Capital of Texas; and, be it further RESOLVED, That, in accordance with the provisions of Section 391.003(e), Government Code, this designation remain in effect until the 10th anniversary of the date this resolution is finally passed by the legislature. Shofner President of the Senate Speaker of the House I certify that H.C.R. No. 74 was adopted by the House on May 1, 2025, by the following vote: Yeas 126, Nays 16, 4 present, not voting. Chief Clerk of the House I certify that H.C.R. No. 74 was adopted by the Senate on May 9, 2025, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0. Secretary of the Senate APPROVED: Date Governor