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103D CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 141

To award a congressional gold medal to John Birks ‘‘Dizzy’’ Gillespie.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

JANUARY 5, 1993

Mr. CONYERS (for himself, Mr. DELLUMS, Mr. SPRATT, Mr. OWENS of New

York, Mr. RAVENEL, Mr. RANGEL, Mr. TOWNS, Mr. SPENCE, Mr.

DIXON, Mr. DE LUGO, Mr. TORRICELLI, Mrs. COLLINS of Michigan, and

Mr. JEFFERSON) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the

Committee on Banking, Finance and Urban Affairs

A BILL

To award a congressional gold medal to John Birks ‘‘Dizzy’’

Gillespie.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 SECTION 1. FINDINGS.

4 The Congress finds as follows:

5 (1) John Birks ‘‘Dizzy’’ Gillespie is one of the

6 most recognized and beloved artists in the world

7 today, admired not only for his unique musicianship,

8 but for his ability to reach people on a distinctly per9 sonal level.
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1 (2) As a virtuoso musician, pioneer, innovator,

2 composer, arranger, bandleader, raconteur, consum3 mate entertainer, and cultural ambassador

4 extraordinaire, Mr. Gillespie has distinguished him5 self as one of the truly immortal figures in the his6 tory of Jazz, ‘‘a national American Treasure’’.

7 (3) Mr. Gillespie has received the Kennedy Cen8 ter Honors, the most prestigious public recognition

9 of an artist’s lifetime contributions in the perform10 ing arts in the United States, was awarded the

11 Smithsonian Medal from the Smithsonian Institu12 tion, and was presented with American Society of

13 Composers, Authors and Publishers’ ‘‘Duke’’ award

14 for his lifetime achievements as a musician, com15 poser, and bandleader.

16 (4) Mr. Gillespie has received many additional

17 honors; the National Medal of Arts, presented by

18 President Bush; the Commandant D’Ordre des Arts

19 et Lettres, the highest honor in the arts in France,

20 presented by Minister of Culture Jack Lang;

21 crowned a traditional African chief, with the title

22 ‘‘Bashere of Iperu’’, in Nigeria; and a Grammy life23 time Achievement Award from the National Acad24 emy of Recording Arts and Sciences.
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1 (5) Mr. Gillespie has performed before numer2 ous royalty and countless world leaders, including 4

3 American Presidents.

4 (6) At the personal invitation of President Sam

5 Nujoma, Mr. Gillespie performed at the State Inde6 pendence Banquet of Namibia, before the leaders of

7 virtually every country in the world; the audience in8 cluded kings, presidents, prime ministers, the Sec9 retary-General of the United Nations, Nelson

10 Mandela, and a host of other dignitaries.

11 (7) Mr. Gillespie is acclaimed as a visionary

12 risk-taker whose daring integration of ethnic influ13 ences added a vibrant and indelible dimension to

14 jazz, and to music in all of its popular forms.

15 (8) Mr. Gillespie and the late Charlie ‘‘Bird’’

16 Parker pioneered Bebop, a new and fresh harmonic

17 and rythmic vocabulary which created a musical rev18 olution that completely transformed jazz and dra19 matically impacted on 20th Century musical culture.

20 (9) Mr. Gillespie is universally credited as the

21 catalyst who incorporated Afro-Cuban, Brazilian,

22 and Caribbean music and rhythms into the jazz

23 idiom.

24 (10) Mr. Gillespie’s third great big band, the

25 United Nation Orchestra, which exemplifies the es-
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1 sence of Mr. Gillespie’s universal musical philosophy,

2 has enthralled audiences in 20 countries on the con3 tinents of North America, South America, Europe,

4 and Australia, since the band’s inception in 1988.

5 (11) In 1956, Mr. Gillespie was the firsts jazz

6 artist appointed by the Department of State as Cul7 tural Ambassador to tour on behalf of the United

8 States of America, and his resoundingly successful

9 tours through the Near East, Asia, Eastern Europe,

10 and Latin America were early landmarks in what

11 has been a virtual lifetime of cultural statesmanship

12 by the inimitable jazz master on behalf of his coun13 try.

14 (12) In January 1989, Mr. Gillespie once again

15 was asked to represent the United States and em16 barked on a ground-breaking, month-long tour in

17 Africa, sponsored by the United States Information

18 Agency Arts America Program.

19 SEC. 2. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL.

20 (a) PRESENTATION AUTHORIZED.—The President is

21 authorized to present, on behalf of the Congress, to John

22 Birks ‘‘Dizzy’’ Gillespie a gold medal of appropriate de23 sign, in recognition of over half a century of musical ge24 nius.
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1 (b) DESIGN AND STRIKING.—For purposes of the

2 presentation referred to in subsection (a), the Secretary

3 of the Treasury shall strike a gold medal with suitable em4 blems, devices, and inscriptions to be determined by the

5 Secretary.

6 (c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATION.—There are

7 authorized to be appropriated not to exceed $25,000 to

8 carry out this section.

9 SEC. 3. DUPLICATE MEDALS.

10 (a) STRIKING AND SALE.—The Secretary of the

11 Treasury may strike and sell duplicates in bronze of the

12 gold medal struck pursuant to section 2 under such regu13 lations as the Secretary may prescribe, at a price sufficient

14 to cover the cost thereof, including labor, materials, dies,

15 use of machinery, and overhead expenses, and the cost of

16 the gold medal.

17 (b) REIMBURSEMENT OF APPROPRIATION.—The ap18 propriation used to carry out section 2 shall be reimbursed

19 out of the proceeds of sales under subsection (a).

20 SEC. 4. NATIONAL MEDALS.

21 The medals struck pursuant to this Act are national

22 medals for purposes of chapter 51 of title 31, United

23 States Code.

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