Date: 2013-04-25
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. later on today. the President will join my fellow Texans in West. Texas. to mourn the loss of so many who died in a tragic plant explosion last week. Many of them were first responders. And many who will come to mourn and celebrate life and the life of West. Texas. are those who have been harmed and injured. I will join them in spirit. as I know my colleagues here today will. Thats why as I rise today to commemorate and salute two gospel music titans. it becomes even more appropriate to salute my friend. James "Jazzy" Jordan and Mr. Don Jackson. for they understand the value and message of gospel music. Gospel music holds a special place in the American experience. Gospel music was a release from suffering and hardship. but it was also a form of praise and protest. I would like to thank Jazzy Jordan for understanding that as we introduced in 2008 the Gospel Music Heritage legislation that establishes September in the United States of America as Gospel Music Heritage Month. We hope as we have faced these tragedies over the last couple of weeks that Americans. no matter what their religious background or nonreligious background. will find relief in this joyful and comforting music. Spirituals once sung by slaves transformed into gospel songs sung by free people who had their own space and place to express their emotions and tell their stories in musicthose spirituals have been translated into gospel music. Gospel music could express the joys and sorrows of so many people. All of us remember and have often sung the song "Amazing Grace." created by one who saw this wonderful resilience of their life when they thought they had been lost. That is truly American and American gospel music. We know the early founders: Thomas Dorsey. Mahalia Jackson. James Vaughan. James Cleveland. and now today Kirk Franklin. and Yolanda Adams. among so many. And then those who were influenced by gospel music: Sam Cooke. Al Green. Elvis Presley. Aretha Franklin. Whitney Houston. Little Richard. Buddy Holly. among many. Jazzy Jordan understands that and is now head of The Jordan Webster Group. a film and music production house in Washington. D.C. A brilliant businessman. he has a great love of gospel music. We are grateful for his service to Verity Gospel Music Group. now known as RCA Inspiration. Mr. Jordan was a founding board member of the Gospel Music Heritage Foundation and cochair. with gospel music advocate Mr. Carl Davis of my district. of the Evolution of Gospel Celebration which kicks off Gospel Music Heritage Celebration in the Nations capital. Mr. Jordan was executive producer for Gold. Platinum. Grammy. Stellar. and Dove awardwinning projects. Throughout his career. he served as a creative producer and has marketed and promoted many awardingwinning CDs and gospel artists that have included Kirk Franklin. and as well worked with DJ Jazzy Jeff and Will Smith-"Fresh Prince." Oh. he knows music. And to tell you that he does. he has engaged and worked with the likes of Kirk Franklin. as I said. Marvin Sapp. Donnie McClurkin. Fred Hammond. Heather Kyle Walker. Donald Lawrence. Richard Smallwood. Byron Cage. John P. Kee. Jay Moss. Crystal Aikin. Deitrick Haddon. and DeWayne Woods. Mr. Jordan is truly one who lives his life in commemorating and cultivating and nurturing the gospel tradition. the gospel tradition which has now spread beyond the borders of this Nation. He is joined by Mr. Don Jackson. the founder. chairman. and CEO of the 41yearold Central City Productions. now the founder and organizer of the Stella Awards. I am grateful that Mr. Jackson thought it was important to recognize those who excelled in gospel music. He graduated from Northwestern University and entered a career in media and broadcasting with a number of stations. WBEE and WVON. a top radio station in Chicago. As he founded Central City Marketing in 1970. his company over 41 years involved itself in encouraging and helping others promote their issues. He had involvement in promotion and sales and production of media and television. But his first gospel music awards show in the United States. the Stellar Awards. was produced by his company. The Stellar Awards honors gospel music artists. writers. and industry professionals. He is one who has featured so many artists. such as the Clark Sisters. Kirk Franklin. Da T.R.U.T.H.. Mary Mary. and many others. Mr. Speaker. as I close. let me simply say. these two men are more than deserving of being American icons. and we congratulate them for loving. cherishing. and promoting gospel music. Mr. Speaker. I rise to recognize two of Americas pioneers in gospel music: Mr. James "Jazzy" Jordan and Mr. Don Jackson. Jazzy Jordan and Don Jackson are titans in the field of Gospel Music. Over the last 30 years their combined efforts have elevated this unique American art form to national and international prominence. Gospel music holds a special place in the American experience. Just as Jazz is well known far from our nations shores. the spread of gospel music has also become popular around the world. Gospel music holds a unique place in the African experienceits roots are deep in the black church. For generations. gospel music could only be heard on Sunday mornings where African American people gathered to worship. Church was a place where black people felt truly free and safe to express themselves. Gospel music was a release for suffering and hardshipit was a form of praise and protest. Spirituals once sung by slaves transformed into gospel songs sung by free people who had their own spaceand place to express their emotions and tell their stories in music. Gospel music could express the joys and sorrows of black people in ways that touched those who were not African American. There were lessons to be learned for the artists and the listeners. Famous jazz and rockandroll artists perfected their singing styles by visiting black churches to listen to gospel music. Gospel music traditions produced many memorable voices and musical pioneers in the history of our country. singers like Thomas Dorsey. Mahalia Jackson. James Vaughan. Roberta Martin. Virgil Stamps. Diana Washington. James Cleveland. The Mighty Clouds of Joy. Kirk Franklin. Yolanda Adams. and The Winans among many others. Gospel music has inspired and influenced other music art forms and artists that include Sam Cooke. Al Green. Elvis Presley. Marvin Gaye. Aretha Franklin. Whitney Houston. Little Richard. Ray Charles. Buddy Holly. Alan Jackson. Dolly Parton. Mariah Carey. Bob Dylan. and Randy Travis. I stand in the well of the House to honor two men who are my friends who also are great contributors to the American experience by preserving and cultivating new converts to the gospel music. Through their efforts gospel music has in a very short time period expanded beyond the black church to a broader global audience. Mr. James "Jazzy" Jordan is head of The Jordan Webster Group. a film and music production house in Washington DC. Mr. Jordan is a brilliant businessman with a love of gospel music. which he fully expressed in his leadership of the Verity Gospel Music Group now known as RCA Inspiration. Mr. Jordan is a founding board member of the Gospel Music Heritage Foundation and is CoChair along with Gospel Music Advocate Carl Davis of the "Evolution of Gospel Celebration" that Kicks off Gospel Music Heritage Celebration in the Nations Capital. Over his 30 year career. Mr. Jordan was executive producer for Gold. Platinum. GRAMMY�. Stellar and Dove awardwinning projects. Throughout his career. Jordan has served as executive producer or has marketed or promoted many awardwinning CDs for gospel artists that included Kirk Franklin and R. Kelly. He also. worked with DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince (Will Smith) on their album Parents Just Dont Understand. which sold over four millions copies. Salt N Pepa on their Very Necessary album. which sold over five million copies. Joe on his tops selling CDs All That I Am. which was a platinum selling album. and My Name Is Joe. which sold over three million copies. and three of R. Kellys CDsR. Kelly. R. and TP2.Com. which all sold more than three million copies. The other person I want to recognize is Mr. Don Jackson. the founder. chairman and CEO of the 41yearold CENTRAL CITY PRODUCTIONS a national television production. sales. and syndication Company based in Chicago. Illinois. Mr. Jackson after graduating from Northwestern University entered a career in media and broadcasting with WBEE & WVON radio. He was someone to watchand for good reasonhe became youngest and first African American sales manager at WVON. the top radio station in the Chicago media market at the time. He had to work hard and be extremely smart to reach such notable success at such a young age. In 1970. Mr. Jackson founded CENTRAL CITY MARKETING. His company for over 40 years has specialized in marketing. promotion. sales. and the production of media and television programs for African Americans. The first Gospel Music Awards show in the United States. the Stellar Awards. was produced by CENTRAL CITY MARKETING. The Stellar Awards honor Gospel Music Artists. writers. and industry professionals for their contributions to the Gospel Music Industry. The Stellar Awards program is syndicated in over 140 markets nationwide. The Stellar Awards has featured well known gospel artists that include the Clark Sisters. Kirk Franklin. Da T.R.U.T.H. Tye Tribbett. Mary Mary. Heather Headley. CeCe Winans. Marvin Sapp. Yolanda Adams. Donnie McClurkin. and Tamela Mann. Atlanta. Chicago. Houston. Los Angeles. Nashville. and New York have been the location of the Stellar Awards programs. Through his efforts. the spread of gospel appreciation is traveling far beyond our nations shore and finding new converts every day. Because of the efforts to these two men scholars now knowif you want to truly understand the black American experienceyou must understand the music of that experience and a way to do this is through gospel music. I ask my colleagues to join me in applauding the life achievements of Mr. Don Jackson and Mr. James "Jazzy" Jordan.