Senate Resolution 13

(As Adopted by Senate)

A RESOLUTION EXTENDING THE RECOGNITION OF THE MISSISSIPPI SENATE TO GRAMMY AWARD-WINNING SONGWRITER, PRODUCER AND ARRANGER BENJAMIN WRIGHT AS THE RECIPIENT OF THE 2021 GOVERNOR'S ARTS AWARD FOR LIFE ACHIEVEMENT.

WHEREAS, the Grammy Award Winning Songwriter, Producer and Arranger has announced its 2021 recipients, which includes Benjamin Wright for Lifetime Achievement; and

WHEREAS, established in 1988, Governor's Arts Awards are given to individuals and organizations to recognize outstanding work in the artistic disciplines, as well as arts-based community development and arts patronage in Mississippi. The awards are presented in partnership with the Governor's Office and signify the important relationship between government and the arts; and

WHEREAS, Benjamin Wright, Jr., was born in the Delta

Town of Greenville, Mississippi, in 1946 and has been professionally active in the music business for more than 50 years; and

WHEREAS, in high school, Wright was a drum major and sang Doo Wop with a local group. Soon he was on the road playing piano with rhythm and blues icon Ted Taylor. While on the road, Wright enrolled in the Berkelee College of Music, a correspondence school at that time, in order to formally learn how to write orchestrations. After serving in the Air Force, Wright toured the country again, playing organ with Bobby Moore and the Rhythm Aces before settling in Chicago; and

WHEREAS, in the Windy City, he joined leading soul and funk session band, "Pieces of Peace," playing on countless records by the likes of Jerry Butler, Jackie Wilson and Curtis Mayfield. At the same time, he worked tirelessly as a Copyist for an array of Legendary Arrangers, including Donny Hathaway, Gene Barge and Charles Stepney, while also attending The Chicago Conservatory of Music; and

WHEREAS, Wright also gained renown for his masterful skills at producing and arranging, becoming one of the leading string arrangers in the business; and

WHEREAS, requests for his orchestral arrangements continued to grow, so he followed the industry as it expanded in Los Angeles, where he has worked on hundreds of hit records by artists, including Aretha Franklin, Rance Allen, James Ingram and The Temptations; and

WHEREAS, in 1979, super producer Quincy Jones brought Benjamin Wright in to arrange strings for Michael Jackson's debut solo album Off the Wall. Wright's arrangements were featured on several songs, including number-one hits "Rock With You" and "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough"; and

WHEREAS, Benjamin Wright went on to become a GRAMMY Award-Winning Songwriter, Producer and Arranger. His work spanned generations of GRAMMY-winning songs, including his contributions to 2003's "FutureSex/LoveSounds" by Justin Timberlake and "Speakerboxx/The Love Below" by hip hop duo OutKast; and

WHEREAS, a half-century into his prolific career, Wright shows no signs of slowing down. He recently worked on recordings with Mary J. Blige, Ty Dolla Sign and Frank Ocean. In 2019, Benjamin Wright embarked on his first tour of solo shows; and

WHEREAS, it is with great pride that we pay tribute and express appreciation for the talent of World-Class Music Producer Benjamin Wright who has made Mississippi a better place and exemplifies the musical traditions of our great state:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, That we do hereby extend the recognition of the Mississippi Senate to Grammy Award-Winning Songwriter, Producer and Arranger Benjamin Wright, the recipient of the 2021 Governor's Arts Award for Lifetime Achievement, and extend our congratulations to this mighty music producer and arranger on this auspicious occasion.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this resolution be presented to Benjamin Wright as part of the Governor's Arts Awards presentation, and made available to the Capitol Press Corps.