House Concurrent Resolution 87

(As Adopted by House)

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION COMMENDING AND CONGRATULATING MISSISSIPPI'S OWN SAMMY DARWIN UPON HIS INDUCTION INTO THE COUNTRY RADIO HALL OF FAME.

WHEREAS, known as Sammy Darwin in his hometown of Iuka, Mississippi, and as Rusty Walker in the world of country music, this Mississippi native has received the top honor in country music of being inducted into the Country Radio Hall of Fame; and

WHEREAS, on February 21, 2012, Sammy Darwin was paid the ultimate tribute as he sat inside the National Convention Center in Nashville, Tennessee, with other country radio legends as a 2012 inductee to the Country Radio Hall of Fame; and

WHEREAS, the Country Radio Hall of Fame is dedicated to the acknowledgment of those persons who have made significant contributions to the radio industry over a twenty-year period, 15 of those years having been in the country format; and

WHEREAS, other 2012 inductees into the Country Radio Hall of Fame are Moby, Eddie Stubbs and Bill Whyte, but none so notable as Mississippian, Sammy Darwin; and

WHEREAS, since beginning his career in 1970, under his on-air personality name of Rusty Walker, Sammy Darwin has either programmed, advised, created, consulted, overseen, served as a strategic partner or performed as an on-air personality for more than 750 country radio stations throughout the nation; and

WHEREAS, Sammy Darwin has been recognized with numerous national industry and community awards from his on-air personality stints on stations such as WQYK, WQIK, WZZK and KFKF and he held an impressive seven-year consecutive run as Billboard's Consultant of the Year; and

WHEREAS, Sammy Darwin's firm, the Rusty Walker Programming Firm, remains one of the industry's most influential program consulting firms in the nation; and

WHEREAS, Sammy Darwin has been lovingly and devotedly supported by his wife, Teresa, his daughters, Nikki, Beth and Kinsley; his sons-in-law, Ryan Huntley and Nathaniel Clark; and his beautiful grandchild, McCarthy Huntley; and

WHEREAS, it is the policy of this Legislature to pay tribute to our native sons, such as Sammy Darwin, who, through their stellar talents, bring honor to themselves, their family, their community and this great state:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, THE SENATE CONCURRING THEREIN, That we do hereby honor and pay tribute to Mississippi's own, Sammy Darwin, of Iuka, and express heartfelt gratitude and appreciation to him for his talents that he has so graciously shared for so many years with country music aficionados throughout the nation.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be furnished to Sammy Darwin and to the members of the Capitol Press Corps.