Senate Concurrent Resolution 673

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION RECOGNIZING AND SALUTING MISSISSIPPI'S FIRST GRAMMY AWARD WINNER EDDIE HODGES FROM HATTIESBURG, MISSISSIPPI.

WHEREAS, Eddie Hodges was born in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, and traveled to New York City with his family in 1952. This began a long career in show business for Hodges in films, on stage and popular recordings. Hodges was drafted into the Army during the Vietnam War in the late 1960s, but remained in the United States in a noncombat assignment. After he was discharged, he returned to Hollywood and became disillusioned with show business. He decided to return to his native Mississippi and entered the University of Southern Mississippi where he received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and a Master of Science degree in Counseling. He became and is still a mental health counselor; and

WHEREAS, Eddie Hodges enjoyed a childhood as a Broadway music star. He made his professional acting debut on stage in Meredith Wilson's 1957 Broadway Musical The Music Man. He made his film debut in the 1959 film A Hole in the Head with Frank Sinatra and Edward G. Robinson, in which he and Sinatra performed a song called High Hopes. When Sinatra recorded the song for Capitol Records, although it became a solo, Hodges was given a single line in the last verse. Hodges made eight feature films and numerous television guest appearances. He is probably best remembered for the title role in Michael Curtiz's 1960 film The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, which is considered one of the best of the many attempts to film Mark Twain's classic. Both Hodges and his co-star, Archie Moore, as Jim, received generally positive reviews for their performances. He also appeared in the 1963 Disney film Summer Magic and the 1967 film The Happiest Millionaire. Guest appearances on network television productions included Bonanza, Gunsmoke, Cimarron Strip and The Dick Van Dyke Show, among others. He was also a Mystery Guest on What's My Line?; and

WHEREAS, at the age of 14, Hodges recorded for Cadence Records and his biggest hit was "I'm Gonna Knock On Your Door" in 1961, peaking at No. 12 in the United States, No. 11 in the United Kingdom and No. 1 in Australia. He also scored a minor hit with "(Girls, Girls, Girls) Made to Love," a song written by Phil Everly and originally recorded by The Everly Brothers. He recorded for several other record labels. Before he left Hollywood, he was a union musician, record producer, songwriter and music publisher. He collaborated with Tandyn Almer ("Along Comes Mary") with whom he wrote and published several songs and owned his own music publishing business. Hodges continues to write songs today but is no longer involved in the music industry; and

WHEREAS, before his 12th birthday, Eddie Hodges was part of 405 productions of The Music Man in New York City between December 1957 and November 1958. He helped earn the play five Tony Awards, Broadway's highest honor. "My mom also told me it won some other award — something none of us had ever heard of (the GRAMMY AWARD)," he said; and

WHEREAS, Eddie Hodges, 64, watched the recent 54th Annual Grammy Awards Ceremony from his Hattiesburg home with a claim to fame no one can ever duplicate — Mississippi's first Grammy winner. "It's strange, but I didn't even know I was the state's first recipient until they started having the Mississippi Grammy celebration a few years ago," said Hodges, who manages a mental health care clinic in Collins, Mississippi; and

WHEREAS, Clyde Lindley, 61, of Starkville is a retired educator and former Head of the Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science in Columbus. He is an avid historian whose apartment resembles a Hard Rock Cafe, with autographed guitars from dozens of artists, including the Beatles, Gregg Allman and Charley Pride. Hodges and Lindley became friends after Lindley tracked him down in Hattiesburg — where Hodges returned in 1973 after tiring of life in Hollywood. Lindley was concerned that Hodges, who in 1959 at age 12 became Mississippi's first GRAMMY AWARD winner for his contribution to the show's soundtrack album, had nothing to show for the honor. Following a casual lunch recently in Collins, where Hodges serves as Director of a mental health clinic, Lindley set a gift-wrapped box on the table. It was a replica of a Grammy Award, complete with inscription. "I decided if the Grammy people weren't going to give him one, then I was," Lindley says. "It's only right. Not only was he the first Mississippi Grammy winner, but it was the first year the Grammys were awarded. "And when Eddie was opening the box, my mind went back to 1959, to when I was nine years old — and to what could have been, which should have been given to Eddie Hodges. He says it's a moment he'll never forget, and I definitely won't either"; and

WHEREAS, it is with great pride that we remember the historic career of a Mississippi actor and singer who has brought honor to his home state and whose great spirit has enriched the lives of all his colleagues and fellow citizens:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING THEREIN, That we do hereby recognize and salute Mississippi's first GRAMMY AWARD winner Eddie Hodges from Hattiesburg, Mississippi, and extend our best wishes to Eddie and his family for future successes as he continues to serve as an unofficial Ambassador of the State of Mississippi.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this resolution be presented to Eddie Hodges and Clyde Lindley, forwarded to the Mississippi Arts Commission and made available to the Capitol Press Corps.