House Resolution 66

A RESOLUTION COMMENDING THE STELLAR MUSIC CAREER AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF MISSISSIPPI'S PAUL THORN, ACKNOWLEDGING HIS CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, AND DECLARING TUESDAY, MARCH 27, 2018, AS PAUL THORN DAY AT THE STATE CAPITOL.

WHEREAS, from an adolescent teen fascinated with the embellished tales of his Uncle Merle about life in California's fast lane, to a six-year relationship with Uncle Sam as a member of the National Guard and furniture manufacturing employee, to boxing professionally as a top 10 ranked middle-weight and tackling a six-round bout with Roberto "Hands of Stone" Duran, to being discovered in a Tupelo pizzeria, Paul Thorn's life has been one exciting roller coaster ride that has landed him upon some of the world's largest stages in an epic tale of a legendary musical icon in the making; and

WHEREAS, from that fateful day inside Vanelli's Pizza Parlor in 1997, when Miles Copeland signed him to A&M Records to the present day, the career of Paul Thorn has been a whirlwind of personal reflection and soulfully crafted harmonious musicality that has garnered him much success with a throng of fans; and

WHEREAS, an accomplished painter, born Paul Wayne Thorn on July 13, 1964, in Kenosha, Wisconsin, but raised in Tupelo, Mississippi, since infancy, the son of Wayne Thorn, a proselytizing Pentecostal bishop, Paul's strict religious childhood clashed with his desire for a more secular and worldly lifestyle, a choice that would result is his being disavowed by the church and out on his own at age 18 to begin the adulthood experience, which ultimately landed him on the road to stardom some 15 years later at the age of 33; and

WHEREAS, with dazzling perseverance, Mr. Thorn, who performed his first concert only 30 days after signing to A&M Records to open for Sting before a crowd of 14,000 cheering music lovers, has released 16 albums to his credit, and continues to blaze new trails into the uncharted territories of the musical industry by exhibiting an insurmountable dedication to his musical proficiency which has made him a prominent figure within the southern rock, country, Americana and blues genres for more than two decades; and

WHEREAS, along with his band, many of whom have been with him since the onset of his musical career, Paul continues touring extensively as he has long established himself in the majestic palaces of the world's stage as a musical icon, lifting the unifying gift of music from the confines of the American South and delivering it to a worldwide audience; and

WHEREAS, from his first album "Hammer and Nail," a titled inspired by his boxing bout with Duran, to "Pimps and Preachers," an homage to the two most influential men in his life, his father (the preacher) and his uncle (the pimp), to the most recent album, "Don't Let the Devil Ride," scheduled for a March 23 release, Paul has more than 400,000 sales to his career, with multiple albums debuting on the Billboard Top 100 Albums Chart, including the 2014 release of "Too Blessed to Be Stressed," which charted in the Top 5 on the AMA radio chart and placed 15th on the organization's end-of-year Top 100 list; and

WHEREAS, despite having an illustrious career and appearing in some of the country's most preeminent venues, Paul is a proud ambassador of his home state, and Mississippi is even prouder of this native son, whose career accomplishments reinforce and solidify the well-known fact and properly bestowed title upon the state as "the birthplace of America's music"; and

WHEREAS, it is the policy of the House of Representatives to recognize the star power of Mr. Thorn, who has served with distinction as an ambassador for the State of Mississippi, bringing great honor to the Tupelo community and the entire state:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, That we do hereby commend the stellar music career and accomplishments of Mississippi's Paul Thorn, declare Tuesday, March 27, 2018, as Paul Thorn Day at the State Capitol, and extend best wishes for continued success in all of his future endeavors.

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