House Resolution 9

A RESOLUTION COMMENDING AND CONGRATULATING MR. SAM MOSLEY OF THE FAMED BLUES BAND, MOSLEY & JOHNSON, UPON HIS LEGENDARY MUSICAL CAREER AND LASTING LEGACY IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY.

WHEREAS, Mr. Sam R. Mosley, of the world renowned blues band Mosley & Johnson is being celebrated and honored for being an iconic musician, singer, guitarist, song writer, recording artist and band leader, who has brought great pride to the Magnolia State throughout his over 60-year career in the music industry; and

WHEREAS, a life long resident of New Albany, Mississippi, Mr. Mosley was born as the youngest child on March 30, 1946, to his parents, Joe E. and Ella Bea Mosley, and was reared in Christian love along with his siblings, Annie, Joe, Willie, Ralph and Jamie; and

WHEREAS, surrounded by live music that his father and uncles played when he was a child and heavily influenced by a local gospel guitarist, Reverend Leon Pinson, Sam, at the age of 10, began playing guitar in a band with his older brothers called Jamie Mosley and the Dynamics; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Mosley who truly loves music and whose childhood began in rural Union County in communities such as Pleasant Hill and Beaver Dam before moving to the northside of New Albany, has a natural love and passion for studying, reading and learning, and as such, he graduated from Union County Training School/B.F. Ford School in 1964, where he played football and basketball; and

WHEREAS, upon graduating from high school, Jamie Mosley and the Dynamics disbanded and Mr. Mosley moved, for a short while, to Peoria, Illinois, where his older brother moved during the Great Migration, and he found employment at the local meat packing plant and played with a local group called the Fabulous Hi-Fis; and

WHEREAS, in 1965, Mr. Mosley was drafted into the United States Army to fight in the Vietnam War, and he fought on the coast of Vietnam and ultimately served as a squad leader, and although in Vietnam, he was able to entertain his fellow soldiers by playing a guitar that a fellow solider owned so that he could bring a little joy and relief to his comrades-in-arms; and

WHEREAS, in 1967, after courageously serving this great country in Vietnam, Mr. Mosley returned to his hometown of New Albany, and as destiny would have it, his childhood friend, Bobby Johnson, who was born March 4, 1946, and who was also reared in New Albany, began a band that evolved into Bobby Johnson and the Messengers; and

WHEREAS, it should be noted, that although Mr. Mosley had a passion for music, he never forgot his love of education, and thus, after returning from military service, he graduated from North East Mississippi Community College and then the University of Mississippi in the early 1970s, which speaks to his passion for learning; and

WHEREAS, as a testament to balancing, earning an education, and making wonderful music, Bobby Johnson and the Messengers had great success playing throughout North Mississippi, and in 1969, Mosley and Jonhson went to Memphis and made demos for themselves and eventually met Willie Mitchell of Royal Studios and released two singles, but arguably, the group's most shining success came in the form of song writing, which Mosley began doing in high school and Johnson began after teaming up with his childhood friend; and

WHEREAS, in 1971, the group recorded the LP Mississippi Mud as Sam and Bob and the Soulmen featuring Doris Badie on their own SABO label, and in 1976, the band recorded several singles for Polydor as Mojoba, which represented the vocalists' last names; and

WHEREAS, Mosley and Johnson were associated with Muscle Shoals Sound before Malaco acquired the studio in 1985, and due to their success with Muscle Shoals Sounds, Mosley and Johnson became dynamic staples on the Malaco songwriting team, along with others; and

WHEREAS, after recording their first LP album on the Malaco label in 1987, they wrote songs performed by Malaco artists including Bobby "Blue" Bland, Little Milton, Denise LaSalle as well as Johnnie Taylor and others, and notably, Bland recorded over a dozen Mosley and Johnson songs, including three on a Grammy nominated album in 1999; and

WHEREAS, Mosley and Johnson also appeared on records issued by Malaco from Dorothy Moore, Latimore, Tyrone Davis and Artie "Blues Boy" White, and their songs were recorded by blues artists Bill Coday, Trudy Lynn and Charles Wilson for other labels; and

WHEREAS, Sam Mosley and Bob Johnson continued to perform together until the sudden passing of Mr. Johnson during a performance on August 22, 1998; and

WHEREAS, although Mr. Mosley and his life long friend did not have a contract, this great man of integrity continues to direct half of the royalties earned by Mosley & Johnson to the widow of Mr. Johnson, and this includes royalties from songs solely created by Mr. Mosley since the passing of Mr. Johnson; and

WHEREAS, over the next several years after the passing of Mr. Jonhson, Malaco artists continued to record Mosley and Johnson songs, and in 2000, Malaco issued a new album by the pair entitled Juke Joint that consisted of older demo recordings, and in 2010, Mr. Mosley self-released The Whole World Has Still Got the Blues, which includes songs led by his childhood friend, Mr. Johnson, as well as a duet by the pair; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Mosley continues to perform as a solo artist and has received various awards such as being inducted into the North East Mississippi Community College Hall of Fame and being honored by the Union County Heritage Museum, Living Blues Magazine and Malaco Records, just to name a few; and

WHEREAS, throughout his blessed career, Mr. Mosley has been lovingly supported by his beautiful wife of over 50 years, Margaret, and their children and grandchildren - all of whom not only admire his musical gifts and talents but also his showing respect and kindness towards all those who are blessed to encounter this musical legend:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, That we do hereby commend and congratulate Mr. Sam R. Mosley of the famed blues band Mosley & Johnson upon his musical success and wish him continued success in all his future endeavors.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be furnished to Mr. Sam R. Mosley and to the members of the Capitol Press Corps.