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H. 4767

STATUS INFORMATION

House Resolution
Sponsors: Rep. Tallon
Document Path: l:\council\bills\gm\24554ab16.docx

Introduced in the House on January 28, 2016
Adopted by the House on January 28, 2016

Summary: Uzee Brown, Jr.

HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS

     Date      Body   Action Description with journal page number
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   1/28/2016  House   Introduced and adopted (House Journal-page 4)

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VERSIONS OF THIS BILL

1/28/2016

TO RECOGNIZE DR. UZEE BROWN, JR., A NATIVE OF COWPENS AND THE CHAIR OF THE DEPARTMENT OF MUSIC AT MOREHOUSE COLLEGE, AND TO HONOR HIM FOR A REMARKABLE LIFETIME OF SIGNIFICANT ACHIEVEMENTS.

Whereas, the members of the South Carolina House of Representatives are pleased to pause in their deliberations to reflect upon the outstanding accomplishments of one of our citizens, such as Dr. Uzee Brown, Jr.; and

Whereas, born in Cowpens at the home of his paternal grandmother and grandfather, Wash and Marie Brown, on November 14, 1950, he attended Ralph J. Bunche Elementary School in Cowpens and graduated as valedictorian from Benjamin E. Mays High School in Pacolet Mills in 1968; and

Whereas, Dr. Brown attributes much of his success to the powerful and unforgettable influences of great teachers at those schools, including Olivia Mitchell, Beatrice Cleveland, and most of all, Rudolph Riley; and

Whereas, nurtured in the faith at Fosters Grove Baptist Church, he there was given his first opportunities to play the piano and express his music. The principal and the guidance counselor at Mays, Leroy and Lola Meyers, steered him to Morehouse College because of the emerging reputation of Dr. Benjamin E. Mays; and

Whereas, although Uzee Brown entered Morehouse intending to study biology and pre-med, his life changed when he joined the college glee club and the band under the direction of Dr. Wendell P. Whalum, who took the young freshman on concert tours to the National Cathedral, St. Georges Cathedral, and Avery Fischer Hall at Lincoln Center in New York City; and

Whereas, after graduating from Morehouse College, Dr. Brown earned additional degrees from Bowling Green State University and the University of Michigan; and

Whereas, he served for twelve years as director of the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church Choir, which he led across western Europe in concert, and he chaired the music department at Clark Atlanta University for two years; and

Whereas, Dr. Brown has forged a diverse musical career from his ability as a singer, performer, composer, arranger, educator, and choral director, a career which has taken him to more than twenty-two countries that include Italy, Germany, France, Switzerland, Poland, Russia, Luxembourg, Spain, six countries of Africa, and the Caribbean; and

Whereas, in 2011, he was honored as Vulcan Teacher of the Year at Morehouse College, where he presently serves as a trustee; and

Whereas, he served as past president of the oldest organization of professional black musicians in the United States, the National Association of Negro Musicians (NANM), founded in 1919; and

Whereas, while president, he spearheaded the completion of the research and publication of the official Documentary History of the National Association of Negro Musicians by the Center for Black Music Research in Chicago and initiated and successfully completed a NANM Endowed Scholarship Fund for competitive, aspiring young minority performers that awards national scholarships to at least four such musicians every year; and

Whereas, among his many performances in opera and oratorio, Dr. Brown sang the role of Parson Alltalk in the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra's premier of Scott Joplin's Treemonisha, the title role of King Solomon at Emory University Theater, in the Alliance Theater's showcase production of Jubilee, the role of Mr. Letterlaw in the world premiere of Zabette, and in the Afro-American Suite with the Atlanta Symphony Brass Quintet. He was also a soloist at the 1977 inauguration of President Jimmy Carter; and

Whereas, the South Carolina House of Representatives is pleased to recognize this remarkable son of South Carolina and native of Cowpens for a lifetime of outstanding service and meaningful contributions in the field of music. Now, therefore,

Be it resolved by the House of Representatives:

That the members of the South Carolina House of Representatives recognize Dr. Uzee Brown, Jr., a native of Cowpens and the chair of the Department of Music at Morehouse College, and honor him for a remarkable lifetime of significant achievements.

Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be presented to Dr. Uzee Brown, Jr.

This web page was last updated on February 1, 2016 at 10:50 AM