[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 58 (Thursday, April 25, 2013)] [House] [Pages H2306-H2308] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] HONORING GOSPEL MUSIC PIONEERS The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee) for 5 minutes. Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, later on today, the President will join my fellow Texans in West, Texas, to mourn the loss of so many who died in a tragic plant explosion last week. Many of them were first responders. And many who will come to mourn and celebrate life and the life of West, Texas, are those who have been harmed and injured. I will join them in spirit, as I know my colleagues here today will. That's why as I rise today to commemorate and salute two gospel music titans, it becomes even more appropriate to salute my friend, James ``Jazzy'' Jordan and Mr. Don Jackson, for they understand the value and message of gospel music. Gospel music holds a special place in the American experience. Gospel music was a release from suffering and hardship, but it was also a form of praise and protest. I would like to thank Jazzy Jordan for understanding that as we introduced in 2008 the Gospel Music Heritage legislation that establishes September in the United States of America as Gospel Music Heritage Month. We hope as we have faced these tragedies over the last couple of weeks that Americans, no matter what their religious background or nonreligious background, will find relief in this joyful and comforting music. Spirituals once sung by slaves transformed into gospel songs sung by free people who had their own space and place to express their emotions and tell their stories in music--those spirituals have been translated into gospel music. Gospel music could express the joys and sorrows of so many people. All of us remember and have often sung the song ``Amazing Grace,'' created by one who saw this wonderful resilience of their life when they thought they had been lost. That is truly American and American gospel music. We know the early founders: Thomas Dorsey, Mahalia Jackson, James Vaughan, James Cleveland, and now today Kirk Franklin, and Yolanda Adams, among so many. And then those who were influenced by gospel music: Sam Cooke, Al Green, Elvis Presley, Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, Little Richard, Buddy Holly, among many. Jazzy Jordan understands that and is now head of The Jordan Webster Group, a film and music production house in Washington, D.C. A brilliant businessman, he has a great love of gospel music. We are grateful for his service to Verity Gospel Music Group, now known as RCA Inspiration. Mr. Jordan was a founding board member of the Gospel Music Heritage Foundation and cochair, with gospel music advocate Mr. Carl Davis of my district, of the Evolution of Gospel Celebration which kicks off Gospel Music Heritage Celebration in the Nation's capital. Mr. Jordan was executive producer for Gold, Platinum, Grammy, Stellar, and Dove award-winning projects. Throughout his career, he served as a creative producer and has marketed and promoted many awarding-winning CDs and gospel artists that have included Kirk Franklin, and as well worked with DJ Jazzy Jeff and Will Smith--``Fresh Prince.'' Oh, he knows music. And to tell you that he does, he has engaged and worked with the likes of Kirk Franklin, as I said, Marvin Sapp, Donnie McClurkin, Fred Hammond, Heather Kyle Walker, Donald Lawrence, Richard Smallwood, Byron Cage, John P. Kee, Jay Moss, Crystal Aikin, Deitrick Haddon, and DeWayne Woods. Mr. Jordan is truly one who lives his life in commemorating and cultivating and nurturing the gospel tradition, the gospel tradition which has now spread beyond the borders of this Nation. He is joined by Mr. Don Jackson, the founder, chairman, and CEO of the 41-year-old Central City Productions, now the founder and organizer of the Stella Awards. I am grateful that Mr. Jackson thought it was important to recognize those who excelled in gospel music. He graduated from Northwestern University and entered a career in media and broadcasting with a number of stations, WBEE and WVON, a top radio station in Chicago. As he founded Central City Marketing in 1970, his company over 41 years involved itself in encouraging and helping others promote their issues. He had involvement in promotion and sales and production of media and television. {time} 1050 But his first gospel music awards show in the United States, the Stellar Awards, was produced by his company. The Stellar Awards honors gospel music artists, writers, and industry professionals. He is one who has featured so many artists, such as the Clark Sisters, Kirk Franklin, Da' T.R.U.T.H., Mary Mary, and many others. Mr. Speaker, as I close, let me simply say, these two men are more than deserving of being American icons, and we congratulate them for loving, cherishing, and promoting gospel music. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize two of America's pioneers in gospel music: Mr. James ``Jazzy'' Jordan and Mr. Don Jackson. [[Page H2307]] Jazzy Jordan and Don Jackson are titans in the field of Gospel Music. Over the last 30 years their combined efforts have elevated this unique American art form to national and international prominence. Gospel music holds a special place in the American experience. Just as Jazz is well known far from our nation's shores, the spread of gospel music has also become popular around the world. Gospel music holds a unique place in the African experience--its roots are deep in the black church. For generations, gospel music could only be heard on Sunday mornings where African American people gathered to worship. Church was a place where black people felt truly free and safe to express themselves. Gospel music was a release for suffering and hardship--it was a form of praise and protest. Spirituals once sung by slaves transformed into gospel songs sung by free people who had their own space--and place to express their emotions and tell their stories in music. Gospel music could express the joys and sorrows of black people in ways that touched those who were not African American. There were lessons to be learned for the artists and the listeners. Famous jazz and rock-and-roll artists perfected their singing styles by visiting black churches to listen to gospel music. Gospel music traditions produced many memorable voices and musical pioneers in the history of our country; singers like Thomas Dorsey, Mahalia Jackson, James Vaughan, Roberta Martin, Virgil Stamps, Diana Washington, James Cleveland, The Mighty Clouds of Joy, Kirk Franklin, Yolanda Adams, and The Winans among many others. Gospel music has inspired and influenced other music art forms and artists that include Sam Cooke, Al Green, Elvis Presley, Marvin Gaye, Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, Little Richard, Ray Charles, Buddy Holly, Alan Jackson, Dolly Parton, Mariah Carey, Bob Dylan, and Randy Travis. I stand in the well of the House to honor two men who are my friends who also are great contributors to the American experience by preserving and cultivating new converts to the gospel music. Through their efforts gospel music has in a very short time period expanded beyond the black church to a broader global audience. Mr. James ``Jazzy'' Jordan is head of The Jordan Webster Group, a film and music production house in Washington DC. Mr. Jordan is a brilliant businessman with a love of gospel music, which he fully expressed in his leadership of the Verity Gospel Music Group now known as RCA Inspiration. Mr. Jordan is a founding board member of the Gospel Music Heritage Foundation and is Co-Chair along with Gospel Music Advocate Carl Davis of the ``Evolution of Gospel Celebration'' that Kicks off Gospel Music Heritage Celebration in the Nation's Capital. Over his 30 year career, Mr. Jordan was executive producer for Gold, Platinum, GRAMMY', Stellar and Dove award-winning projects. Throughout his career, Jordan has served as executive producer or has marketed or promoted many award-winning CDs for gospel artists that included Kirk Franklin and R. Kelly. He also, worked with DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince (Will Smith) on their album Parents Just Don't Understand, which sold over four millions copies; Salt N' Pepa on their Very Necessary album, which sold over five million copies; Joe on his tops selling CDs All That I Am, which was a platinum selling album, and My Name Is Joe, which sold over three million copies; and three of R. Kelly's CDs--R. Kelly, R. and TP-2.Com, which all sold more than three million copies. The other person I want to recognize is Mr. Don Jackson, the founder, chairman and CEO of the 41-year-old CENTRAL CITY PRODUCTIONS a national television production, sales, and syndication Company based in Chicago, Illinois. Mr. Jackson after graduating from Northwestern University entered a career in media and broadcasting with WBEE & WVON radio. He was someone to watch--and for good reason--he became youngest and first African American sales manager at WVON, the top radio station in the Chicago media market at the time. He had to work hard and be extremely smart to reach such notable success at such a young age. In 1970, Mr. Jackson founded CENTRAL CITY MARKETING. His company for over 40 years has specialized in marketing, promotion, sales, and the production of media and television programs for African Americans. The first Gospel Music Awards show in the United States, the Stellar Awards, was produced by CENTRAL CITY MARKETING. The Stellar Awards honor Gospel Music Artists, writers, and industry professionals for their contributions to the Gospel Music Industry. The Stellar Awards program is syndicated in over 140 markets nationwide. The Stellar Awards has featured well known gospel artists that include the Clark Sisters, Kirk Franklin, Da' T.R.U.T.H, Tye Tribbett, Mary Mary, Heather Headley, CeCe Winans, Marvin Sapp, Yolanda Adams, Donnie McClurkin, and Tamela Mann. Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Nashville, and New York have been the location of the Stellar Awards programs. Through his efforts, the spread of gospel appreciation is traveling far beyond our nation's shore and finding new converts every day. Because of the efforts to these two men scholars now know--if you want to truly understand the black American experience--you must understand the music of that experience and a way to do this is through gospel music. I ask my colleagues to join me in applauding the life achievements of Mr. Don Jackson and Mr. James ``Jazzy'' Jordan. 40 Years of Media Marketing Experience Don Jackson is the founder, chairman, and CEO of 41-year- old CENTRAL CITY PRODUCTIONS, Inc., a national television production, sales, and syndication company based in Chicago, IL. Mr. Jackson is a Chicago native who graduated from Marshall High School, where he played on the school's 1960 state championship basketball team. He also started on the 1961 Marshall basketball team, which won 3rd place in the state championship. He attended Northwestern University on a basketball scholarship and was captain of the University's 1965 Wildcat basketball team. Mr. Jackson earned his B.S. in Radio, TV, and Film from Northwestern in 1965. After graduating from Northwestern, Mr. Jackson worked in the media and broadcast industries in sales at WBEE & WVON radio. He became the youngest and first African American sales manager at WVON, the top radio station in the Chicago market at the time. In 1970, Mr. Jackson founded CENTRAL CITY MARKETING, INC. For over four decades the company has specialized in marketing, promotion, sales, and the production of media and television programs for African Americans. Today, CENTRAL CITY PRODUCTIONS, INC., is the full-service company that produces, syndicates, and manages advertising sales for all of the company's local and national television programs. Central City Productions' mission is to develop, produce, and market television programming which is designed to communicate positive, uplifting images of Black people all over the world. Under his guidance and vision, CCP has launched many new and unique television programs to Black Americans nationwide. Many of these programs have more than 30 years of consecutive airing over local and national television. Mr. Jackson also gives back to the community as a member of several organizations. He is the former chairman of the board of the DuSable Museum of African American History. He has also previously served on the boards of Northwestern University, Junior Achievement of Chicago, Columbia College, Gateway Foundation and Chicago Transit Authority Board. In addition, Mr. Jackson is the founder and a member of A.B.L.E. (Alliance of Business Leaders and Entrepreneurs), which is the first business organization bringing Black Leaders together in the business community to network, to address business issues and to provide a legacy for future African American entrepreneurs. He has received numerous awards for his business accomplishments and community involvement. Mr. Jackson is married to Rosemary Jackson. The couple has two adult children and two grandsons, Donovan and Dain. Their daughter Rhonda is a graduate of Syracuse University, and their son Baba Dainja graduated from the University of Minnesota. ____ James ``Jazzy'' Jordan James ``Jazzy'' Jordan is head of The Jordan Webster Group, a film and music production house in Washington DC. Projects to be released this summer are ``Your Husband Is Cheating On Us'' starring JD Lawrence, A reality TV series The Football Moms with Reggie Bush's mother Denise, Adrian Peterson's mother Bonita and others. Mr. Jordan is also developing a theatrical film titled ``ColorBlind'' starring JD Lawrence and directed by Bill Duke, he is filming a new comedy TV series for Comedian Michael Colyar, taping this summer at The Howard Theater in DC. He most recently was Executive Vice President/General Manager of Verity Gospel Music Group (VGMG). A division of Sony Music Entertainment, INC., it is the largest gospel music company in the world. The VGMG roster of artists includes: Kirk Franklin, Marvin Sapp, Donald McClurkin, Fred Hammond, Hezekiah Walker, Donald Lawrence, Richard Smallwood, Kurt Carr, 21:03, Byron Cage, John P. Kee, J. Moss, Crystal Aikin, Deitrick Haddon, Dewayne Woods, and others. Over his 30-year career, Jordan has worked in a variety of areas within the music industry, including retail, radio broadcasting and marketing. These experiences have given him a 360-degree view of the music business and uniquely equipped him to shepherd artists to success. Jordan was in charge of all operations for Verity Gospel Music Group, Jordan lent his business acumen and expertise to the consistently successful label. He has served as executive producer for Gold, Platinum, GRAMMY', Stellar and Dove award-winning projects such as Hello Fear and The Fight Of My Life (Kirk Franklin), Thirsty and Here I Am (Marvin Sapp), Live [[Page H2308]] In London (Donnie McClurkin), Show Up (John P. Kee), and many others. Jordan has held senior executive positions at Tommy Boy, RCA and PolyGram record labels. In 1995, he was named Vice President of Black Music Marketing at Jive Records. At Jive, Jordan not only played a vital role in the label's success in urban music, he also helped to launch Verity Records and catapult it into the most successful gospel record label to date. Throughout his career, Jordan has served as executive producer or has marketed or promoted over 50 award-winning CDs for artists ranging from Will Smith to Kirk Franklin. He worked with DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince (Will Smith) on their album Parents Just Don't Understand, which sold over four millions copies; Salt N' Pepa on their Very Necessary album, which sold over five million copies; Joe on his tops selling CDs All That I Am, which was a platinum selling album, and My Name Is Joe, which sold over three million copies; and three of. Kelly's CDs--R. Kelly, R. and TP2.Com, which all sold more than three million copies. A man of many interests and skills, in 2006 Jordan was one of only two African Americans to have ownership in an Indy 500 racecar (the other was NBA All-Star Carmelo Anthony). Jordan's car placed 12th in the race. ____________________