UPDATE: We did it! It passed the Senate 36-0 on Sunday, June 7th and on June 30th, Governor John Bel Edwards signed it into law.
This is what the House Bill 351 looked like from start to finish! It was no small feat, but we got it done, and done. We now have the first state song written by an African American artist/composer.
UPDATE: 2021 also became the year that a House resolution was passed recognizing June 25th as Clifton Chenier Day for 4 years, marking 100 years (1925) since his birth. New Orleans also named streets and roads after Fats Domino, Ellis Marsalis and Gatemouth Brown.
This is all a big deal, so applause all around to those who made these items priority.
So, one might ask why this would any of this be important now? For some, it almost seemed trivial and just symbolic, with all the challenges all of our states’ are facing during these extraordinary times, Louisiana included. In the social media driven world we live in, we saw some comments about the new state song that were kinda lame, (real lame, who are we kidding) but such is life on the socials!
In many ways though Louisiana has even more work to do, because we fall behind in several metrics: poverty, education and healthcare to name a few. This year, Louisiana also has to figure out what they are going to do about one of the most disturbing cases of police brutality with the horrific killing of Ronald Greene.
Maybe these actions were not the systemic change we need and want for racial equality in the South and in our state, but we still feel really good about all of these things, because it makes us feel good.
Truth is, we’ve been exporting Louisiana music and culture for 40 years. We know all the available resources are for our music community and the lack of support our musicians get at state level due to lack of resources being dedicated to music industry. We don’t have artist grants avail, tour support like our European counterparts or a Canadian FACTOR program that funds recording projects. We led a successful effort to create a GRAMMY category for our genre, had a zydeco music exhibit installed in the GRAMMY museum in Los Angeles and in the new Nat’l Museum of African American Music in Nashville – we are outspoken advocates for all things music in our state.
So, we say it’s more important NOW than ever, to recognize our BIPOC and African American artists and their contributions; as racial inequality issues are being addressed by some for the first time and others more vigorously than ever before! We have given this song, written by a black artist equal recognition to the other state songs. We also know that during this time we need more things that shine a positive light on the boot, and this is def one of those things.
And did we mention Allen was loved all over the world?! All -over -the -world. Having this song become a state song shows that we value the same artist who was inducted in the Rock Hall of Fame – as one of only a few from Louisiana who have been. Or an artist who received the Presidential Medal of Honor from Barack Obama, our first African American POTUS. We don’t know too many from this state who have been honored this way either.
Here’s the skinny: about 10 years ago we had an encounter that made us look a lot closer at our Official State Songs. Last year during the pandemic, we revisited this and started the conversation with several folks: Dustin Cravins and House Representative, Vincent Pierre (Lafayette) , who authored the bill for us. We want to extend a very special thanks also to House Representative, Matthew Willard (New Orleans) and House Representative and Speaker Pro Tempore, Tanner Magee (Houma) who also worked really hard to make this law.
Southern Nights was made a #1 hit by Glen Campbell but it was written by the late legendary Allen Toussaint of New Orleans. It is the perfect state song, as it was his love letter to the place he loved – the Creole countryside outside of NOLA.
Louisiana joins both Maryland and Oregon who took a closer at their own state songs this year, and made some major changes.
Please take a moment to listen to his stunning performance of the song. We knew Allen. He loved Terrance. His children, Reggie and Alison fully supported our idea and they are also overjoyed that it happened. We are all proud that it was done in a bipartisan with the Louisiana House and Senate.
Keep hope alive!