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Honoring and celebrating Philadelphia's Living Legends: Joan Myers Brown, Stanley Clarke, Bill Jolly, and Solomon Jones, who are remarkable figures in the areas of dance, music, literature, and journalism in the Philadelphia area, as part of the commemoration of Black History Month.
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WHEREAS, Joan Myers Brown has made significant contributions to the national and international dance communities. She is the founder of The Philadelphia Dance Company, also known as PHILADANCO, and The Philadelphia School of Dance Arts. In 1988, Brown founded the International Conference of Black Dance Companies, and just a few years later, founded the International Association of Blacks in Dance. Brown has received a host of accolades throughout her lifetime, including awards from The Philadelphia Tribune, the African American Museum in Philadelphia, and membership to the Distinguished Daughters of Pennsylvania. In 2012, she was designated as one of the “Ten Best Philadelphians” by Philadelphia Magazine, and received the National Medal of the Arts, the nation’s highest civic honor for artistic excellence, which was presented to her at the White House by President Barack Obama; and
WHEREAS, Stanley Clarke is a four-time Grammy Award winning recording artist, performer, composer, conductor, arranger and producer, as well as one of the most eminent figures in the world of acoustic and electric bassists. Clarke’s esteemed presence in the music industry was celebrated when he was named Rolling Stone Magazine’s very first “Jazzman of the Year”. Clarke is also the recipient of Bass Player Magazine’s Lifetime Achievement Award, is a member of Guitar Player Magazine’s “Gallery of Greats” and has been honored with the addition of his hand impressions to Hollywood’s “Rock Walk”. To ensure that other young, talented artists can follow in his legacy, he established The Stanley Clarke Foundation, a charitable organization which awards scholarships to aspiring musicians each year; and
WHEREAS, Bill Jolly is a three-time Emmy Award winning composer, arranger, musical director and keyboardist. Jolly’s compositions have been featured across the airways on major networks like NBC, ABC, CBS, MTV, HBO and Showtime, and he has appeared in endorsement ads for major companies, such as Verizon, Hyatt, and Bose. He has also used his talents in directing large-scale award ceremonies, including The Emmy Awards, The Marian Anderson Awards, and The Rhythm and Blues Foundation Awards. Jolly has arranged musical tributes to Earth Wind and Fire, Billy Joel, Queen Latifah, Bon Jovi, Nina Simone, and Chaka Khan, and has performed musically for five U.S. Presidents; and
WHEREAS, Solomon Jones is an Essence bestselling author and award-winning journalist who has been featured nationally on NPR’s Morning Edition and CNN’s Headline News. Jones is currently a columnist for the Philadelphia Daily News and a host for Praise 107.9. In addition, he is a blogger and frequent on-air commentator for NPR-affiliate WHYY. An instructor at the Philadelphia School District’s Parent University, Jones has served as Spokesman for the District’s Read for Your Life program. Jones has also served on the board of the Philadelphia Committee to End Homelessness, visited each of Philadelphia’s municipal prisons to promote reading, and served on the Community Advisory Board of The Doe Fund, an organization that helps homeless men reclaim their lives; and
WHEREAS, All of these living legends, in great and diverse ways, have positively impacted the City of Philadelphia via the enrichment of Philadelphia’s culture through the arts, the mentorship of Philadelphia youth, and the provision of valuable information to our citizens. These Living Legends have, and continue to make, the lives of Philadelphia citizens better; now, therefore, be it,
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That it hereby honors and celebrates Philadelphia's Living Legends: Joan Myers Brown, Stanley Clarke, Bill Jolly, and Solomon Jones, who are leaders in the areas of dance, music, literature, and journalism in the Philadelphia area, as part of the commemoration of Black History Month.
FURTHER RESOLVED, That an Engrossed copy of this resolution be presented to these Living Legends as further evidence of the sincere respect or admiration of this legislative body.
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