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91_HR0411
LRB9107762KBkb
1 HOUSE RESOLUTION
2 WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3 Representatives are pleased to acknowledge milestones in the
4 lives of citizens of the State of Illinois; and
5 WHEREAS, Miss Albertina Walker of Chicago, Illinois, is
6 celebrating her 70th birthday in 1999; and
7 WHEREAS, Albertina Walker was born in Chicago, Illinois
8 in 1929; it was the time of the Great Depression and the
9 birth of the Harlem Renaissance; the black church had become
10 the focal point for many African-Americans, a meeting place
11 where they could come together and look for spiritual
12 enlightenment, and also see new and exciting forms of
13 cultural expression; and
14 WHEREAS, Into this world of entertainment through gospel
15 music came Albertina Walker; by the age of four she had begun
16 singing in the Children's Choir of West Point Baptist Church;
17 at this time gospel music was gaining acceptance in many
18 black churches through the efforts of Professor Thomas A.
19 Dorsey, Sallie Martin, Kenneth Morris, and Rosetta Thorpe;
20 Albertina Walker entered gospel music in its early
21 beginnings, and would go on to become the Queen of Gospel
22 Music; and
23 WHEREAS, By the age of 14, Albertina Walker was a member
24 of the Williams Singers and also toured with the Willie Webb
25 and Robert Anderson Singers; by the age of 22 she has formed
26 her own group, the Caravans; the Caravans helped launch the
27 careers of Evangelist Dorothy Norwood, Inez Andrews, Shirley
28 Caesar, Delores Washington, Cassieta George, and Reverend
29 James Cleveland; with songs like Day By Day, Mary Don't You
30 Weep, and I Won't Be Back, the Caravans became household
31 names; and
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1 WHEREAS, In 1975 Albertina Walker recorded her first solo
2 album, Put A Little Love In Your Heart; by 1999 she had
3 recorded over sixty albums, solo and with other artists; some
4 of these albums include: Please Be Patient With Me, I Can Go
5 To God In Prayer, and Joy Will Come; Albertina Walker is
6 still recording music, lending her voice to other projects
7 when asked; and
8 WHEREAS, Albertina Walker is committed to the
9 preservation of gospel music and in 1998 founded the
10 Albertina Walker Foundation for the Creative and Performing
11 Arts, offering financial assistance in the form of
12 scholarships to college students who plan on working with
13 gospel music; and
14 WHEREAS, In addition, Albertina Walker has supported the
15 United Negro College Fund, the National Council of Negro
16 Women, and Rainbow PUSH Coalition; and
17 WHEREAS, Albertina Walker has made regular appearances on
18 BET's "Bobby Jones Gospel" program, and "Singsation"; she
19 appeared in the Steve Martin movie "Leap of Faith", and the
20 off-Broadway play, "The Gospel Truth"; and
21 WHEREAS, Albertina Walker is the recipient of many awards
22 and honors, including: a 1995 Grammy Award for Best
23 Traditional Album (Songs Of The Church); two Stellar awards;
24 and several Gospel Music Workshop of America Excellence
25 awards; and
26 WHEREAS, In 1994 Albertina Walker was honored at the
27 Chicago Gospel Festival with a street being renamed in her
28 honor, and the placement of a bench bearing her name in
29 Chicago's Grant Park; she was recently honored with a Doctor
30 of Letters degree from the Chicago Theological Seminary, an
31 institution of the University of Chicago; and
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1 WHEREAS, Perhaps the greatest honor that an individual
2 can receive is the recognition and admiration of ones peers
3 and fans; as Albertina Walker sings, she worships God,
4 inspires her audience, and earns the title "The Queen of
5 Gospel"; therefore, be it
6 RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
7 NINETY-FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
8 we congratulate Albertina Walker on the occasion of her 70th
9 birthday; may she continue to bring her listeners, fans,
10 friends, and others the message of the gospel presented in
11 music; may she continue to enjoy good health and happiness
12 for many years to come; and be it further
13 RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
14 presented to Miss Albertina Walker, along with our sincere
15 regards.