On May 15, 2007, the Texas House of Representatives honored the music of Texas-born singer-songwriter Glenna Bell with the following House Resolution, which was read in a ceremony at the Capitol on the Floor of the House in Austin. House Speaker Craddick was in attendance, and personally congratulated Miss Bell for her musical contributions to the Lone Star State: H.R. No. 1304 R E S O L U T ION WHEREAS, A talented singer and songwriter, Beaumont native Glenna Bell is drawing attention for her stark yet beautiful songs that conjure up the heartfelt essence of traditional country music while expressing a fresh, contemporary perspective; and WHEREAS, Ms. Bell has recorded three albums to date, Nobody's Girl, which appeared in 1998, Face This World, from 2006, and The Road Less Traveled, which is scheduled to appear in 2008; each features her haunting songs that present tales of heartache, love, and loss in a stripped down and powerful style; and WHEREAS, Glenna Bell's music is colored by the sounds that she grew up with in East Texas: a cappella hymns sung in her family's church and old-school country music that she discovered in her relatives' record collections; with the help of veteran Texas musicians such as John Evans, who has produced Ms. Bell's last two albums, and Johnny Bush, who sings on The Road Less Traveled, Glenna Bell has distilled her influences into moving songs that are receiving airplay on country and Americana radio stations across the country; and WHEREAS, Carrying forward the classic, unembellished style that has graced so much great music from Texas, Glenna Bell has emerged as a musician and storyteller of great promise and stands as an exciting addition to the musical tradition of the Lone Star State; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 80th Texas Legislature hereby honor Glenna Bell for her musical accomplishments and extend to her best wishes for continued success; and, be it further RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be prepared for Ms. Bell as an expression of high regard by the Texas House of Representatives. ___ Speaker of the House I certify that H.R. No. 1304 was adopted by the House on April 13, 2007, by a non-record vote. Surrounded by the woods outside of Beaumont, Texas, Glenna Bell grew up influenced by the hymns sung a cappella at the church she attended with her family and by the '50s, '60s, and '70s country music that she found in her relatives’ record collections. Often compared stylistically to Johnny Cash, with a delivery that’s raw and bare boned, Glenna Bell captures the very essence of how country music was, is, and should always be. Glenna’s music has been aired locally, nationally, and internationally on CNBC, Fox TV, and numerous radio programs, as well as through live performances at venues all over Texas, including the Cactus Café in Austin, McGonigel’s Mucky Duck in Houston, The Gypsy Tea Room and Bill’s Records and Tapes in Dallas, amongst many others. A deal with Crystal Clear distribution placed Glenna's last CD, Face This World (2006), in retail outlets across the region, and Glenna has gained critical acclaim from top-tier music critics such as Robert K. Oermann at Music Row, Nashville, and Francois Braeken at RootsTime, Belgium, and from deejays such as the late Dave Avery of KHYI FM 95.3, Dallas. Glenna is preparing to release her third full-length CD, The Road Less Traveled, which features Texas Country Music Hall of Fame member Johnny Bush, as well as John Pickering of the vocal group The Picks, who backed Buddy Holly on several major hits. Glenna has also been keeping busy opening for the likes of Chip Taylor and Carrie Rodriguez, Hayes Carll, Two Tons of Steel, Albert and Gage, Jane Bond, and other prominent Texas acts. She records at Sugar Hill Studios in Houston and will be included in Andy Bradley and Roger Wood’s forthcoming book on the history of the studio (UT Press) and the accompanying compilation disc, singing Willie Nelson’s “The Family Bible,” which was first taped at Sugar Hill in the 1950’s. Glenna Bell is a Daughter of the Republic of Texas and a graduate of Texas A&M University and the University of Houston’s renowned Creative Writing Program, where she studied with Pulitzer-winning playwright Edward Albee. She teaches writing at Houston Community College and at a young age has already composed a lasting body of music to represent the diversity of Texas. Glenna Bell's sound is modern Americana in the truest sense. It is a unique blend of country roots music, romantic urban culture lyrics, and Texas folk rock; all sung in a voice that is powerful yet somehow vulnerable. For more information on Glenna Bell, please visit: http://www.myspace.com/glennabell http://www.sonicbids.com/GlennaBell http://www.glennabell.com