Tennessee State Song

SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION 966
By Burchett

A RESOLUTION to adopt "Smoky Mountain Rain" as an official state song.

WHEREAS, from time to time, the General Assembly has adopted certain songs as official state songs; and

WHEREAS, over Tennessee's history, seven songs have been honored as official state songs: "My Homeland, Tennessee" (1925); "When It's Iris Time in Tennessee" (1935); "My Tennessee" (1955); "Tennessee Waltz" (1965); "Rocky Top" (1982); "Tennessee" (1992); and, "The Pride of Tennessee" (1996); and

WHEREAS, made famous by country music legend Ronnie Milsap, "Smoky Mountain Rain" pays homage to the Great Smoky Mountains, which draw 2.2 million tourists annually to the State of Tennessee from around the world; and

WHEREAS, written by Nashville songwriters, Kye Fleming and Dennis Morgan, "Smoky Mountain Rain" tells the story of a special, enduring love of a Tennessee sweetheart and the storyteller’s return to Tennessee and the Great Smoky Mountains in search of that which he holds most dear; and

WHEREAS, the Tennessee cities of Knoxville and Gatlinburg are featured as part of the storyline of the song; and

WHEREAS, Kye Fleming and Dennis Morgan wrote "Smoky Mountain Rain" specifically for Ronnie Milsap as a tribute to the Great Smoky Mountains and Ronnie Milsap’s meteoric rise from a modest rearing in the Smoky Mountains to success and fame in Tennessee’s country music industry; and

WHEREAS, originally released in September of 1980, "Smoky Mountain Rain" became a Number 1 hit on the Billboard Country Singles Chart in December of 1980; and

WHEREAS, the song also became a crossover Number 1 hit on the Billboard Adult Contemporary Chart and was featured on Top 40 pop radio stations across the United States; and

WHEREAS, this Tennessee country song reached Number 24 on the Billboard Hot 100, ranking high among every song genre and attained a peak position of Number 8 on the Canadian RPM Country Tracks Chart; and

WHEREAS, "Smoky Mountain Rain" has qualities in common with previous state songs "Rocky Top" and "Tennessee Waltz" as a country song featuring the State of Tennessee, its majestic natural beauty, and the special ties to home that bind Tennessee sweethearts together; and

WHEREAS, "Smoky Mountain Rain" is clearly deserving of the special honor of being designated an official song of the State of Tennessee; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING, that "Smoky Mountain Rain" by Kye Fleming and Dennis Morgan is hereby adopted as an official song of the State of Tennessee.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that an appropriate copy of this resolution be prepared for presentation with this final clause omitted from such copy.