A resolution recognizing 2004 as the "50th Anniversary of Rock 'n' Roll".

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate

now proceed to consideration of S. Res. 285, submitted earlier today.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, and that any statements relating to the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, the resolution just agreed to is a resolution recognizing the year 2004 as the ``50th Anniversary of Rock 'n' Roll.'' Indeed, it was 50 years ago in a small recording studio in Memphis, TN, that a young Elvis Presley recorded his first record. It was called ``That's All Right.'' And at that point, rock 'n' roll was born. That recording by legendary producer Sam Phillips at the now famous Sun Studio in Memphis paved the way for such subsequent hits which titles we all know: Carl Perkins' ``Blue Suede Shoes'' in 1955, Roy Orbison's ``Ooby Dooby'' in 1956, and Jerry Lee Lewis's ``Whole Lotta Shakin'' in 1957. These early hits catapulted Sun Studio and Memphis to the forefront of that musical revolution.

Throughout the 1950s, the unique sound, tremendous vision, and incredible talent coming out of Memphis, TN, with such artists as Elvis Presley, the ``King of Rock 'n' Roll,'' B. B. King, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Carl Perkins, just to name a few, became the hallmark of that Sun Studio and later the hallmark of American rock 'n' roll music.

Indeed, some of the most meaningful contributions to American music were made at that Sun Studio. It is where our country, in many ways, came together and spoke with a new, a uniquely American voice that was and still is heard around the world.

The fact that rock 'n' roll was born in Memphis is no coincidence. That city's location on the banks of the Mississippi River made it a place where the diverse cultures and musical styles of our Nation came together, where they converged, blending the blues with country and with gospel and with jazz. That merging of cultures and styles continues today.

The year 2004 provides the opportunity for our Nation to celebrate the birth of rock 'n' roll and those many streams of music that converged in Memphis to create a truly American sound known throughout the world.

Mr. President, I rise today in support of the resolution commemorating the 50-year history of rock 'n' roll. Senator Frist, the sponsor of this resolution, and myself are both from the State where rock 'n' roll was born--Tennessee. On July 5, 1954, Elvis Presley recorded his first record, ``That's All Right,'' at the legendary Sun Studio in Memphis and rock 'n' roll was officially born.

Memphis being the birthplace of rock 'n' roll should be of no surprise, since rock 'n' roll isn't the first genre of music to be officially born there. During the Civil War era another musical tradition was born from the sons and daughters who followed freedom up the Mississippi River. The soul-wrenching folk melodies of black Southerners laid the foundation for what would become the blues. Memphis has a vast history of being the center of American musical innovation.

The heart of this music innovation is grounded in the cultural life of Beale Street. It was Beale Street where W.C. Handy, a wandering black musician and composer, was the first to put down on paper the sometimes grim but always hopeful fix of field hollers, gospel songs, cotton-baling calls, and African tribal songs. Forty years later, Beale Street and those same rhythms infected a young, aspiring musician named Elvis Aaron Presley. Elvis Presley came to Sun Records to make a record for his mother and ended up forever changing music and society.

Sun Studios is the place where Sam Philips created his Rockabilly dynasty with Carl Perkins, B.B. King, Roy Orbison, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Elvis. Rock 'n' roll evolved in the 1950s from rhythm and blues, and was characterized by the use of electric guitars, a strong rhythm with an accent on the offbeat, and youth-oriented lyrics. Last July, Senator Frist and I joined Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton in a singing ceremony, which designated Sun Records recording studio as a National Historic Landmark. Sun Records in Memphis, TN, is the true home of the blues and the birthplace of rock 'n' roll.

No other city in the United States can claim equal influence on the music of this Nation.