Tennessee House GOP Blocks Proclamation Honoring Grammy Winner Allison Russell, While Letting Similar Measure for Paramore Pass
variety.comChris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic When it comes to Tennessee’s recently Grammy-winning musical heroes, the state’s House Republicans are making it clear — they’re good with Paramore, but not so much Allison Russell, for reasons yet to be explained.
Tennessee Rep. Justin Jones (D-Nashville) brought resolutions before the body to honor the Grammy achievements of Paramore, who won for best rock album and best alternative music performance, and Russell, who picked up her first Grammy for best American roots performance for the song “Eve Was Black.” Although both Russell and Paramore singer Hayley Williams have made their displeasure with the GOP-controlled legislature known in the past, only one of these two proclamations was blocked.
The resolution honoring Paramore sailed through, but the complementary one celebrating Russell was effectively killed. It was House Republican Caucus Chair Jeremy Faison who balked at the Russell resolution, in what the Tennessean described as “a procedural move that kicked Jones’ resolution off the night’s consent calendar and back to committee, where objected consent items often die.” Russell thanked Jones for trying. “That you and (Rep.
Gloria Johnson) presented this resolution is a high honour. That the TN GOP blocked it, I take as a compliment,” Russell wrote on her social media accounts. “Their bigotry, sadly, is on relentless display.
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