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HR0463 |
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LRB095 12282 GRL 36822 r |
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| HOUSE RESOLUTION
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| WHEREAS, State Representative Monique D. Davis and the |
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| Illinois House of Representatives are saddened to learn of the |
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| death of
Carl Wright of Chicago, who passed away on May 18, |
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| 2007; and
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| WHEREAS, Carl Wright was born in 1932 in Orlando, Florida; |
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| he was one of nine children; and
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| WHEREAS, As a boy, Carl Wright longed to be an entertainer; |
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| he attended college in Atlanta, but his true loves were |
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| dancing, singing and telling jokes; before long, he was |
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| traveling the country; he arrived in Chicago in the early 1950s |
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| and soon began working at various South Side clubs; he started |
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| his career dancing and performing comedy by himself; he then |
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| met a man named Frank James, who had one leg; they got together |
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| and called themselves the Three-Leggers; James and Mr. Wright |
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| worked together for several years, doing a dance-and-comedy |
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| routine; they took their show on the road, traveling as far as |
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| Canada to perform; while performing at the Club DeLisa in |
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| Chicago, he met his wife, Shirley, who was a chorus-line |
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| dancer; and
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| WHEREAS, Soon after their wedding, Carl Wright went into |
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| the Army for two years and was stationed in New Jersey; while |
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HR0463 |
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LRB095 12282 GRL 36822 r |
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| in the service, he won an all-Army talent show; when he was |
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| discharged, Mr. Wright returned to Chicago; he worked steadily, |
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| emceeing events and doing stand-up comedy until 1987, when he |
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| joined his friend Pervis Spann as co-host of the local cable TV |
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| show "Blues & More"; over the years, he and Pervis Spann |
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| interviewed celebrities such as B.B. King, Jamie Foxx, and |
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| Bernie Mac; a decade later, the producers of the movie "Soul |
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| Food" saw Mr. Wright on the program; they enjoyed his |
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| performance and gave him the role of Reverend Williams; he had |
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| also appeared in the movies Barbershop, Barbershop 2: Back in |
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| Business, Big Momma's House, and The Cookout; and
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| WHEREAS, Carl Wright is survived by his wife of 53 years, |
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| Shirley; his brothers, Charles, Clarence, and Billy; his |
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| sisters, Sherrie Wright and Diane Wright-Cahee; his daughters, |
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| Kia Wright and Linda Fowler; and his four grandchildren; |
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| therefore, be it
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| RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE |
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| NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we |
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| mourn, along with his family and friends, the passing of Carl |
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| Wright; and be it further
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| RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be |
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| presented to the family of Carl Wright as an expression of our |
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| sympathy.
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