A Rockist Goes to Washington?

I work in Government Affairs, a world where meaningful overlaps with Rockism are few and far between.

But a Congressional update email I received Monday brought me an unexpected surprise. First on the list of agenda items for Monday was this, House Resolution 154:

Recognizing Stax Records for enriching the Nation's Cultural life with "50 years of soul"

The resolution was put forth by Congressman Stephen I. Cohen, a freshman Democrat from the 9th District of Tennessee -- specifically Memphis and environs. For those of you who don't know or don't care, this kind of thing happens every day. Some are somewhat meaningful tributes to particularly historic events, others simply rename post offices after local public servants.

So is Congressman Cohen a devout Rockist, or just a casual fan trying to win over some voters? Further research revealed that it is in fact Black Music Month, so that's probably part of the timing.

We here at TRS plan to reach out to Congressman Cohen's office to see how he feels about Big Star (could be a deal breaker), who was sorta distributed by Stax, but in the meantime, a few tunes to celebrate the glory and influence of Stax Records:

Booker T. & the MG's - "Time is Tight"

Otis Redding - "Shake"

William Bell - "You Don't Miss Your Water"