Oklahoma Official Rock Song Advisory Panel Named

Contact: Michael Dean
(405) 522-5241

Oklahoma City, OK
June 20, 2008
For Immediate Release

Naming the official Oklahoma rock and roll song is one step closer to a final decision.

Three members of the Oklahoma Official Rock Song Advisory Panel, established by resolution during the past legislative session, have been appointed by the Governor, Speaker of the House, and the Senate Pro Tempore to appoint one member each to the panel. The Oklahoma Historical Society and the Oklahoma Film & Music Office have also named two panelists each.

Governor Brad Henry named Phil Bacharach, Oklahoma City, who worked as a journalist in both the television and print media before becoming the press secretary for Governors Keating and Henry.

Speaker of the House Chris Benge nominated legendary radio disc jockey Ronnie Kaye, Oklahoma City, who has played rock and roll over the airwaves for more than forty years.

Senate Co-Presidents Pro Tempore Mike Morgan and Glenn Coffee added Lacey Lett, Oklahoma City, to the panel. Lett is an enthusiastic promoter of Oklahoma musicians with her weekly radio show "Buzz Born and Bred."

The Oklahoma Film & Music Office selected Steve Ripley, Tulsa/Pawnee, who has performed with Bob Dylan, produced music for bands such as the Chainsaw Kittens, and built guitars for Eddie Van Halen. Film & Music also chose Ryan LaCroix, Norman, who created and maintains the website www.oklahomarock.com which covers the music scene in Oklahoma, featuring an exhaustive list of bands and concerts around the state. LaCroix also created the "100 Top Oklahoma Musicians" list as part of Oklahoma's Centennial celebration.

The Oklahoma Historical Society named Dr. Hugh Foley, Stillwater, a professor at Rogers State University and renowned music historian. He is also the creator of www.oklahomamusicguide.com, an online history of Oklahoma musicians. The Historical Society also appointed Angie Devore-Green, Tulsa, co-founder of the internationally known music conference and festival Diversafest, or Dfest, held annually in downtown Tulsa, which has promoted hundreds of Oklahoma musicians since its inception.

"The process of selecting an official Oklahoma rock song has been a privilege to work on", said Jill Simpson, Director of the Oklahoma Film & Music Office."So many legendary musicians in the world of rock got their start right here in Oklahoma and have gone on to leave quite a mark on the music industry over the years. That is reflected in the enthusiastic response we've received from the public during the nomination phase, not just from Oklahomans, but from people around the world. I'm extremely happy to be working with the Oklahoma Historical Society on the song selection."

The official rock song website, www.oklahomarocksong.org, has been accepting nominations for several months. Jennifer Towry, the Oklahoma Historical Society's Webmaster, said, "We've had 7,200 people visit the site, with visitors from all fifty states and 62 different countries worldwide. More than 1,600 people have nominated over 325 different songs."

Larry O'Dell, Director of Collections for the Research Division at the Historical Society, added that several artists have embraced the project and have included links to the rock song site on their own websites."For instance there have been nominations from Brazil for songs by B.J. Thomas (born in Hugo) after a link was placed on his personal website. We've discovered that B.J. Thomas is extremely popular in Brazil, and is an indication of the worldwide appeal of Oklahoma musicians."

The top ten nominated artists are: Leon Russell, Hoyt Axton, Hanson, The Flaming Lips, All-American Rejects, The Call, JJ Cale, Mae Boren Axton, Wanda Jackson, and the Dwight Twilley Band.

On the Oklahoma official rock song website, individuals are given the opportunity to give a justification for nominating their favorite song."We have received some very passionate explanations of why people wanted a particular song nominated," said the Oklahoma History Center Director of Exhibits, Jeff Moore.

One fan of Leon Russell explained, "Leon was our first and biggest rocker with an unequaled resume. He was the number one concert draw in the world in 1971. Home Sweet Oklahoma has to be THE song."

Hanson, The Flaming Lips, and All-American Rejects fans have nominated numerous songs. One individual stated, "Hanson definitely deserves all of their nominations. Through their generous gestures and their ten years of great music, they have made an impact on the world."

Another included,"The Flaming Lips are one of Oklahoma's most noteworthy rock bands of the past couple of decades and Do You Realize? is not only a popular song, but it also reflects our state's values - such as recognizing the beauty that surrounds us and taking the time to appreciate it."

The All-American Rejects song Move Along has been described as "an uplifting song performed by a band with serious roots in the state, and some guys who really care about this place."

Several fans of The Call agreed with the comment, "(the song Oklahoma) written by Michael Been from Oklahoma City (is) about difficulty in life shaking you to your very soul, all built on the metaphor of an Oklahoma tornado. All of the album artwork was Oklahoma related as well."

And a list of Oklahoma rock and rollers would not be complete without Wanda Jackson. "Wanda Jackson is an Oklahoma treasure who has yet to receive her due for being a pioneer for women in rock and roll. It's outrageous that she hasn't been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Let's do right by one of our own!"

The public can still nominate songs for the official Oklahoma rock song. Nominations are open at www.oklahomarocksong.org until the end of July when the panel will meet to narrow the nominations down to ten finalists. The Oklahoma Official Rock Song Advisory Panel will narrow the nominations down to a final list of ten songs. From September 1 until November 15 the public will be able to vote on which of those final ten songs will be Oklahoma's official rock song.

The Oklahoma History Center will celebrate the state's rock and roll heritage with an exhibit entitled "Another Hot Oklahoma Night," slated to open May 2, 2009.

The History Center is actively collecting stories and artifacts related to rock and roll in Oklahoma. For more information, please contact the museum staff at (405) 522-0798.

For more information about the Oklahoma History Center, call Michael Dean, Public Relations Director at (405) 522-5241 or by email at mdean@okhistory.org