Bill Text: NY J00605 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Mourning the death of Bobby Caldwell, music industry icon, brilliant artist, and inspiration to millions around the world

Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 42-21)

Status: (Passed) 2023-03-28 - ADOPTED [J00605 Detail]

Download: New_York-2023-J00605-Introduced.html

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Senate Resolution No. 605

BY: Senator BAILEY

        MOURNING   the  death  of  Bobby  Caldwell,  music
        industry icon, brilliant artist, and inspiration  to
        millions around the world

  WHEREAS,  It  is the sense of this Legislative Body to honor and pay
tribute to those musical geniuses whose commitment and creative  talents
have  contributed  to the entertainment and cultural enrichment of their
community and the entire State of New York; and

  WHEREAS, Bobby Caldwell, a singer-songwriter whose  sultry  R&B  hit
"What   You   Won't   Do   for   Love"  propelled  his  debut  album  to
double-platinum status in 1978 and was later covered by  more  than  100
artists  including  chart-toppers  like  Boyz II Men and Michael Bolton,
died on Tuesday, March 14, 2023, at the age of 71; and

  WHEREAS, Over his four-decade career, Bobby Caldwell swerved  freely
among  genres, exploring R&B, reggae, soft rock and smooth jazz, as well
as standards from the Great American Songbook; he recorded more  than  a
dozen albums under his own name; and

  WHEREAS,  While  his skills as an old-school crooner, not to mention
his trademark fedora, were convincing enough to land him a gig as  Frank
Sinatra  in  a  Las  Vegas  revue  called "The Rat Pack Is Back!" in the
1990s, he was best known as a silky-voiced master of blue-eyed soul; and

  WHEREAS, A highly regarded songwriter, Bobby Caldwell's  songs  were
recorded  by  Chicago,  Boz  Scaggs,  Neil Diamond and Al Jarreau, among
others; "The Next Time I Fall," which he wrote with Paul Gordon,  became
a  hit  for  Peter Cetera and Amy Grant, reaching No. 1 on the Billboard
Hot 100 in 1986; in 2020, Billboard included the song on a list  of  the
25 greatest love songs; and

  WHEREAS,  Robert  Hunter  Caldwell  was  born  on August 15, 1951 in
Manhattan, New York, and spent much of his youth in Miami; his  parents,
Bob  and  Carolyn  Caldwell,  were  entertainers  who  hosted  two early
television  variety  shows,  "42nd  Street  Review"  in  New  York   and
"Suppertime" in Pittsburgh, before moving the family to Miami; and

  WHEREAS,  By  age  17, Bobby Caldwell was writing and performing his
own material; he soon moved to Las Vegas,  where  he  performed  with  a
group  called  Katmandu and cut an album in 1971; in the early 1970s, he
got a turn in the spotlight as a rhythm guitarist  for  Little  Richard;
and

  WHEREAS,  Bobby Caldwell spent the next several years trying to make
a name for himself, playing in bars  and  recording  demos;  he  finally
found  a taste of stardom in his own right with the success of "What You
Won't Do for Love"; that success  continued  in  the  early  1980s  with
albums like "Cat in the Hat" (1980) and "Carry On" (1982); and

  WHEREAS, Bobby Caldwell continued to record and perform for decades;
in  2015,  he  notched  a comeback with his album "Cool Uncle," which he
made with the renowned R&B  producer  Jack  Splash;  the  album  crossed

generational  lines,  featuring  guest  artists  Deniece Williams, CeeLo
Green and Jessie Ware,  and  climbed  the  Billboard  contemporary  jazz
chart;  Rolling  Stone  called  the  album  "2015's  smartest retro-soul
revival"; and

  WHEREAS, Bobby Caldwell's songs and samples have contributed to more
than  $40  million  in  sales,  with artists as diverse as Tupac Shakur,
Roberta Flack, Go  West,  Vanessa  Williams  and  the  Notorious  B.I.G.
sampling  his  music;  most  recently,  his  songs  were also sampled by
hip-hop artists Lil Nas X and Chance the Rapper; and

  WHEREAS, Furthermore, he was featured on "The CBS Second Cup  Cafe,"
"The  Tonight  Show," "BET Jazz Central," and has made numerous national
and local network appearances; and

  WHEREAS, A man of colossal talent, this extraordinary man toured the
United States and the globe for 40 years, truly devoting his entire life
to song writing, recording, performing, and most of  all  making  people
happy; and

  WHEREAS,   Bobby  Caldwell's  dedication  to  his  music  leaves  an
indelible legacy of inspiration which will long endure  the  passage  of
time  and  will remain as a comforting memory to his family, friends and
countless fans; now, therefore, be it

  RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its  deliberations  to
mourn  the  death of Bobby Caldwell, and to express its deepest sympathy
to his family; and be it further

  RESOLVED, That a copy of this  Resolution,  suitably  engrossed,  be
transmitted to the family of Bobby Caldwell.