LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION honoring Mark Murphy posthumously upon the occa-
sion of his designation as recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award
by the Syracuse Area Music Awards Hall of Fame on March 3, 2016

WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to honor and recognize
those talented individuals within our midst, who have had a significant
impact on the arts and culture of our communities through their
outstanding musical entertainment; one such individual is the late Mark
Murphy, who died in October of 2015, at the age of 83; and
WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with long-
standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to honor Mark
Murphy posthumously upon the occasion of his designation as recipient of
the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Syracuse Area Music Awards Hall of
Fame to be celebrated at a Ceremony on Thursday, March 3, 2016, at the
Dinosaur Bar-B-Que in Syracuse, New York; and
WHEREAS, The Syracuse Area Music Awards were first established in
1993, to annually recognize and honor Syracuse's most prominent musi-
cians and music educators, aiming to bring these individuals to the
forefront of public attention; and
WHEREAS, Jazz vocalist Mark Murphy was born in Syracuse, New York, on
March 14, 1932; raised in Fulton, New York, he studied both voice and
theater while attending Syracuse University; and
WHEREAS, After touring Canada with a jazz trio, Mark Murphy moved to
New York City in 1954, where he worked part-time as an actor until he
ultimately signed with Decca Records; and
WHEREAS, In 1956, Mark Murphy debuted his first album, "Meet Mark
Murphy"; throughout his illustrious more than half-century musical
career, he was six-time Grammy Award nominee, and released more than 40
albums; and
WHEREAS, In 1958, Mark Murphy moved to Los Angeles, California, and
recorded music for Capitol Records; in the early 1960s, he returned to
New York City, and recorded the album "Rah!" in 1961, with Riverside
Records; the renowned album was comprised of hits such as "Angel Eyes,"
a version of Horace Silver's "Doodlin'", and "Green Dolphin Street"; and
WHEREAS, Mark Murphy's favorite recording to date, "That's How I Love
the Blues," soon followed, and in 1963, he hit the charts across the
country with his single of "Fly Me to the Moon"; in addition, he was
voted New Star of the Year in DOWN BEAT Magazine's Reader's Poll; and
WHEREAS, Mark Murphy would go on to release several more popular
songs, and by the mid-1960s, he began to realize his sizeable European
fan base, and subsequently, started recording LPs for British labels,
including Fontana and Immediate; and
WHEREAS, Mark Murphy's intimate stage presence and stellar sound also
earned him rave reviews from jazz and vocal critics, and by the time he
returned to the United States in the early 1970s, he had become a major
name in the musical industry; and
WHEREAS, With a contract from Muse in hand, Mark Murphy started
recording the first of close to two dozen albums which ranged from Jack
Kerouac tributes complete with spoken word readings to a two-volume Nat
King Cole Songbook; and
WHEREAS, In 1987, Mark Murphy recorded an album of songs by Brazilian
composer Ivan Lins, and in August of 1997, he released "Song For The
Geese," for which he received his sixth Grammy nomination; and
WHEREAS, Throughout his full and distinguished career, Mark Murphy
performed countless tour dates throughout the Unites States, occa-
sionally making stops in Central New York which included a performance
at Jazz Fest in 1998, and a performance in his home town of Fulton; and

WHEREAS, At the age of 80, the amazing Mark Murphy released his final
album, "A Beautiful Friendship: Remembering Shirley Horn"; and
WHEREAS, With deep appreciation, this Legislative Body is pleased to
have this opportunity to recognize the spellbinding talent of Mark
Murphy, mindful of his lasting legacy which will long endure the passage
of time and will remain as a comforting memory to all he served and
befriended; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
honor Mark Murphy posthumously upon the occasion of his designation as
recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Syracuse Area Music
Awards Hall of Fame; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to the family of Mark Murphy.