RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, Jay B. Ross has been a resident of the City of Chicago for over forty-six years, and has contributed to the City and its residents in countless ways by providing legal representation to many as an attorney in the field of entertainment and arts, intellectual property, rights of publicity, copyright and piracy law; and
WHEREAS, Alderman Walter Burnett Jr. has informed the Chicago City Council that he will be honoring Jay B. Ross by placing a sign at the corner of Grand Avenue and Green Street thereby dedicating a section of Grand Avenue as "Honorary Jay B. Ross Way" on December 13, 2014; and
WHEREAS, Jay B. Ross has advised some of Chicago's best artists including Muddy Waters, Willie Dixon, Gene Chandler, Marshall Thompson and the Chi-Lites, Laverne Baker, Betty Everett, James Brown, Dinah Washington, Bessie Smith, Leadbelly, Jerry Butler, Woody Guthrie, Benny Goodman, Ethel Waters, Tom Dreeson, Mahalia Jackson, Rev Billy Graham Foundation, and the Family of Elijah Muhammad; and
WHEREAS, Jay was the President and National Trustee of the Chicago Chapter of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, the organization which produces the Grammy Awards, for ten years and was instrumental in the founding of the music library at Harold Washington College. He was also influential in the popularization and proliferation of Chicago House Music abroad, having negotiated deals and contacting foreign record companies to license and eventually share this style of music, beloved to Chicago, with the rest of the world; and
WHEREAS, In order to service his clients with practical knowledge he has functioned on occasion as a personal manager, booking agent, promoter, record producer, record company executive and had his own television show and acted in movies. He has also received a Lifetime Achievement award from the Chicago Music Awards Organization; and
WHEREAS, Besides enjoying professional success, Jay has never forgotten the community from which he came. He has given back to his community in many ways, from providing pro bono legal work to many, to serving as a board member of the Variety Club Children's Charities for twenty years. His work has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for local charities, and his contributions to this city are boundless; now therefore
Be It Resolved, That we, the mayor, and the members of the Chicago City Council assembled here this tenth day of December, 2014 do hereby commemorate John G. Jones for his many lifetime contributions.
Be It Further Resolved, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Jay B. Ross.
Walter Burnett, Jr. Alderman, 27th Ward