HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 1442
By Whitson
A RESOLUTION to honor and congratulate The Exotics upon the celebration of their sixtieth anniversary as a musical group.
WHEREAS, for sixty years, The Exotics have entertained thousands with the music of
their generation, an accolade that speaks volumes about their longevity and their contribution to
the Franklin, Nashville, and Middle Tennessee music scene; and WHEREAS, The Exotics was one of the first 60s, 70s, and "soul" music groups in
Franklin and Nashville, playing on tennis courts, patios, and driveways, and inside gymnasiums,
country clubs, the Willow Plunge in Franklin, and at events all across the country; and WHEREAS, in the 1960s, countless garage bands were formed in the United States, as teenagers with a talent for music and a desire for entertainment turned their parents' garages into practice areas and center stages; and WHEREAS, in the summer of 1964 in a garage on Franklin Road, one such band emerged out of this era; founded by Billy Adair and Glenn Crowell, "The Exotics" was a group of
sixteen- and seventeen-year-old young men with Billy Adair as the lead guitarist, Glenn Crowell as the lead singer and bass guitarist, Jeff Cook as the saxophonist, keyboardist, and vocalist,
and Loy Hardcastle as the drummer and vocalist; and WHEREAS, after their first few weeks of band sessions, the group knew they had a special chemistry; their combined contributions and vocal range were perfect for the music of
the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s; and WHEREAS, in the late 1960s, The Exotics added band members Robert Early and Steve Smartt as the horn section of the group, giving depth and volume to the music; and HJR1442
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WHEREAS, in the band's early years, they played at high school dances, outdoor driveway combos, pool parties, and college fraternity and sorority events, and throughout the years, they have played hundreds of gigs and logged thousands of miles in their green Dodge van while entertaining across the Southeast; and WHEREAS, The Exotics spotlighted as the house band for the Safari Beach Hotel in
Daytona Beach, Florida, for a few summers in the 1960s and played half-time shows at Neyland Stadium and the Sugar Bowl; and WHEREAS, over the years, band members would enter and exit, but the core band members, Billy, Glenn, Jeff, Loy, Robert, and Steve, remained the centerpiece of the band; in addition to their musical endeavors, the musicians maintained professional careers and raised families, making music their hobby; and WHEREAS, a Franklin native, Billy Adair was a broadcast music producer, winning more than 150 awards for composing and arranging advertisements, and served as Department Chair of jazz and folk music at Vanderbilt University's Blair School of Music, leading the Blair Big Band and directing The Establishment, a not-for-profit big band; he was married to the late Beegie Adair, an acclaimed jazz pianist; and WHEREAS, Glenn Crowell of Franklin is a Vietnam Veteran, serving from 1968 to 1970;
upon returning home, he taught guitar at Cotten Music in Nashville before beginning his career with the United States Postal Service, a position he retired from in 2002; he and his wife, Mary,
have four children and six grandchildren; and WHEREAS, Loy Hardcastle grew up in Franklin and graduated from Battle Ground Academy and Vanderbilt University; he worked at Opryland Theme Park, played in multiple bands, including the Louis Brown Orchestra, and worked in the automobile industry with his father before beginning his current career as a realtor; he and his wife, Linda, live in Franklin and enjoy the love of their four children and five grandchildren; and
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WHEREAS, a Columbia native, Jeffrey L. Cook graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Sewanee and enjoyed a long career in radio with Cumulus Broadcasting Company until his retirement in November 2023; he also worked with various broadcast companies and owned and managed an advertising consulting group for several years; he is the proud father of
three children and grandfather of four grandchildren; and WHEREAS, Steve Smartt began playing music in the ninth grade; he became a member of The Exotics in 1968 and was a student at the Blair School of Music beginning at pre-college level and continuing through undergraduate and graduate degrees; over the past fifty years, he has performed in several bands, played numerous studio tracks, arranged horn parts, and toured with major artists, including Delbert McClinton, Steve Cropper, Lee Roy Parnell, Rick Ferrell, and Cerrito; in addition to being a member of The Exotics, he has been a regular member in popular Nashville bands, including Soul Incision, Altered Egos, 12th Avenue South Band, Beaker Street Blues Band, and Incognito; he and his wife, Susan, are the proud parents of two children; and WHEREAS, Robert Early grew up in Nashville and played with the Boulevard Brass Quintet for twenty-five years; he is a Presbyterian minister and has served as the Associate Executive Vice Chancellor and Counselor to the Chancellor at Vanderbilt University; he enjoys the companionship of his wife, Kim, and the couple's two wonderful children; and WHEREAS, in February of 2014, the band lost their co-founder and leader, Billy Adair, to cancer; Billy will forever be the leader of The Exotics and will always be missed by his true
"band of brothers," always present in their music and The Exotics experience; and WHEREAS, after the passing of Billy Adair, musician, bandleader, teacher, and sideman Marty Crum joined the band, and he has displayed his talents on guitar, electric bass, and banjo for ten years; he is familiar with a range of genres and performance settings, and his teaching
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experience includes Morehead State University, the Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music,
Tennessee State University, Volunteer State, and Belmont University; and WHEREAS, Phil Rugh was another later addition to The Exotics; his previous ventures having included founding the Mk. III Jazz Trio, working as a musical director with Big Band Inc.
and "The Bo Thorpe Orchestra," playing keyboard for Galaxy Orchestra, serving as organ player and bandleader for The Excello Legends, and producing jingles and commercials for
H&H Productions and Fuller Records; he played on over thirty blues albums and has performed with legends such as Bob Hope, Carol Burnett, Dolly Parton, Lucille Ball, The Supremes, and The Inkspots, among others; and WHEREAS, Jeff Byrd moved from the Cincinnati area to Nashville in 1988 to play saxophone at Opryland USA, and he has continued to play in jazz and rock bands in the local area; he is excited to be playing with the famous Exotics rock and roll band; and WHEREAS, Terry Williams, a rare Nashville native, graduated from East High School and attended Peabody College in 1965; one or two years later, he met Steve Smartt, Robert Early, and Billy Adair, who asked him to join the band and arrange Blood, Sweat, and Tears and Chicago tunes for the band; while the new style was very popular with college crowds, The Exotics always kept the tunes from the 1960s that made them famous; and WHEREAS, in 1969, Terry Wayne married his sweetheart, Kathy Oliver, who has given the combo name "Kathy Wayne," a name many called her for the rest of her life; Terry played professionally on record sessions and TV shows and traveled with some of the biggest names in music—Glen Campbell, Boots Randolph, Chet Atkins, Wayne Newton, and Elvis Presley; and WHEREAS, in 2014, Terry Wayne moved to Pensacola to be near grandchildren as
Kathy Wayne was moving through Alzheimer's disease; as her battle ended in 2022, The Exotics invited Terry to rejoin the group, an invitation for which he is forever grateful; and
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WHEREAS, sixty years later, the band still plays at high school reunions and other special events; and WHEREAS, many Franklin, Nashville, and Middle Tennessee natives who came of age in the 1960s recall vivid memories of The Exotics, as the band created an endearing legacy in
the hearts of those who love their music; they have hundreds of fans that have a sincere gratitude and appreciation for the band's commitment to creating a mosaic of music and memories; and WHEREAS, it is fitting that this General Assembly pause to acknowledge the six decades of entertainment and memories that The Exotics delivered through their music; now,
therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED
THIRTEENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE, THE SENATE
CONCURRING, that we honor and congratulate The Exotics upon the celebration of their sixtieth anniversary as a musical group and wish them continued success with every future endeavor.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that an appropriate copy of this resolution be prepared for presentation with this final clause omitted from such copy and upon proper request made to
the appropriate clerk, the language appearing immediately following the State seal appear without House or Senate designation.
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