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On Eve of Bodock Festival, Cochran Pays Tribute to Pontotoc Native Jim Weatherly

August 5, 2010

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) today paid tribute to Pontotoc native Jim Weatherly, the Ole Miss football star and award-winning songwriter who will be honored this weekend as part of the 2010 Bodock Festival in Pontotoc County.

Cochran honored Weatherly in a statement entered into the Congressional Record, recounting his contributions to Mississippi and accomplishments as an athlete and professional musician.

The annual Bodock Festival starts Friday on the courthouse grounds in Pontotoc, Miss.

The following is the text of Cochran's Congressional Record statement:

A STATEMENT HONORING JIM WEATHERLY

Mr. COCHRAN. Mr. President, I am pleased to commend Jim Weatherly of Pontotoc, Mississippi, for his contribution to American music through prolific song writing and the attention that he has brought to the many talented artists in my home state of Mississippi.

This weekend, Pontotoc County will celebrate Jim Weatherly's accomplishments at its annual Bodock Festival.  Governor Haley Barbour has designated a "Jim Weatherly Day" as part of the festival.  I believe this is a fitting tribute to a man who is a source of pride for many in Mississippi.

Jim Weatherly has not only excelled in the arts; he has also excelled both academically and athletically. While I was a law school student at the University of Mississippi, Weatherly was a member of the Ole Miss football team.

As quarterback, Weatherly led the Ole Miss Rebels to an unbeaten and untied season, resulting in a national championship in 1962 and Southeastern Conference Championships in 1962 and 1963. As a star quarterback at my alma mater, Weatherly earned three letters and was honored as a member of the All Southeastern Conference team in 1964.

Jim Weatherly first started writing songs around the age of 12. He moved to Los Angeles, California, in 1966 to pursue a career in the music industry. Weatherly has written pop, R&B, country, gospel and jazz songs, some of which have become classics.

Weatherly has authored numerous hits for artists such as Gladys Knight and the Pips, Dean Martin, Kenny Rogers, Reba McIntire, Kenny Chesney, Hall & Oates and The Temptations. Some of his well-known hits include "Midnight Train to Georgia,"

"Love Finds Its Own Way" and "Where Peaceful Waters Flow." He was nominated for a Grammy in the R&B Songwriter of the Year category and helped win numerous Grammys and awards for other artists. He has released seven albums, including a Christmas album that he wrote and recorded.

The American Society of Publishers, Authors, and Composers named Weatherly Country Songwriter of the Year in 1974. Weatherly is also a member of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Mississippi Musicians Hall of Fame.

Weatherly's "Midnight Train to Georgia" was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999. In 2001, The National Endowment for the Arts and the Recording Industry

Association of America ranked this song 28th among 365 Songs of the Century.

Since moving back to the Southeast, Weatherly has continued to write, publish and record songs. Weatherly recently co-wrote an album with Vince Gill that sold over five million copies, and he continues to have number one country hits on the charts.

I congratulate Mr. Weatherly on being honored by his hometown of Pontotoc, Mississippi, and on his long, illustrious career. I wish him the best in his future endeavours.