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2018 SESSION


SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 84
Celebrating the life of Buckner Gamby, Jr.

 

Agreed to by the Senate, February 8, 2018
Agreed to by the House of Delegates, February 16, 2018

 

 

WHEREAS, Buckner Gamby, Jr., a beloved father and husband and a virtuoso pianist and composer who was professor emeritus of music at Virginia State University, died on August 18, 2017; and

WHEREAS, Buckner Gamby was born in Cleveland, Ohio, and showed great talent for music as a child; when he was 11, he and his family moved to Boston, where he enrolled in the New England Conservatory of Music and graduated from Boston Latin School; and

WHEREAS, after serving in the United States Army in Alaska, Buckner Gamby returned to the New England Conservatory of Music, where he earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees as well as the prestigious Artist Diploma; and

WHEREAS, a Fulbright Scholar and Frank Huntington Beebe fellow, Buckner Gamby studied abroad in Vienna, Austria, and performed piano concerts in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland; and

WHEREAS, Buckner Gamby began his teaching career at Southern University in Louisiana; between 1962 and 1992, he served as associate professor of music at Virginia State University; and

WHEREAS, in addition to his long career in music education, Buckner Gamby played concerts and recitals around the globe, including in China, South Africa, Europe, and Indonesia; as a pianist, he performed with the Boston Pops Orchestra; and

WHEREAS, a man of strong faith, Buckner Gamby devoted himself to church and choir music throughout his life; he served as minister of music at Petersburg’s First Baptist Church for over 40 years and was founding director of its male chorus, and he also lent his musical and directing talents to Zion Baptist Church, the J.B. Brown Memorial Choir, and the Community Choir of the Bethany Baptist Association; and

WHEREAS, in 1992, Buckner Gamby co-founded the Petersburg Boys Choir; he later led the group during performances before governors and other dignitaries in Virginia, Maryland, and North Carolina; and

WHEREAS, following his retirement from Virginia State University in 1992, Buckner Gamby continued to serve the university as an accompanist with its concert choir; from 1999 until 2016, he taught piano and directed the concert choir at the Appomattox Regional Governor’s School; and

WHEREAS, Buckner Gamby was active in many professional societies and organizations, including the American Guild of Organists, the American College of Musicians, and the Center for Black Music Research; in 2001, he was honored with the Outstanding Alumni Award from the New England Conservatory of Music; and

WHEREAS, during his long and distinguished career, Buckner Gamby touched the lives of countless students and used his musical genius to bring joy to audiences around the world; and

WHEREAS, predeceased by his wife, Ruby, Buckner Gamby will be fondly remembered and dearly missed by his son, Alvin, and his family, and many other family members, friends, former students, and members of the Petersburg community; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, That the General Assembly hereby note with great sadness the loss of Buckner Gamby, Jr., a dedicated teacher and performer who enriched the lives of others with his musical talent; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the family of Buckner Gamby, Jr., as an expression of the General Assembly’s respect for his memory.