Recognizing, honoring, celebrating, and thanking George Edward "Butch" Ballard for his outstanding contribution to jazz music both in Philadelphia and nationally.

WHEREAS, George "Butch" Ballard was born on December 26, 1917 into an African-American working class family in Camden, New Jersey and started playing drums on pots and pans as a young child; and

WHEREAS, Butch has lived in the Frankford section of Philadelphia since he was a child; and

WHEREAS, Butch was driven by his passion for music and the drums to rise to the top of his profession; and

WHEREAS, Butch has played with such jazz greats as Louis Armstrong, Cootie Williams, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Sarah Vaughn, and Ella Fitzgerald; and

WHEREAS, In 2006, in recognition of his contributions to jazz music and education in Philadelphia he was awarded the prestigious Mellon Jazz Community Award; and

WHEREAS, He was also awarded the Tony Williams Scholarship Award and has been called “the Last of the Legends”; and

WHEREAS, At the age of 89, he continues to teach and play exceptional jazz music on the drums here in Philadelphia in the Philadelphia Legends of Jazz Orchestra and the Butch Ballard Trio and can been seen at Mozaic on Frankford Avenue in the Frankford section of the City and continues to be an institution in his Frankford neighborhood; now therefore

RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That it hereby recognizes, honors, celebrates, and thanks George Edward "Butch" Ballard for his outstanding contributions to jazz music both in Philadelphia and nationally.

FURTHER RESOLVED, That an Engrossed copy of this resolution be presented to George Edward Ballard as evidence of the sincere appreciation of this legislative body.

End