WHEREAS, The Ventures were the first nationally known, popular recording group to come out of Tacoma, Washington; and
     WHEREAS, The Ventures have recorded over 3000 songs and released over 250 albums, including 14 top 100 singles in the 1960s; and
     WHEREAS, Having sold over 90 million albums world-wide, with such hits as "Walk Don't Run," "Perfidia," "Lullaby of the Leaves," "Diamond Head," "2,000 Pound Bee," and a version of the Hawaii Five-O theme song, the Ventures have become the world's all-time #1 rock instrumental group; and
     WHEREAS, Don Wilson, Bob Bogle, Nokie Edwards, Gerry McGee, and Leon Taylor, son of long-time drummer Mel Taylor, are still entertaining millions around the world with their albums, tapes, CDs, and live performances; and
     WHEREAS, The Ventures are America's ambassadors of Rock and Roll to the non-English speaking world, having sold over 40 million albums in Japan alone; and
     WHEREAS, While retaining their trademark sound, the Ventures' musical stylings have adapted to shifting trends in popular music, as they experimented with blues, calypso, Latin, twist, country, pop, funk, disco, reggae, swamp, garage, TV themes, and psychedelic music; and
     WHEREAS, They were willing to experiment with wildly innovative concepts, such as combining different dance crazes in one of their few vocal songs: "The Twomp." It ain't the Twist. It ain't the Stomp. It's the Twomp!; and
     WHEREAS, Generations of guitar players have been inspired by the Ventures to twiddle with the reverb and tremolo knobs on their amplifiers; and
     WHEREAS, The Ventures even had a distinctive "Ventures model" guitar and bass built for them by Mosrite; and
     WHEREAS, The Ventures received the coveted "Lifetime Achievement Award" from Guitar Player Magazine; and
     WHEREAS, The Ventures have yet to be inducted into their rightful place in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame;
     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the Washington State Senate honor the Ventures for their many contributions to Rock and Roll and hereby proclaim that the Ventures deserve a place in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame; and
     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be immediately transmitted by the Secretary of the Senate to the members of the Ventures and to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.