Tennessee Senate passes measure for new state song
“Amazing Grace” is on its way to becoming one of Tennessee’s state songs.
On Tuesday, the Tennessee Senate voted unanimously to pass a bill making the 1779 hymn the 11th state song.
The bill, introduced by Sen. Raumesh Akbari and Rep. Mike Sparks, passed in the House on April 5.
“Amazing Grace” will join a group of Tennessee state songs that includes “Tennessee Waltz,” “Rocky Top” and “Smoky Mountain Rain.”
When the bill was first introduced, it listed the song “as sung by Dolly Parton.” It was an atypical move — previously adopted songs list their composers, not recording artists. The bill was amended last month to remove a reference to Parton.
During Tuesday’s floor session, Sen. Akbari recognized the hymn’s author, John Newton.
The last composition to be adopted as a state song was John R. Bean’s “Tennessee” in 2012.
To state the obvious, “Amazing Grace” remains a spiritual staple of American culture nearly 250 years after its creation. It was performed by Garth Brooks at the presidential inauguration on Jan. 20.