DELEGATES SUGGEST ALTERNATIVE STATE SONGS

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: MONDAY, February 3, 1992                   TAG: 9202030133
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: A-5   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: RICHMOND                                LENGTH: Short
DELEGATES SUGGEST ALTERNATIVE STATE SONGS
Two House of Delegates members, joining the chorus against "Carry Me Back to Old Virginia," have introduced separate bills to add an alternative state song.
A House of Delegates subcommittee heard two proposed state songs Wednesday night but made no recommendation to the full General Laws Committee.
Legislation to replace or alter the state song have been proposed in several previous sessions. Some people have complained that the words "darky" and "massa" in the old song are offensive.
"Today that song does not bring the joy to a lot of Virginians that a state song should bring," said Del. John Watkins, R-Midlothian.
Watkins' proposal would leave "Carry Me Back to Old Virginia" intact but would offer "Sweet Virginia Breeze" as an alternate.
Robbin Thompson and Steve Bassett, who wrote and recorded the song, performed it for the subcommittee.
Garrett Chester of Richmond radio station WMBX-FM said he played the song and asked for listener response. He said "the phones went wild" with calls from people who liked it.
He also presented the subcommittee with petitions that he said contained thousands of signatures of people who support Watkins' proposal.
The subcommittee also heard a tape recording of "My Heart is in Virginia," by Laura Jean Spence of South Carolina, whose mother lives in Lebanon, Va. Del. Clarence Phillips, D-St. Paul, is sponsoring a bill to make that song an alternative to "Carry Me Back."

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by Bhavesh Jinadra by CNB