--- title: HR 602. Yi, Hyong Kun "Sam"; trailblazing and extraordinary contributions to Georgia's jazz community; commend collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hr602 cite_as: HR 602, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr602 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr602.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr602/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/71371 date: 2025-03-13 status: passed corpus_version: bills-2026-08-28 license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice. up: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026.md previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr601.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr603.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 131 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr602.md?full=1 bill_number: HR 602 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: resolution status_date: 2025-03-13 last_action: House Read and Adopted sponsors: - Omari Crawford - Long Tran - Michelle Au - Samuel Park - Soo Hong text_version: Introduced has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HR602/2025 upstream_id: 2006949 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - jazz music - Atlanta history - legislative commendation - Georgia House resolution --- # HR 602. Yi, Hyong Kun "Sam"; trailblazing and extraordinary contributions to Georgia's jazz community; commend ## Text 25 LC 112 3358 House Resolution 602 By: Representatives Crawford of the 89th, Tran of the 80th, Au of the 50th, Park of the 107th, and Hong of the 103rd A RESOLUTION Commending Hyong Kun "Sam" Yi (hereinafter "Sam Yi") for his tr ailblazing and1 extraordinary contributions to Georgia's jazz community; and for other purposes.2 WHEREAS, Sam Yi was a renowned patron, aficionado, and guiding light of jazz music in3 Atlanta, having co-founded the celebrated former Atlanta jazz club Churchill Grounds in the4 historic Fox Theatre building in Midtown; and5 WHEREAS, Sam Yi was born on May 25, 1963, in Seoul, South Korea, the son of the late6 Sang Hu Yi and Sang Son Yi, and he immigrated to the United States as an 11-year-old with7 his parents, eventually settling permanently in the State of Georgia in 1987; and8 WHEREAS, he was the beloved husband of Ok Hyun "Nina" Yi (née P ark), who always9 supported his vision and dreams; and10 WHEREAS, Churchill Grounds, which Sam Yi opened on May 1, 1997, became a Mecca11 for jazz musicians through his steadfast promotion, helping art ists maintain a sense of12 belonging and providing listeners with a venue to hear the latest talent, nurturing improvised13 music by giving novices and professionals alike a place to hone their craft before enthusiastic14 audiences; and15 H. R. 602 - 1 - 25 LC 112 3358 WHEREAS, in 2003, he expanded Churchill Grounds to include The Whisper Room stage,16 where high-profile musicians such as Wynton Marsalis, Harry Con nick Jr., the Harper17 Family (Danny, Terry, Terrence, Philip, Darius, and the late Dishan Harper), and Lady Gaga18 performed, while also giving then-unknown artists their first break, including Russell Gunn,19 Lizz Wright, Gary Motley, Bernard Linnette, and David Sánchez; and20 WHEREAS, Churchill Grounds officially closed on July 31, 2016, an occasion marked by21 a proclamation from the City of Atlanta designating the day as Churchill Grounds Café Day;22 and23 WHEREAS, over the past decade, Sam Yi worked toward providing audiences with a new24 destination for jazz by organizing jam sessions and pop-up performances at Mason Tavern,25 Apple House, and his own restaurant, Brew & Bird, in Decatur as well as most recently26 partnering with the club Ten ATL in East Atlanta with hopes of opening a new Churchill27 Grounds; and28 WHEREAS, he was the curator and face of an incubator for Atlanta's jazz talent as well as29 the reason that jazz is alive in the city to this day; and30 WHEREAS, Sam Yi unfortunately passed away after an illness and joined the ancestors on31 February 3, 2025; he is survived by his mother, Sang Son Yi; his sister, Lily Yi Giffin; his32 wife, Nina Yi; and his nieces and nephews; and33 WHEREAS, it is abundantly fitting and proper that the extraordi nary accomplishments of34 this distinguished Georgian and pillar of the jazz community be appropriately recognized.35 H. R. 602 - 2 - 25 LC 112 3358 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that36 the members of this body commend Hyong Kun "Sam" Yi posthumousl y for his many37 achievements and express the deepest and most sincere regret at his passing.38 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is authorized39 and directed to make an appropriate copy of this resolution available for distribution to the40 family of Hyong Kun "Sam" Yi.41 H. R. 602 - 3 - ## Summaries written by Georgia Commons The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the resolution. Quote the text, not the summary. A Georgia House resolution commends the late Hyong Kun "Sam" Yi, co-founder of the Atlanta jazz club Churchill Grounds, for his contributions to the state's jazz community. ### Plain-language summary This resolution is a ceremonial tribute from the Georgia House of Representatives honoring Hyong Kun "Sam" Yi, who died on February 3, 2025. Yi immigrated to the United States from South Korea as a child and settled in Georgia in 1987. He co-founded Churchill Grounds, an Atlanta jazz club in the historic Fox Theatre building, which opened in 1997 and became a well known venue for both famous and up-and-coming jazz musicians until it closed in 2016. The resolution recounts his career, including his later efforts to organize jazz performances at other venues around Atlanta after Churchill Grounds closed. It formally commends him posthumously for his achievements and directs the Clerk of the House to send a copy of the resolution to his family. It does not change any Georgia law. ### What it does - Formally commends Hyong Kun "Sam" Yi posthumously for his contributions to Georgia's jazz scene, without changing any law. - Directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to prepare a copy of the resolution for distribution to Yi's family. - Recites biographical details and career history as the House's official statement of recognition. ### Who it affects This resolution mainly affects Hyong Kun "Sam" Yi's surviving family, including his mother, sister, wife, and nieces and nephews, who receive the House's formal commendation. It has no regulatory effect on the public. ### Why it matters The resolution carries no legal or regulatory effect; it does not create rules, spend money, or change Georgia law. Its significance is symbolic, providing an official, public record of the legislature's recognition of Yi's role in Atlanta's jazz community. ### Key provisions - The resolution's whereas clauses detail Yi's biography, his co-founding of Churchill Grounds in 1997, and its expansion in 2003 to include The Whisper Room stage. - The resolved clause commends Yi posthumously for his achievements and expresses regret at his passing. - A further resolved clause directs the Clerk of the House to make a copy available for distribution to Yi's family. ## Status - Status: Passed (2025-03-13) - Last action: House Read and Adopted (2025-03-13) - Sponsors: Omari Crawford, Long Tran, Michelle Au, Samuel Park, Soo Hong - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/71371 > The history, votes, and amendments (131 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr602.md?full=1