RECORD WORLD um map COUNTRY Country Artists Contribute to Charity Williams Exits CBS WSM DJ Confab Set NASHVILLE WSM's 49th By DON CUSIC NASHVILLE-Bill Williams has - resigned his post in national sales Grand Ole Opry Birthday Cele- NASHVILLE - Country music The Tuesday and Wednesday and promotion for Epic and bration and Disc Jockey Conven- artists rallied to support the Mus- preceding the Labor Day week- Custom labels for country pro- tion has been set to convene here cular Dystrophy Telethon held end, 143 people from Nashville duct. October 16 to 20. This will be the Labor Day weekend, giving freely flew to Oklahoma City via charter Williams received several Opry's first birthday celebration of their time and talent in order plane to participate in the second awards for his promotion work in its eight month old Grand Ole House at to raise money to find a cure annual Conway Twitty Celebrities with the CBS Records group and Opry Opryland USA. for the crippling disease. Softball Game and Concert for has been acknowledged by The convention will begin Oc- Charlie Rich tober 16 with the Early Bird Blue Nashville Totals for the benefit of Muscular Dys- for having played a trophy. $30,000 was raised from major part in the artist's recent Grass Concert, and will be cli- In Nashville, approximately a the two day event. phenomenal success story. maxed by a cake -cutting cere- quarter of a million dollars was mony on stage at the Saturday Artists raised from the event. Sponsored who participated in the Will Announce Plans night Grand Ole Opry show. Oklahoma by WLAC Television, Jerry Reed City event included According to Williams he will In order to attend all official was the host. Other artists who Conway Twitty, Loretta Lynn, Mel announce his future plans within Opry anniversary events one must Tillis, Nat Stuckey, Johnny appeared included Tommy Cash, Russell, the next several weeks. (Continued on page 58) Charlie McCoy, Mel Tillis, Jim Karen Wheeler, Anthony Arm- Kearce, Larry Gatlin, Sandy Ruck- strong Jones, Dickey Lee, Mike er, Joyce Cobb, Minnie Pearl and Twitty, Tommy Overstreet, Ray Dolly Parton. Griff, Linda Plowman, Pat Roberts, Conn)/ Van Dyke, Linda Loren, NASHVILLE REP ART Norma Jean, Sue Richards, Jeanne Pruett, Wanda Jackson, Mickey By RED O'DONNELL Johnny Cash's Son Gilley, Jerry Clower, Cal Smith, Johnny Cash's best friends are urging him to Johnny Kay, T. Tommy, Jack take it easy. Consensus is that he's working too Is Hospitalized Greene, Jeannie Seeley, Hank hard; almost thin as some of the rails he sings NASHVILLE-John Carter Cash, Cochran, Dale Robertson, Sherry about . Jerry Reed's newest album is titled 4, son of entertainer Johnny Bryce, Bill Galvin, Jim Mundy, "Lord, Mr. Ford," after hit single of same name ... Cash and wife June Carter was Kay Golden, Jim Owen, Carol Jerry wants that Jerry in the White House (Wash- hospitalized from injuries he re- Cooper and Cathy Twitty. ington, D.C.) to know that it has nothing to do ceived in a Labor Day accident KEBC-FM Radio lent immense with him or his administration. near the country star's home. support and help to the Twitty- New Yorkers Originally placed in the intensive sponsored benefit. Lou Manley, get opportunity to see and hear care unit at Nashville's Vander- from Twitty office, took the mam- Diamond Dolly Parton for first time in concert Hospital, young bilt Cash's condi- moth task of coordinating the (per se) when she appears Saturday night, Sept. 14 with Bobby Bare tion was as listed "stable and many functions. and Ronnie Milsap at Felt Forum of Madison Square Garden ... First improving" as RW went to press. of series of monthly country music shows promoted by Al Aronowitz Accident Victim in association with the Garden. Pictorial highlights of the Conway Kenny Price lost The accident occurred when Twitty softball game on page 54. his pants literally during performance at local the jeep he was riding in over- nitery. Kenny, on a diet, was singing when his trousers dropped to his turned, pinning the youngster ankles. He got a big laugh-but didn't miss a note. "I'm not about underneath. Driving the jeep was Concert Express to incorporate it in my act," said Kenny blushing. Cash's sister, Reba Hancock who, Kris Kristofferson and wife Rita Coolidge spent a week at Chip according to reports, lost con- Renews Haggard Tie Young's Young'un Studio in Murfreesboro (about 30 miles from Nash- trol of the jeep after it hit a mud LOS ANGELES Bob Eubanks, - ville) cutting an album for Monument. The package includes a Cajun puddle. The accident occured in president of Concert Express, has the driveway song. of country singer announced that his company has Bob Luman as they With the Kristoffersons was their were return- reached an agreement with 5-month-old-cutie pie daughter ing from an outing near Old Charles "Fuzzy" Owen, president Casey. "She cut her first tooth while here," said Kris, who refers to Hickery Lake in Hendersonville, a of Merle Haggard Enterprises, to wife Rita as "the singer in the family" ... Kristofferson's next movie suburb of Nashville. purchase all of Merle Haggard's will be a musical remake of "A Star is Born," starring Barbra Streisand. Cash suffered a skull fracture concerts for 1975, thus continuing "It'll be for Warner Bros. and my band is going to be in it, too," and concussion while Hancock an arrangement which was begun he explained. (Continued on page 58) in 1974. (Continued on page 58) COUNTRY PICKS OF THE WEEK JOHN DENVER, "BACK HOME AGAIN" JAMIE KAYE, "HE'S A HARD HABIT TO W "SINGIN' IN THE KITCHEN," (Cherry Lane, ASCAP). The BREAK" (Music City, ASCAP). D BOBBY BARE AND THE FAMILY. o countrypolitan CL z sound via Colo- IL Once you hear this number, m Well, Bare has done it again- rado should fit perfectly into W it'll be a hard habit to break. stuck his neck out where nobody programmers slots. Denver This gal puts the message < else would dare put theirs and sings a sweet melody to his across that, although leaving's come up with a winner! It's dif- babe back on the ranch, say- on her mind, the habit of love ferent, it's innovative, it's happy ing how glad he is to be back is a hard one to snap out of. and it's good! Great cuts on on the homefront after com- Nice beat will keep your ears "Lovin' You Anyway," "The Giv- ing off the road. The tracks on the speakers till it's over. ing Tree," and "She Thinks I have a great, open feel and The message comes across Can." You'll do yourself an in- the poetry flows. This one loud and clear, and so does justice if you don't listen. RCA can't miss. RCA PB -10065. this gal's voice. Mercury APL 1-0700. 73490. RECORD WORLD SEPTEMBER 14, 7974 53 www.americanradiohistory.com.