Fleetwood, Females, Elvis' Death Mark 1977 (continued from page 9; 11 Down" went 26 Sayer's "Endless Flight" ("You Make Me singles and albums by country artists country chart. His "Way to are listed on the current Cash Box charts. pop and number one country on the singles Feel Like Dancing," "When I Need You," "How Much Love") were the other albums Last year at this time, only six singles and charts. A live album recorded shortly be- with more than two Top 20 singles. six albums had crossed over. fore his death, "Elvis In Concert," shot to Female Soloists R&B Not Crossing the top of the country chart and made num- Female soloists boomed in 1977. On the While women and country artists were ber three on the pop chart in December. current Cash Box pop charts, female sing- becoming forces to be reckoned with in "My Way," a single off the live album, went Top 40 pop and Top 10 country. At one ers have 13 albums and 17 singles in the top pop, R&B was not crossing over as it used point last fall, Elvis had six albums in the 100s. At the same time last year, there were to. R&B singles, for example, have ex- DO BLONDES HAVE MORE FUN2 Rod Cash Box Top 50 Country Albums chart, - only eight women with albums in the top perienced a steady decline on the pop Stewart and Hugh Hefner recently spent an and just as many on the Top 200 Albums 100 and six with singles on the chart. chart. In December of 1975, they made up evening together with two friends at the pop chart. One distributor said 22 Elvis LPs Country -oriented singers have been out in 42 percent of the Cash Box Top 100 Singles Playboy Club in Los Angeles. were on his top 300 list. front of this movement, led by Linda chart currently R&B makes up only 12 - was Ronstadt. percent. The demand for Elvis albums so great immediately following his passing Martin And Chicago Ronstadt's "Simple Dreams" was the LP A number of possible explanations have most supplies were exhausted that finally dislodged "Rumours" from its been put forward to explain this trend. that stores' Win `Georgie' Awards within a week. RCA reportedly put its Indi- six month run atop the Cash Box Top 200 Some say the increasing number of R&B work 24 hours a day pres- LOS ANGELES - Steve Martin, Barbra Albums chart. Her "Greatest Hits" album stations has subtracted from the number of anapolis plant to sing nothing but Elvis albums. Streisand, Shirley MacLaine, Donny & also made the top 10, while another collec- R&B fans listening to pop stations. Others Even records about Elvis became hits. Marie Osmond and Chicago are among the tion of her earlier works, "A Retro- say there is a trend toward country and "The King Is became the most add- winners of the eighth annual "American spective," spent several weeks on the more mellow music. But for whatever Gone" ed in September. Ronnie Guild of Variety Artists (AGVA) Entertainer chart. Two singles off "Simple Dreams," reasons, R&B crossover singles were way pop single McDowell's to Elvis went high on the of the Year Awards." The 8,000 -member "Blue Bayou" and "It's So Easy," are cur- down in 1977. (See separate story.) tribute country singles and albums charts. AGVA, the largest union of entertainers, will rently numbers 2 and 13 on the Cash Box Elvis Presley present its "Georgie" statuettes to the win- Presley's death There were other untimely deaths in the Top 100 chart. The profound effect Elvis ners on a 90 -minute television variety Five female soloists had number one sin- had on the nation is evidenced by the phe- music world last year. A plane crash on Oc- special hosted by Jackie Gleason, January lives Ronnie Van Zant, gles in 1977. Mary Macgregor's "Torn Be- nomenal sales run on his records im- tober 20 took the of 18. of tween Two Lovers," Barbra Streisand's mediately following his death. Although Steve Gaines and other members the The winners are as follows: "Evergreen," Rita Coolidge's "Your Love RCA officials refuse to release his sales Lynyrd Skynyrd entourage. The band's Comedy Star Of The Year (Male) - Steve Martin; Has Lifted Me (Higher And Higher)," Debby figures, they admit that demand for "The final album, "Street Survivors," hit the Comedy Star Of The Year (Female) - Totie Fields; The Year (Male) Engelbert Humper- My Life," and King's" records has been overwhelming. charts at number 56 in November and sky- Singing Star Of - Boone's "You Light Up dinek; Singing Star Of The Year (Female) - Barbra Strei- Crystal Gayle's "Don't It Make My Brown "Elvis' sales after his untimely death have rocketed to number four by mid- sand; Song And Dance Star Of The Year - Shirley Eyes Blue" were number one for a total of been unprecedented in the annals of the Deceníber. A single off the album, "What's MacLaine; Vocal Team Of The Year- Donny & Marie Os- mond; Novelty Act Of The Year Shields & Yarnell; 17 weeks. In 1976, only two female vocalists recording industry," according to Herb Your Name," is now number 36 on the pop - Instrumental Act Of The Year Chicago; Country Star Of chart. The tragedy also rekindled interest in - had number one singles. Heiman, RCA public affairs vice president. The Year - Dolly Parton; Animal Act Of The Year - Fred, A trend of more country hits crossing No less than a dozen of Elvis' albums Lynyrd Skynyrd's previous album, "One The Bird; Rising Stars Of The Year - Shields & Yarnell. over onto the pop charts was also estab- made the Cash Box Top 200 Albums chart More From The Road," bringing it back At a later date, ABVA will reveal the iden- lished last year. Led by female soloists such in the weeks following his tragic death on onto the pop album chart. tity of their "Entertainer of the Year." Also to as Ronstadt, Gayle and Macgregor, coun- August 16. His "Moody Blue" LP jumped Other notable recording artists who be announced will be the recipient of this try crossover records almost doubled their from number 52 to 10 in a week on the pop passed away in 1977 included Bing year's "Golden Award," named by a select representation on the pop charts. 10 chart and all the way to number one on the Crosby and bandleader Guy Lombardo. committee. 20th &«ta, -7 %i(4 PJ4a9 ea. ax afttiarle 21t.«4c Iftc. &e9mam7Voeco Ç6««, Tec.

{e,c6 5i¢emak Zact eaKce zéeli4.r4 President Director of Creative Activities Manager, Catalog Exploitation

28 Cash Box/December 31, 1977

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