Page 58 REM/Friday. May 18. 1980 ("1 Biff Collie television network debut tonight (5-16) on a Bavarian network show, "Country Music." The show reaches Inside Nashville I nearly 30 million viewers . Luciano Pavarotti and Loretta Lynn's duet for ABC-TV's "Omnibus" should be seen next month . The fourth annual Radio Re- union Show is set for Westfair, Council Bluffs, IA, August 31, with this year's headliners to include Merle HEADLINES: "Ballad Of The Green Berets" leading the nominees with six. Some markets will Travis, Jimmy Driftwood, Patsy Montana, and Bob soldier Barry Sadler was sentenced to 4-5 years in carry the syndicated special live, others on a tape- Everhart. Nadine Dreager, Director, invites inquiries prison after pleading guilty to voluntary manslaughter delayed basis These awards are voted on by the fans, to write her at Radio Reunion Show, 8 Gayland Dr., charges in the December 1978 shooting death of song- the only such arrangement that I know of. (We'll see Council Bluffs, IA 51501, (712) 366-1983 . The IFCO writer Lee Emerson Bellamy. Sadler, the former para- if the fans have a bloc-vote.) Show at Fan Fair this year will be hosted by KFDI/ trooper best-known for his 1966 million-seller book SCRAP-PAPER COPY: Wichita's Jerry Adams and Bob May of ICSSS/Colo- about the Green Berets in Vietnam, said he pleaded Waylon, Tammy, Don rado Springs . Pierre Cossette Productions will do guilty to the charges, reduced from second-degree Williams, Eddie Babbitt, "The 200th Anniversary of Nashville," a two-hour murder, "in order to expedite things and to avoid the the Oak Ridge Boys, Lacy spectacular which, they say, will feature "every liv- embarrassment of a trial." . Elvis Presley's J. Dalton, and Asleep At ing performer who has appeared at the Grand Ole grandmother Millie Mae Presley died at the age of The Wheel headline a giant Opry, in conjunction with the Nashville bicentennial 91 in Memphis and is bur- show at Giants Stadium celebration and the State of Tennessee. Show will be ied beside Elvis and his in East Rutherford, NJ filmed September 14-19 . WSLR/Akron's Jay mom and dad . Con- on June 1 . No, Waylon Drennan is the first air personality selected in way Twitty has filed a and Jessi are not splitting. WSM's "Deejay of the Month" contest ... Buck $1.9 million lawsuit against They've been planning MCA Records, his label Owens shaved off his beard . Ed Bruce recorded a the May 19 birthday (#1) series of 60-second radio spots for Goodyear and for the past 15 years. of Waylon Albright Jen- Stroh's Beer . According to Twitty's nings, in whom they CLOSING THEME: In the early 1950's, the name attorney, L.K. Smith, he have a proprietary inter- Waylon Jennings is seeking compensatory Tom Brennen was a household word in Southern est. Waylon's first album release of the year, "Music California radio and TV. As a daily airman on the old damages over $900,000 Man," will feature the theme from the "Dukes Of and punitive damages of KXLA/Pasadena (now KRIA), Tom was repeatedly Hazzard" CBS-TV series. Did you know that Waylon named among the Top Ten "Hillbilly" disc jockeys in $1 million because of a sponsors a stock car, complete with Waylon logo, for financial audit done by America. He was a pioneer local TV commercial driver Gary Baker. The car will be making runs in man, often bicycling from one television studio to Twitty's accountant last Conway Twitty selected NASCAR races this year . Kenny Rogers another, day and night, to deliver live commercials year . Lotta talk about the Johnny Cash "First 25 will in fact not be performing at the Jimmie Rodgers Years" special here. Dottie West presented Cash for everything from cars to desert real estate. Tom Memorial Festival in Meridian, MS, as reported here. Brennen was one of the greatest natural wits I have with a tribute from BMI; Chet Atkins gave him a Kenny Price and Kenny Dale will be there along with ever known. Those who heard him on the radio or plaque from the Musicians' Union; Kris Kristofferson names like Merle Haggard, Moe Bandy, T.G. Shep- gave him a special award from the CMA . Charlie knew him personally will readily agree. In 1963, Tom pard, Freddie Hart and Dave Dudley. The week-long Daniels, a guest on the Cheryl Ladd special Monday and Joe Nixon joined Dick Schoifield (then manager festival is being held May 24-31, and WOKK/Meridian of KFOX/Redondo Beach) in building KVRE/Santa (19th), sings his new patriotic song In America." He will broadcast all the activities during the week . Rosa, CA. Tom and Joe left Los Angeles, moved to got a standing ovation with his first performance of By the way. T.G. Sheppard's "I'll Be Coming Back Northern California, and operated the station until the song on the ACM awards show in Los Angeles For More" will be heard on a CBS movies of the week, Tom and wife Arlene moved back to Los Angeles and . Mel Tillis booked on "Tim Conway Show" Satur- "Where The Ladies Go" . The Bellamy Brothers day (5-17). apartment complex management in the mid-60's. (Howard & David) just signed a commercial contract Tom Brennen died recently of cardiac arrest at the "L.A. AWARDS NASHVILLE AREA RECORD with Miller Brewing Co. For the next year and a half age of 63. Those friends of Tom I know will want to FIRMS:" That's the headline in a Nashville paper re- they will be featured on the national TV spots for drop a note to Arlene Brennen at 320 N. Jackson, Apt. garding the bloc voting which reportedly was a fac- Miller Beer . RCA's Sylvia makes her European 119, Burbank, CA. He was special. tor in CBS Records sweeping the performing awards on the NBC-TV special. CBS's Rick Blackburn was quoted as saying, "We all bloc-vote. It's just like any other business matter." Capitol/UA VP Lynn Shults said: "They need to do some validating if they want to maintain the Academy's integrity." Joe Petrone, Los Angeles VP.OF EMIA/UA, quoted current Acad- emy of Country Music Chairman Vince Cosgrave as saying: "Well, I warned everybody. If you guys don't want to sign up your people, you're not going to win. If you don't have members, you don't have the votes." Petrone called it "blackmail for a membership drive." The most obvious question in industry people's minds is why the Academy doesn't give an accounting of the number of members the Academy has in good standing. RCA's Joe Galante, after calling the controversy surrounding bloc voting in the Academy of Country Music award show a "circus," was quoted as saying his division is withdrawing from the organization. "There's no way we can encourage this mess that has arisen." Galante said. Warner Bros.' Stan Byrd, head of the Nashville office, said he is not renewing his individual membership because of the contro- versy. "A TRIBUTE TO CHET ATKINS," taped Wed- nesday night at the Opry House, had stars like Roy Acuff, Foster Brooks, Charlie Daniels, Danny Davis, Jimmy Dean, Don Gibson, Tom T. Hall, Brenda Lee, Roger Miller, George Lindsey, Minnie Pearl, Boots Randolph, Dale Robertson, Porter Wagoner and Jim Stafford. General public tickets for the taping were $5, the invited guests to the show and post- party were $100 a head, with proceeds going to the American Cancer Society. Broadcast date of the spe- cial has not been announced. MUSIC CITY NEWS Awards Show (one more!) • set for June 9 taping, will be hosted by Lynn Ander- "GAIL DAVIES MEETS THE PRESS" — Thanks to Warner Country Publicity lady Bonnie Rasmussen for the line son, Ray Stevens, and the Statler Bros. Awards will and the photo. The shot was taken during a recent promotional trip to Cincinnati. be presented in 15 categories, with Marty Robbins .