Barbara Mandrell and Frankie Avalon have videotaped a musical-variety TV special to be syndicated in March and April as a preview to the 1988 season of the Opryland USA theme park in Nashville.
The production, ”Opryland Celebrates 200 Years of America`s Music,”
also features country stars Randy Travis, Charley Pride, Minnie Pearl and others of the Grand Ole Opry. Also in the cast: comedian Arte Johnson, gospel singer Bobby Jones and his New Life Singers, the United States Marine Drum and Bugle Corps and the Tennessee State University Marching Band.
”We`re famous for our country music at Opryland USA, but our nickname is `the Home of American Music,` ” noted E.W. Wendell, president of Opryland USA Inc.
”We`re out to prove that with this special.”
Sites include the Opryland park, the Gen. Jackson showboat, the Grand Ole Opry House, the Opryland Hotel and the historic Ryman Auditorium in downtown Nashville, home of the Grand Ole Opry from 1943 to 1974.
On the Record: In recent weeks Randy Travis` two nationally distributed LPs, ”Storms of Life” and ”Always and Forever,” were both in the Top 10 of Billboard magazine`s country album chart, even though ”Storms of Life” had been out 15 months by then. . . . K.T. Oslin`s new single, ”Do Ya,” was written by Oslin, as was her previous hit, ” `80s Ladies.” . . . Song Title of the Week: ”There`s Nothing Left for Me to Take for Granted,” by J. Anderson and L. Delmore.
Naomi and Wynonna Judd plan to donate a week at Thanksgiving to U.S. armed services personnel. The award-winning mother-daughter duo will perform of Guantanamo Naval Base, in Cuba, and Palmerola Air Base, in Honduras.
On the Road: Speaking of the Judds, they and Randy Travis recently broke an all-time attendance record at the Indiana State Fair, drawing 17,249 fans. The demand for tickets was such that fair officials rented additional bleachers for the show. . . . Exile is touring with Kenny Rogers. After a five-night, sold-out stint at the Valley Forge Music Fair in Philadelphia, the group was booked for a three-day stand at the Front Row Theatre in Cleveland and six days at the Westbury (N.Y.) Music Fair. Exile will rejoin Rogers at the Riverside Theatre in Milwaukee, Nov. 11-12; the Fox Theatre in St. Louis, Nov. 13-15; and the Fox Theatre in Atlanta, Dec. 8-13.
Judy Rodman`s band, the Rhythm Section, has attracted lead guitarist Barry (Byrd) Burton, formerly of the Amazing Rhythm Aces, and keyboardist Mike Davis, who has toured with Vince Gill. Rodman opened for George Strait at the Iowa State Fair and has scheduled shots with Eddie Rabbitt, Michael Martin Murphey and Ronnie Milsap.
Et Cetera: Charlie Daniels` Volunteer Jam XIII, which played to a record- breaking crowd at Nashville`s Starwood Amphitheatre, reached an estimated 100 million people as part of Jerry Lewis` ”Labor Day Telethon” for the Muscular Dystrophy Association.
Rosie Flores, whose first Warner Bros./Reprise Records LP, ”Rosie Flores,” has just been released, has a musical background about as diverse as any you will find. Born in San Antonio, she shows the influence of Tex-Mex and a large dose of other sounds, including Tammy Wynette, Buck Owens, Elvis Presley and Creedence Clearwater Revival. When Flores was 12, her family moved to San Diego, where she was introduced to surf, punk and California pop. She worked in an all-girl, psychedelic, country-rock band and a folk duo, then as the female rock star in front of an all-male backup group and finally in the all-female Screamin` Sirens.
