Play Meter

Volume 3/ No. 20
October 10, 1977
''Lucille'' sweeps ciB Awards
For the first time in the 28-year
history of the JB (jukebox) Awards,
one recording artist has walked off
with three honors.
Kenny Rogers , for his hit single
"Lucille ," which is on the United
Artists' label , won the JB Awards for
record of the year, top country
record of the year, and artist of the
year. The announcement was made
recently by Fred Granger, executive
vice president of the A.M.O .A.
The A.M .O .A., which will make
the awards presentation at its annual
convention in Chicago later this
month , each year asks its members
to nominate the five records which
made the most money for them in
their jukeboxes. This year there were
sixteen candidates selected by the
awards committee , but the final
balloting was done bv the member-
ship of the A .M.U .A . In addition ,
each member was asked to nominate
his choice ot artist ot the year .
The five categories for this year's
awards were top pop record , top soul
record , top country record , top
recording artist of the year, and
record of the year. The record of the
year goes to the record which
A.M .O.A. members vote for as
having made the most money in their
jukeboxes.
Recent record of the year awards
have gone to Freddy Fender for
"Wasted Days and Wasted Nights''
(1976), Freddy Fender for "Before
the Next Teardrop Falls" (1975) , and
Charlie Rich for "The Most Beautiful
Girl in the World" (1974) .
The winner of this year's top soul
record of the year went to "Car
Wash" by Rose Royce of Warner
Brothers . The top pop record of the
year was Glen Campbell's "Southern
Nights" which is on the Capitol
Records' label .
Aiso , a special posthumous award
was given to Elvis Presley for his
contribution to the jukebox industry.
Said Fred Granger of this award : "It
was a special award that will probably
never be given again to any other
performer ."
The other leading candidates for
this year's JB awards are as follows:
J immy Buffett , "Margaritaville"; Leo
Sayer, "You Make Me Feel Like
Dancing";
Fleetwood
Mac ,
"Dreams" ; Engelbert Humperdinck,
"After the Lovin"'; Waylon Jennings,
"Luckenbach, Texas" ; Rod Stewart,
'Tonight's the Night"; Eagles, "Hotel
California"; Barbra Streisand , "Ever-
green"; K.C . and the Sunshine
Band , "I'm Your Boogie Man";
Waylon Jennings and Wiilie Nelson ,
"Goodhearted Woman";
Stevie
Wonder, "Sir Duke"; Marvin Gaye ,
"Got to Give it Up"; Stevie Wonder,
"I Wish ."
Bally appoints
field engineer
Darrell J . Blendowski, tormer
products engineering manager for
Electra Games, Inc ., has joined
Bally's marketing department as
marketing field service engineer .
He will be on the road , teaching
service schools on Bally's new
electronic
pinball
games- Eve!
Knievel and Eight Ball .
Blendowski's background in elec-
tronic production testing , electronic
video game design , and teaching
many electronic service schools, said
a Bally spokesman , will be a valuable
asset to Bally's marketing field service
organization .
The newly -elected officers of the Georgia Amusement and Music
Operators Association (G,A.M.O.A.) are as follows (from left, bottom
row) Frank Cannon Jr., president; and L. Lee Martin , secretary ; (from
left, top row) John Martin , treasurer; and James Crews , vice president.
The Georgia association formed in August of this year.