
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, February 10, 1995                   TAG: 9502100121
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: B-4   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE: STAUNTON                                LENGTH: Short

SUCCESSOR IS NAMED FOR STATLERS

Virginia native Ricky Van Shelton will take up where the Statler Brothers left off at the Happy Birthday U.S.A. festival in Staunton.

This year's July Fourth celebration will be the first without the hometown Statler Brothers, who played the event for 25 years.

Shelton was scheduled in 1989 as a guest of the Statler Brothers but was unable to play because of contract difficulties.

``That's one of the reasons he accepted this'' offer, said Ray Houser, one of the founders of America's Birthday Celebration Inc., which organizes the event. ``He felt like he got a bad name around this area from that.''

Shelton is from Grit in Pittsylvania County.

He just released his eighth Columbia Records album, ``Love and Honor.''

- Associated Press

Memo: NOTE: Shorter version ran in Metro edition.

by CNB