THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, November 13, 1995 TAG: 9511130049
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: By MAC DANIEL, STAFF WRITER
Thomas M. Williams Jr.
Williams, who used to make music with the stars, is shown at age 13
with Ferlin Husky
DATELINE: SUFFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 66 lines
For the next few days, Suffolk will become the temporary center of the country music universe.
But Charley Pride won't be crooning, Jimmy Dean won't hawk sausage, and neither Billie Joe Spear nor country music legend Ferlin Husky are expected to sing songs of love lost.
They'll be testifying.
All are scheduled to take the stand as character witnesses for Thomas M. Williams Jr., a veteran fiddler and 23-year ``Hee-Haw'' musician, in a civil trial that begins today.
Williams is suing both the state and local Republican parties after scaffolding and other equipment fell on him at a Suffolk rally for U.S. Senate candidate Oliver North in 1992.
A large American flag attached to the scaffolding acted as a large sail during the windy rally, causing the equipment to tumble atop Williams as he waited to perform.
As a result of injuries sustained at the event and several operations, Williams says he no longer can play the fiddle.
Williams is seeking $20 million. The trial, scheduled to last at least three days, begins at 9:30 a.m. with jury selection.
The country music stars are coming to testify for and about Williams, who has played on the movie soundtracks for ``Coal Miner's Daughter,'' ``Play Misty For Me'' and ``Take This Job And Shove It.''
The stars ``were all familiar with his playing before and after,'' said Gary R. Hershner, one of Williams' attorneys.
``He was going strong. He was a healthy man. He played baseball and the fiddle. And he can't do anything anymore.''
Lawyers for the Republican parties plan to dispute the reasons for Williams' operations.
``Obviously, we'll also dispute that whatever happened in Suffolk was the sole proximate cause of his injuries,'' said Jesse J. Johnson Jr., attorney for the Republican Party of Suffolk.
Williams' suit claims that injuries forced him to use a cane, which caused him to have shoulder surgery which, in turn, numbed his fingers, his attorneys said.
And after three operations to fuse his cervical spine, the 57-year-old Williams is now impotent and uses a catheter, attorneys said.
Defendants in the original lawsuit, filed in 1994, included every Republican entity involved in the 1992 rally - the Republican Party of Virginia, the Republican Party of the 4th Congressional District, the Republican Party of Suffolk and that year's campaign: Victory '92.
The Republican Party of the 4th Congressional District and a Suffolk trucking firm have since been dropped from the list of defendants.
And after some intra-party squabbling over which arm of the Republican Party should defend the case and which should be excused, all GOP factions are now expecting to cooperate.
``At this point,'' said Johnson, ``we're in this thing together.'' by CNB