THE INTERNATIONAL FESTIVALS OF COUNTRY MUSIC WEMBLEY ARENA

Photograph © Doug McKenzie/Country Music People

Mervyn Conn, Tammy Wynette and Tony Byworth at the Country Music Association (GB) Awards Dinner in 1976. Tony, former editor of the magazine Country Music People, was Chairman of the CMA (GB) at the time and Tammy was their dinner guest.

1969 (April 5th)

Bill Anderson & The Po Boys, Phil Brady & The Ranchers, Wes Buchanan, Larry Cunningham & The Mighty Avons, George Hamilton IV, The Hillsiders, Jan Howard, Loretta Lynn Show, Merrill Moore, Orange Blossom Sound, John Wesley Ryles, Conway Twitty & The Lonely Blue Boys, Charlie Walker. David Allan, Murray Kash and Stephen West shared the master of ceremonies.

1970 (March 28th)

Roy Acuff, Lynn Anderson, Country Fever, Skeeter Davis, Roy Drusky & The Loners, Don Gibson, Tompall & The Glaser Brothers, George Hamilton IV, The Hillsiders, David Houston & The Persuaders, The Loretta Lynn Show, Orange Blossom Sound, Bashful Brother Oswald (part of Roy Acuff's Show) Willard Pearce, Peggy Sue (part of Loretta Lynn's Show), Tex Ritter, Charlie Walker, Doyle Wilburn (part of Loretta Lynn's Show) with MC's Murray Kash, Pat Campbell & Wally Whyton.

1971 (April 10 & 11)

Roy Acuff & The Smokey Mountain Boys, Tommy Cash, Brian Coll, Lee Conway, Larry Cunningham, Tompall & The Glaser Brothers, John Hartford, George Hamilton IV & The Numbers, Waylon Jennings (with Jessi Colter), Merle Kilgore, Ray Lynam & The Hillbillies, The Loretta Lynn Show, Patsy Powell & The Honky Tonk Playboys, Hank Snow & The Rainbow Ranch Boys, Hank Williams Jr. & The Drifting Cowboys and The Jonny Young Four. George Hamilton IV was MC with Murray Kash.

Conway Twitty © mca

1972 (April 1st & 2nd)

Bill Anderson & The Po Boys, Country Fever, Larry Cunningham, Tom T. Hall & The Storytellers, George Hamilton IV & The Numbers, Loretta Lynn & The Coal Miners, John D. Loudermilk, Ray Lynam & The Hillbillies, Margo & Country Folk, Anne Murray, Terry McKenna, Del Reeves, The Earl Scruggs Revue, The Stonemans, Tex Withers, Conway Twitty & The Twittybirds, Dottie West, Hank Williams Jnr. & The Cheatin' Hearts, Jonny Young Four. George Hamilton IV was MC (Saturday) and Bill Anderson was MC (Sunday) with the Billboard/Record Mirror Awards presented by Mary Reeves.

Photograph © Doug McKenzie/Country Music People

Many of the stars that appeared at Wembley in 1973. They are (back row) Murray Kash, Mac Wiseman, Jim Glaser, Mervyn and Laura Conn, Jim Ed Brown, Bryan Chalker and Hank Thompson. In the middle row is Ray Lynam, Chuck Glaser, Ernest Tubb, Diana Trask, Dottie West, Skeeter Davis, Jeannie Seely, Jack Greene and Del Reeves. Seated are Hank Snow, Ferlin Husky, Wally Whyton, Nada Urbankova, Johnny Paycheck, George Hamilton IV, Larry Cunningham and Frankie McBride.

1973 (April 21st & 22nd)

Jim Ed Brown, Cates Sisters, Bryan Chalker and New Frontier, Country Fever, Larry Cunningham, Skeeter Davis, Tompall & The Glaser Brothers & The Nashville Studio Band, Jack Greene & The Jolly Green Giants, George Hamilton IV, Ferlin Husky (with his alter-ego Simon Crum), Ray Lynam & The Hillbillies, New Strangers, Johnny Paycheck, Del Reeves & The Good Time Charleys, Jeannie C. Riley & The Homesteaders, Jeannie Seely, Hank Snow, Pete Sayers, Hank Thompson & The Brazos Valley Boys, Diana Trask, Ernest Tubb & The Texas Troubadours, Nada Urbankova & Country Beat, Dottie West, Mac Wiseman and The Jonny Young Four. The MC was Wally Whyton. The Billboard/Record Mirror Awards were presented by Bill Williams (Billboard Nashville editor) and Tony Byworth (Billboard/Record Mirror European country music editor).

Ray Lynam - Photograph © Declan Barnes

Saturday, April 13th 1974

Pete Brady introduced Bill Anderson, Tompall Glaser, The Hillsiders, Wanda Jackson, Kathie Kay, Ray Lynam & Philomena Begley, Bill Monroe & The Bluegrass Boys, Jeanne Pruett, Rankarna & Mats Radberg, Terry Stafford, Kitty Wells & Johnny Wright (with Tennessee Mountain Boys) & The Jonny Young Four. There was also a special presentation: The International Festival 1974 Billboard/Record Mirror Country Music Awards.

Sunday, April 14th 1974

Murray Kash presented the Miss Country Music Competition. Bill Anderson introduced Larry Cunningham & The Country Blue Boys, Czech Country Beat, Narvel Felts, Frisco, Caroline Hall, Miki & Griff, The Oak Ridge Boys, Johnny Rodriguez, David Rogers, Patsy Sledd, Mac Wiseman with George Jones & Tammy Wynette. There was also the Miss Country Music Awards and the British Country Music Festival Awards. ** Mary Lou Turner and Kelvin Henderson were also mentioned as appearing this year.

Saturday, March 29th 1975

George Hamilton IV introduced Molly Bee, Johnny Carver, The Kelvin Henderson Country Band, Vernon Oxford, Ray Lynam & Philomena Begley and Marty Robbins. Following the interval there was the Billboard Publications Country Music Awards followed by the Cass Family, Jon Derek & Country Fever, Miki & Griff, The Tumbleweeds, Mac Wiseman and Dolly Parton & Her Travelling Family Band.

Sunday, March 30th 1975

George Hamilton IV introduced Frisco, David Frizzell, Sydney Devine, Wanda Jackson, Barbara Mandrell & The Do Rights and Red Sovine. Following the interval there was The British Country Music Festival Awards and then the Billboard/Record Mirror Awards were presented by Lyn Paul, Hughie Green and Dorothy Ritter. It was a great honour for me to be one of seven deejays nominated as Disc Jockey of the year at the Billboard (UK) Country Music Awards. The show continued with Larry Cunningham & the Country Blue Boys, George Jones, Jeanne Pruett, Jimmy Payne, Melba Montgomery and Jean Shepard. Other names mentioned as appearing at the festival this year included Jeannie Denver & Vernon Oxford. ** The programme also showed Lefty Frizzell as a guest - but, of course, Lefty died in July 1975 so we don't know whether he was booked to appear.

Marty Robbins in the BBC marquee recording for the radio programme "Country Club" in 1976. Photograph courtesy of Snowy & Heather Walker.

1976 (April 17th, 18th & 19th)

Kathy Barnes, Country Gazette, Dick Damron, The Dillards, Johnny Gimble, Jack Greene, Lloyd Green, George Hamilton IV, John Hartford, Wanda Jackson, Waylon Jennings, Jim & Jesse McReynolds, Vernon Oxford, Ozark Mountain Daredevils, Carl Perkins, Jeanne Pruett, Dolly Parton, Marty Robbins, Pete Sayers, Jeannie Seely, Buffy St. Marie, Red Sovine, Connie Smith, Dodie West, Don Williams, Tex Withers, Tammy Wynette with Murray Kash as MC.

1977 (April 9th, 10th & 11th)

Carroll Baker, J.J. Barrie, Philomena Begley, Jimmy Buffett, Wilf Carter, The Cotton Mill Boys, Don Everly, The Dillards, Larry Gatlin, Crystal Gayle, Don Gibson, Johnny Gimble, Lloyd Green, Emmylou Harris, Frank Jennings Syndicate, Albert Lee, Ray Lynam and The Hillbillies, Loretta Lynn, Keith Manifold, Jim & Jesse McReynolds, Mercy Brothers, Jody Miller, Mickey Newbury, Oak Ridge Boys, Tommy Overstreet, Carl Perkins, Jean Shepard, Billie Jo Spears, Hank Thompson and The Brazos Valley Boys, Conway Twitty, Don Williams and Dennis Weaver.

Saturday, March 25th, 1978

George Hamilton IV introduced Carroll Baker, Jeannie Denver & The JD Band, Don Everly, Fonograf, Barbara Fairchild and The Wilburn Brothers. After the first interval, the show featured Freddie Hart, Jody Miller, Vernon Oxford and Carl Smith. The final part of Saturday's show had Don Williams topping the bill.

Sunday, March 26th, 1978

George Hamilton IV introduced Colin Christian and Culpepper County, Skeeter Davis, Kelvin Henderson, Lynch & Lawson, Marty Robbins and Saskia & Serge. Dave & Sugar followed after the interval with appearances from Donna Fargo, Lloyd Green, Charlie McCoy, Hargus 'Pig' Robbins and Carl Perkins. We are informed that Ronnie Milsap was scheduled to appear on this day but didn't make Wembley.

Monday, March 27th 1978

Barbi Benton, Dick Damron, Raymond Froggatt, Tompall Glaser and Ronnie Prophet opened the first part of the show and were introduced by George Hamilton IV. Following the first interval Larry Gatlin opened the proceedings with music from Joe Ely, Kenny Rogers and Dottie West. The International Country Music Awards was a feature before the show came to a grand finale with Moe Bandy, Ray Lynam & The Hillbillies and Merle Haggard.

In 1978, to coincide with the Tenth International Festival of Country Music, the magazine Music Week, launched a 20-page souvenir issue, edited and compiled by Tony Byworth, which sold for the grand sum of 15p. You can view larger images of the cover (on the left) and an advertisement inside the supplement (on the right) by clicking on the above photographs which are © Music Week.

1979 (April 14th, 15th & 16th)

Billy Armstrong, Bobby Bare, Moe Bandy, Philomena Begley, Boxcar Willie, Jeannie Denver, Ray Dexter, Al Doherty, Lonnie Donegan, The Drifting Cowboys, Floyd Cramer, Dottsy, Duffy Brothers, Buddy Emmons, Barbara Fairchild, Freddy Fender, Ken and Billie Ford, Crystal Gayle, Don Gibson, Gloria, Freddie Hart, Terri Hollowell, Jana Jay, Sleepy LaBeef, Hank Locklin, Ray Lynam & The Hillbillies, Charlie McCoy, Jim & Jesse McReynolds, Ronnie Milsap, Vernon Oxford, Nancy Peppers, Poacher, Ronnie Prophet, Marty Robbins, Lanie Smallwood, Billie Jo Spears, Joe Stampley, Conway Twitty, Frank Yonco and Tammy Wynette.

Irish star Gloria celebrating her gold disc for sales of her song "One Day At A Time."

1980

Roy Acuff, Bobby Bare, Philomena Begley, Bellamy Brothers, Boxcar Willie, Roy Clark, Commander Cody & The Lost Planet Airmen, Eddie Eastman, Don Everly, Barbara Fairchild, Janie Fricke, Raymond Froggatt, Johnny Gimble, Tompall & The Glaser Brothers, Lloyd Green, Emmylou Harris, Frank Ifield, Tom Jennings, The Kendalls, Albert Lee, Brenda Lee, Little Ginny, Ray Lynam, Matchbox, Susan McCann, Charlie McCoy, Bill Monroe, The Mintings, Jimmy C. Newman, Stella Parton, Peggy Sue, Colleen Peterson, Charley Pride, Ronnie Prophet, Charlie Rich, Kenny Seratt, Joe Sun, Shoji Tabuchi, Billy Walker, Kitty Wells, Sonny Wright and Faron Young.

Tompall & The Glaser Brothers

Chuck Glaser, Tompall Glaser and Jim Glaser - Tompall & The Glaser Brothers were always a popular act whenever they appeared at the International Festival of Country Music at Wembley.

1981

Suzie Allanson, Rex Allen Jr., American Express, Hoyt Axton, Bellamy Brothers, Johnny Cash, Buddy Emmons, Frank Ifield, George Jones, Paul Kennerley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Jim & Jesse McReynolds, Terry McMillan, Jimmy C. Newman, Carl Perkins, Diane Pfeifer, Marty Robbins, Rose Marie, Roxon Roadshow, Doc and Merle Watson and Tammy Wynette.

Friday, April 9th 1982

Ronnie Prophet introduced Philomena Begley, Dale Brady, Guy Clark, Cynthia Clawson, Tammy Cline, The Dillards, Jerry Foster, Kris Kristofferson, Brendan Quinn, Billy Swan, Mel Tillis with Bob Young & The Double M Band.

Saturday, April 10th 1982

George Hamilton IV introduced AG & Kate, Boxcar Willie, Roy Clark, Colorado, Tony Goodacre, Grandpa Jones, Susan McCann, Jimmy C. Newman, Rose-Marie, The Roxon Roadshow, Kitty Wells, The Wilburn Brothers and Porter Wagoner. There was also The Country Music Roundup & Mervyn Conn Promotions International Country Music Awards 1982. ** The souvenir programme mentions Grandpa Jones but we are not sure whether he appeared.

Sunday, April 11th 1982

Ronnie Prophet introduced Razzy Bailey, Boytorian, Terri Gibbs, Lloyd Green, Tom Gribbin & The Saltwater Cowboys, Wendy Holcombe, Jerry Lee Lewis, Teddy Nelson, Patrice, Marty Robbins with Two's Company.

Monday, April 12th 1982

Ronnie Prophet introduced Mary Bailey, Linda Cassady, Lonnie Donegan, Roy Drusky, Kelly Foxton, Gerry Ford, Terry McMillan, The Nashville Superpickers, Roy Orbison, Jeannie C. Riley and Don Williams with The Silk Cut Country Music Talent Competition Awards presentation.

Saturday, April 2nd 1983

Roy Acuff, AG & Kate (Holland), The Dillards, Skeeter Davis, Roy Drusky, Foster & Allen (Ireland), Jim & Jesse & The Virginia Boys, Bill Monroe, Suzanne Prentice (New Zealand), Ronnie Prophet (Canada) who also acted as compere, Jeannie Pruett, Porter Wagoner and Billy Walker.

Sunday, April 3rd 1983

Dave Bryant & Moonshine (UK), Linda Cassady, TR Dallas (Ireland), Barbara Fairchild, Narvel Felts, Tompall & The Glaser Brothers, Tom Gribbin & The Saltwater Cowboys, Tony Goodacre (UK), George Jones, John D. Loudermilk, Matchbox (UK), Terry McMillan, Wesley Parker and Tammy Wynette.

Tammy Wynette © Epic

Monday, April 4th 1983

Wendel Adkins, Australia (The Legarde Twins, Australia), Bobby Bare, Boxcar Willie & The Texas Trainmen, Ed Bruce, The Flying Burrito Brothers, Bonnie Dobson, Free Spirit (UK), Raymond Froggatt (UK), Johnny Lee, Teddy Nelson (Norway), Rattlesnake Annie, Margo Smith and Billie Jo Spears.

1984

Lynn Anderson, Moe Bandy, Philomena Begley, Glen Campbell, Freddy Fender, David Frizzell, Jim Glaser, Tom Gribben, Emmylou Harris, Carl Jackson, Tom Jennings, Albert Lee, Ray Lynam, Susan McCann, Jim & Jesse McReynolds, Lee Moran, The Osmonds, Vernon Oxford, Ray Pillow, Paul Richey, Jeannie C. Riley, Ronny Robbins, Ray Stevens, The Stoneman Family, B.J. Thomas, Geoff Turner, Billy Walker, Shelly West and Slim Whitman.

1985

Boxcar Willie, Moe Bandy, Philomena Begley, Bellamy Brothers, Glorianne Carriere with Station Break, Rita Coolidge, Gail Davies, Michael Doucet, Narvel Felts, Freddy Fender, Tompall & The Glaser Brothers, Tom Gribben and the Saltwater Cowboys, Brenda Lee, Loretta Lynn, Jerry Lee Lewis, Ray Lynam, Tokyo Matsu, Susan McCann, Terry McMillan, Jimmy C. Newman, The Osmonds, Ronnie Prophet, Rose Marie, Paul Richey, Johnny Russell, Joe Stampley, Nat Stuckey, Conway Twitty, Billy Walker, Hank Wangford and Tammy Wynette.

Johnny Cash with Stan Laundon in 1968 - photograph © Billy Crallan

1986

Rex Allen Jnr., Carroll Baker, June and Carlene Carter, Johnny Cash, Guy Clark, Lacy J. Dalton, The Drifting Cowboys, Johnny Duncan, Exile, Barbara Fairchild, Janie Fricke, Mark Gray, George Hamilton IV, Jeff Hanna, Becky Hobbs, George Jones, Bill Monroe, The Moody Brothers, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Marie Osmond, Vernon Oxford, Rattlesnake Annie, Johnny Russell, John Schneider, Connie Smith, Margo Smith, Jerry Jeff Walker and Gene Watson.

1987

Rex Allen Jnr., Boxcar Willie, Moe Bandy, Bobby Bare, Bellamy Brothers, David Allan Coe, Colorado, Tommy Collins, Little Jimmy Dickens, Jerry Douglas, Leon Everette, Forrester Sisters, Janie Fricke, George Hamilton IV, George Hamilton V, Emmylou Harris and the Hot Band, Hogan's Heroes, Sleepy LaBeef, Jerry Lee Lewis, Patty Loveless, Mel McDaniel, Mark O'Connor, Newgrass Revival, Pinkertons Colours, Peter Rowan, Johnny Russell, Connie Smith and Tanya Tucker.

Skeeter Davis

1988

Hoyt Axton, Carroll Baker, Pinto Bennett, Tommy Collins, Colorado, Larry Cunningham, Skeeter Davis, Mary Duff, Carey Duncan, Leon Everette, Freddy Fender, Raymond Froggatt, Crystal Gayle, Don Gibson, Lloyd Green, Tom Gribbin and the Saltwater Cowboys, Merle Haggard, George Hamilton IV, George Hamilton V, Hogan's Heroes, Wanda Jackson, Stonewall Jackson, Jim & Jesse, The Jordanaires, Albert Lee, Jerry Lee Lewis, Patty Loveless, Melba Montgomery, Charlie McCoy, Willie Nelson, Daniel O'Donnell, The O'Kanes, Vernon Oxford, Rose Marie, Marvin Rainwater, Roxon Roadshow, Joe Sun, Hank Thompson, Billy Walker, Mac Wiseman and Tammy Wynette.

1989

Asleep at the Wheel, Bobby Bare, Suzy Bogguss, Larry Boone, Boxcar Willie, Jessi Colter, Earl Thomas Conley, Rosie Flores, Janie Fricke, Carol Gordon, Waylon Jennings, John McEuan, Susan McCann, Lorrie Morgan, Bob Newman, Buck Owens, Pinkertons Colours, Poacher, Kimmie Rhodes, Billy Joe Shaver, Townes Van Zandt, Billy Walker, Keith Whitley and Tammy Wynette.

Saturday, April 14th 1990

Dan Riley introduced Freddy Fender, Emmylou Harris, The Sarah Jory Band, Doug Kershaw, H.S.Krush with Footloose, Logue & McCool with Lateshift, Susan McCann, Declan Nerney, Poacher and Johnny Russell.

Sunday, April 15th 1990

Dan Riley introduced Aine and Lateshift, Pinto Bennett and The Famous Motel Cowboys, David Allan Coe, Graham Fenton's Matchbox, Jerry Lee Lewis, Judy Lindsey with Memphis Roots, Medicine Bow, Louise Morrissey, Hayden Thompson with Graham Fenton's Matchbox, Randy Van Warmer with Emerald and The Hank Wangford Band.

Willie Nelson - Photograph © Eric Whitehouse

Monday, April 16th 1990

Dan Riley introduced Asleep At The Wheel, Mary-Chapin Carpenter, Bill Conlon, Kathy Durkin, Raymond Froggatt, Carole Gordon and Bob Newman with Hogan's Heroes, George Hug with West Coast, Barry McCloud and The Bounty Hunters, Katie Moffatt, Willie Nelson and Kimmie Rhodes.

Saturday, March 30th 1991

John McEuen introduced Big Guitars from Memphis, The Johnny Cash Show, Country Fever, Crystal Gayle, Isla Grant & Allon Young, David Houston & Kathy Raye, George Hug, Matt Leavy, Charlie Louvin, Susan McCann, Stu Phillips, Brendan Quinn, Jean Shepard and West Coast,

Sunday, March 31st 1991

John McEuen introduced Aine, Philomena Begley, Jodle Birge, Canones y Mantequilla, A Patsy Cline Tribute with Sharon Haynes & The Jordanaires, Ian & Andy, Charlie McCoy, Michael O'Brien, Sally O'Brien,The Tony Rouse Band, Tender Mercies, The United, Slim & Byron Whitman and Tammy Wynette.

Sunday, February 26th 2012

Steve Cherelle introduced Raymond Froggatt, Sandy Kelly & George Hamilton IV, Tim McKay, Pig Earth, Ali Isabella, Will Banister and Jo-El Sonnier. David Allen introduced John McNicholl, George Ducas, Narvel Felts and Asleep at the Wheel. After the interval George Hamilton IV introduced Lonestar and Ricky Skaggs with Reba McEntire appearing after the second interval.

This page is dedicated to the memory of Murray Kash who played a huge part in the Wembley festivals as organiser and compere. Murray - an actor, broadcaster, writer and speech therapist - was born September 16th, 1923 and died March 30th, 2009.

Thanks to David Allan, Dave Barnes, Tony Byworth, Bryan Chalker, Arie den Dulk, Tony Goodacre and Ed Wooden for their help and invaluable contributions to this page

The photographs on this page are copyright © to their respective owners and must not be copied or used in anyway without prior written permission.

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