Richard Weize to Receive The Lifetime Achievement Award

(Nashville, Tennessee) - Founder and owner of Bear Family Records in Germany, Richard Weize, will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award from Belmont University for his work in producing unique boxed sets. The collector's items are a comprehensive retrospective of an artists career containing rare pictures, memorabilia, and a detailed discography. The presentation will occur on Friday, May 25th at a special awards luncheon held during the International Country Music Conference.

Bear Family has issued boxed sets of complete recordings by country music legends including Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings and Johnny Cash. Bear Family Records was launched in 1975 and is the world leader in record reissues.

Don Cusic, Awards Chair, stated, "Richard Weize has consistently produced top quality books of liner notes to accompany his boxed sets. These complement the boxed sets and add an important addition to the story of artists and their recordings. He certainly deserves this award for 'linking books with country music.'"

This year's International Country Music Conference will also honor the winners of the Belmont Award for Best Book on Country Music, "Will the Circle Be Unbroken: Country Music in America," edited by Paul Kingsbury and Alanna Nash and published by DK Publishing.

The 24th Annual International Country Music Conference will take place place May 24th - May 26th at Belmont University. The registration for conference is $90. Price includes breakfast and lunch on Friday and Saturday. Registration deadline is May 15th. Please send registration information to James E. Akenson, Box 5042, Tennessee Technological University, Cookeville, TN 38505 or email him at jakenson@tntech.edu