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University of North Alabama
Office of University Relations

William M. Jarnigan, Director
Tel: 256-765-4225
Fax: 256-765-4812
Festival Phone: 256-765-4592

March 21, 2002

LINDSEY ANNOUNCES MIKE CURB AS FILM FESTIVAL FEATURED SPEAKER
For release: Immediately

FLORENCE, Ala. - Dr. George S. Lindsey announces today that Mike Curb, the chairman of Curb Records in Nashville, Tennessee, will be the featured speaker during the 5th annual George Lindsey/University of North Alabama Television & Film Festival April 18-20, 2002.

Dr. Lindsey, who is a UNA alumnus and a co-founder of the film festival, said Curb will address the musical aspects of the film industry.

At age 19, Curb, a Savannah, Georgia, native, established a record company in Los Angeles, California, to release soundtrack albums he composed for movies. Since then, Curb has composed or supervised more than 30 soundtracks for various motion picture studios including MGM, AIP, Warner Bros., Disney and others. He did the Coyote Ugly soundtrack, which was number one on the Billboard chart in 2000, as well as the soundtrack to the Warner Bros. movie Driven.

Lindsey said, "Curb's combination of business acumen and commitment to his art and his artists have made him a major business figure over the past 30 years. Through the changing trends from the 1960s into the 21st century, he has been able to adapt and expand his operations into the international market in music and video recording."

Curb led the Mike Curb Congregation, a music recording act which was featured weekly on the Glen Campbell show on CBS. The group's records included the number one hits, "The Candy Man" (with Sammy Davis, Jr.) and "All For the Love of Sunshine" (with Hank Williams, Jr.). In the 1970s, Curb became involved in Muscle Shoals music when he assigned the Osmonds to record with Rick Hall at Fame Recording Studios in Muscle Shoals. The results were the hit records, "One Bad Apple" on the Osmonds and "Puppy Love" on Donny Osmond. (Muscle Shoals is one of the four cities, which includes Florence, that comprise the Shoals area.)

Curb has written songs for Andy Williams, Roy Orbison, Steve and Eydie, the Osmonds, Anne Murray, The Hondells, The Ventures, Wayne Newton and Sammy Davis, Jr. He has composed title songs for movies starring Frank Sinatra and Clint Eastwood.

Curb has also been visible in politics and community service. In 1978, he was elected lieutenant governor of California. He acted as governor for a while when then-Gov. Jerry Brown was out of state. He was elected chair of the National Conference of Lieutenant Governors in 1982. He also ran presidential campaigns in California for Ronald Reagan and Gerald Ford. During the Reagan administration, he served on the President's Committee on Trade Negotiations. In 1983-84 for the Reagan-Bush re-election bid, Curb set an all-time fund-raising record, when he, as chair for the National Republican Party National Finance Committee, raised more than $100 million.

He has served on the World Board of Governors of the USO and on the boards of the Dole Food Company, Economic Growth Board of Tennessee, the Academy of Country Music, the Country Music Association and the Country Music Foundation. He has served on the board of regents for the University of California and on the board of trustees for the California State Universities. He has also served as chair of the board for Vanderbilt Children's Hospital in Nashville, Tennessee, where he now lives.

Pepperdine University presented him with an honorary doctor of laws degree. He has been inducted in the National Business Hall of Fame. In 1995, Belmont University dedicated the Mike Curb School of Music Business in his honor.

He and wife Linda have two daughters. He has been honored as father of the year by the National Father's Day Council.

Previous featured speakers at the George Lindsey/UNA Television & Film Festival have included Seinfeld/NewsRadio director Tom Cherones, actor Ernest Borgnine, Ladies Man/King of the Hill actor Stephen Root and singer/music video creator Ray Stevens.

Curb will speak at the film festival luncheon at 11 a.m., Friday, April 19, in the University Center Banquet Hall. Tickets are $10 for students and $20 for the general public. Reservations must be made by April 8 by calling (256) 765-4592.