PROGRAM GUESTS

Vince Gill is a singer, songwriter and guitarist whose ballads have catapulted him to the forefront of contemporary country music. He grew up in Oklahoma, the son of a banjo-playing federal judge. In high school, his bluegrass band gained a formidable local reputation. Later, he joined the pop group Pure Prairie League as lead vocalist. He recorded his first hit in 1983 and landed a solo recording contract. His album When I Call Your Name established him as a country music superstar. He went on to create a string of No. 1 hits, including "Take Your Memory With You," "I Still Believe in You," "Don't Let Our Love Start Slippin' Away," "One More Last Chance," "Tryin' to Get Over You," and "Whenever You Come Around." This popular performing and recording artist is the recipient of eight Grammys and 15 awards from the Country Music Association.

Amy Grant has attained a unique double success in both gospel and mainstream pop music. After landing her first record contract at age 15, she transformed the sales and audience potential of gospel music in America. She then branched out by writing and recording songs with romantic themes, including the pop hits "Every Heartbeat," "That's What Love is For," "The Lucky One" and "House of Love." Seven of her albums have achieved the coveted status of platinum records (sales of over a million copies). The album Heart in Motion has sold over five million copies and spent 52 consecutive weeks on the Billboard Top 200 Album Chart. The album earned her Grammy nominations for Song of the year, Record of the Year, Pop Female Performance and Album of the Year. She has sold over 20 million records and has been the recipient of five Grammy Awards. Apart from her music, Amy Grant is actively involved with such charitable causes as Habitat for Humanity, the American Cancer Society and the Make a Wish Foundation.

PROGRAM GUESTS CONTINUED

Ron Howard is an actor, writer, producer and director. Born in Oklahoma, he had his first acting role at the age of 18 months in a Baltimore production of The Seven Year Itch. At age four he made his first screen appearance. He alter appeared as Opie in the long-running television series The Andy Griffith Show. In the 1970s, he starred in the popular television series Happy Days. At age 23, he directed his first feature film, and followed with a string of popular films that have touched audiences around the world beginning with Splash, and Cocoon. He went on to form his won production company to independently produce films. He directed Parenthood and Backdraft and produced Kindergarten Cop and My Girl, which have grossed more than $2 billion worldwide. His latest directorial efforts were the films Apollo 13, which earned him the "best director of the year" honors from the Directors Guild of America, and Ransom, one of the highest-grossing movies of 1996. This multi-talented artist is responsible for some of "the most memorable moments in the history of entertainment."

Coach Mike Krzyzewski has led Duke University's basketball team to two consecutive national championships. On the strength of his star performance as a high school basketball player, he was recruited for the United States Military Academy at West Point. In his senior year at West Point, he was captain of the varsity basketball team. After fulfilling his five-year obligation to the Army, he embarked on a professional coaching career which, by age 29, had brought him back to West Point, this time as head coach. In 1980, he was selected to turn around Duke University's faltering basketball program. He survived three dismal seasons to build a college basketball powerhouse and win Coach of the Year honors for himself. He is proudest of the fact that his athletes maintain a standard of excellence in the classroom as well as on the basketball court.

R. L. Stine
had been writing for Scholastic magazines for 17 years, writing mostly humorous short stories for children, when his editor suggested he try writing a juvenile tale of horror. Scary stories for teenagers led Stine to experiment with spooky tales for even younger readers. The result was the phenomenally popular Goosebumps series for readers age eight to twelve. Goosebumps and the Fear Street series have made R.L. Stine the best-selling author in America. More than a million copies of his books are sold every month.

Herschel Walker is a star running back for the Dallas Cowboys. Herschel Walker participated in the 1980 Academy of Achievement program as the valedictorian of his class and the most sought-after high school football player in the nation. In 1981, he became the first Academy of Achievement honor student to return to the annual program as a recipient of the Golden Plate Award. At the University of Georgia, Walker earned consensus All-American honors in three consecutive years, and capped a sensational college career by earning the 1982 Heisman Trophy in his junior year. In 1983, Walker gave up his final year of collegiate eligibility and turned professional, joining the New Jersey Generals of the short-lived United States Football League. Walker dominated the league, earning Most Valuable Player honors and setting the single-season pro football rushing record (2411 yards). Walker joined the Dallas Cowboys in 1986, where he led the entire NFL in rushing and earned All-Pro honors. Walker moved to the Minnesota Vikings as starting running back in 1989. In 1992, he joined the Philadelphia Eagles football team, but returned to the Dallas Cowboys in 1996.