BROWN FORMAN CORP
SC 13G/A, 1998-02-05
BEVERAGES
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<PAGE>
 
                                 


                                 UNITED STATES
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                            Washington, D.C.  20549


                                  SCHEDULE 13G



                   Under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
                               (Amendment No. 19)*


                           BROWN-FORMAN CORPORATION
                      ------------------------------------
                                (Name of Issuer)

                             CLASS A COMMON STOCK
                      ------------------------------------
                         (Title of Class of Securities)

                                  115637-10-0
                                  -----------
                                 (CUSIP Number)


Check the following box if a fee is being paid with this statement. [_] (A fee
is not required only if the filing person: (1) has a previous statement on file
reporting beneficial ownership of more than five percent of the class of
securities described in Item 1; and (2) has filed no amendment subsequent
thereto reporting beneficial ownership of five percent or less of such class.)
(See Rule 13d-7.)

*The remainder of this cover page shall be filled out for a reporting person's
initial filing on this form with respect to the subject class of securities, and
for any subsequent amendment containing information which would alter the
disclosures provided in a prior cover page.

The information required in the remainder of this cover page shall not be deemed
to be "filed" for the purpose of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934 ("Act") or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section of the Act
but shall be subject to all other provisions of the Act (however, see the
Notes).

                       (Continued on following page(s))

                               Page 1 of 4 Pages
<PAGE>
 
 
- -----------------------                                  ---------------------
  CUSIP NO. 115637-10-0             13G                    PAGE 2 OF 4 PAGES
- -----------------------                                  ---------------------
 
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      NAME OF REPORTING PERSON
 1    S.S. or I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NO. OF ABOVE PERSON
                                                                                
      W.L. Lyons Brown, Jr.                                                  
      ####-##-####        
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP*
 2                                                              (a) [_]
                                                                (b) [_]
                                                 
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      SEC USE ONLY
 3


- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION
 4                                 
      United States of America

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                          SOLE VOTING POWER
                     5                                                       
     NUMBER OF            402,740
 
      SHARES       -----------------------------------------------------------
                          SHARED VOTING POWER
   BENEFICIALLY      6       
                          13,990,947
     OWNED BY
                   -----------------------------------------------------------
       EACH               SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER
                     7       
    REPORTING             402,740
 
      PERSON       -----------------------------------------------------------
                          SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER
       WITH          8       
                          13,990,947
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON
 9                           
      14,393,687
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (9) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES*
10           
                                                                    [_]
 
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW (9)
11           
      49.7%                                                              

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON*
12           
      IN

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                     *SEE INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE FILLING OUT!
<PAGE>
 



Item 1(a)      Name of Issuer:

               Brown-Forman Corporation

Item 1(b)      Address of Issuer's Principal Executive Offices:

               850 Dixie Highway
               Louisville, Kentucky 40210

Item 2(a)      Name of Person Filing:

               W.L. Lyons Brown, Jr.

Item 2(b)      Address of Principal Business Office:

               501 Fourth Street
               Hilliard-Lyons Center
               Louisville, Kentucky 40202

Item 2(c)      Citizenship:

               United States of America

Item 2(d)      Title of Class of Securities:

               Class A Common Stock

Item 2(e)      CUSIP Number:

               115637-10-0

Item 3.        Not applicable.

Item 4.        Ownership.

     The amount of shares beneficially owned by the undersigned as of December 
31, 1997, is as follows:

     (a)  Amount Beneficially Owned:                                14,393,687

     (b)  Percent of Class:                                               49.7%

     (c)  Number of shares as to which such person has:
          (i)    sole power to vote or to direct the vote              402,740

          (ii)   shared power to vote or to direct the vote         13,990,947

          (iii)  sole power to dispose or to direct the
                 disposition of                                        402,740

          (iv)   shared power to dispose or to direct the
                 disposition of                                     13,990,947


                                                               Page 3 of 4 pages
<PAGE>
 

Item 5.        Ownership of Five Percent or Less of a Class.

          Not applicable.

Item 6.        Ownership of More than Five Percent on Behalf of Another Person.

          Other persons have the right to receive income from trusts holding 
Brown-Forman Corporation Class A Common Stock, as to which stock the undersigned
has sole or shared voting power. The following person is sole income beneficiary
of one of these trusts which holds more than 5% of the outstanding shares of 
such Class A Common Stock:  Sara S. Brown.

Item 7.        Identification and Classification of the Subsidiary Which
               Acquired the Security Being Reported on by the Parent Holding
               Company.

          Not applicable.

Item 8.        Identification and Classification of Members of the Group.

          Not applicable.

Item 9.        Notice of Dissolution of Group.

          Not applicable.

Item 10.       Certification.

          Not applicable.


                            ----------------------

     After reasonable inquiry and to the best of my knowledge and belief, I 
certify that the information set forth in this statement is true, complete and 
correct.

January 23, 1998
- --------------------------------
Date

/s/ W.L. Lyons Brown, Jr.
- --------------------------------
Signature


W.L. Lyons Brown, Jr.
- --------------------------------
Name, Title

                                                               Page 4 of 4 pages


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