Country Music Hall of Fame member Ronnie Milsap will commemorate his 76th birthday in 2019 with a new tour.
Kicking off on his birthday on Jan. 16 in Nashville, the new tour—dubbed the 76 for 76 Tour—will make additional stops in St. Louis, Austin, Cincinnati and more. Tickets for the first wave of the 76 for 76 Tour are on sale now. More dates will be announced in the coming weeks.
On Jan. 18, Ronnie will release a new album that features duets with an A-list cast, including Billy Gibbons, Luke Bryan, Dolly Parton, Jason Aldean, Willie Nelson, Lucy Angel, Kacey Musgraves, Little Big Town, George Strait, Jessie Key, Leon Russell, Steven Curtis Chapman and Montgomery Gentry. The 13-track collection, Ronnie Milsap: The Duets, includes one of Troy Gentry’s final recordings on the Montgomery Gentry/Ronnie duet, “Shakey Ground.” In addition, Leon Russell, who passed away in 2016, is featured on “Misery Loves Company.”
The album was recorded at Ronnie’s Place, the Nashville studio Ronnie owned from the late 1970s until 1995
76 for 76 Tour
Jan. 16 | Nashville, TN | Ryman Auditorium
Jan. 17 | Mayetta, KS | Prairie Band Casino & Resort | Great Lakes Ballroom
Jan. 18 | Stafford, TX | The Redneck Country Club
Jan. 19 | Bossier City, LA | Horseshoe Bossier City | The Riverdome
Jan. 27 | Fort Lauderdale, FL | Country Music Cruise 2019
Jan. 28 | Key West, FL | Country Music Cruise 2019
Feb. 9 | Glasgow, KY | Plaza Theatre MOVE FROM PRIOR
Feb. 16 | Shelby, NC | Malcolm Brown Auditorium
Feb. 21 | Morgantown, WV | Metropolitan Brown Auditorium
Feb. 22 | Madisonville, KY | Glema Mahr Center For the Arts
Feb. 28 | Lexington, KY | Opera House
March 1 | Lorain, OH | Palace Theater
March 2 | Lancaster, PA | American Music Theater
March 8 | Hinckley, MN | Grand Casino Hinkley
March 9 | Lac De Flambeau, WI | Lake Of The Torches Casino
March 22 | St. Louis, MO | River City Casino
March 24 | Austin, TX | Travis County Expo Center
April 4 | Mobile, AL | Saenger Theatre
April 5 | Beaumont, TX | Jefferson Theatre
April 6 | Texarkana, TX | PRIVATE Pleasant Grove
April 26 | Hopewell, VA | The Beacon Theatre
April 27 | Cincinnati, OH | JACK Casino | Event Center
May 3 | Eutis, FL | Lake County Fairgrounds Expo Center
May 10 | Quapaw, OK | Downstream Casino Resort
May 11 | Hinton, OK | Sugar Creek Casino
May 17 | Riverside, IA | Riverside Casino and Golf Resport
May 23 | Charenton, LA | Cypress Bayou Casino Hotel
DB Charlotte, NC (Hough) 5’10, 190
Committed: 7/28/18
Stars: 4 by 247Sports / 4 by ESPN / 4 by Rivals
Josh Ward’s Analysis: Fields is a good athlete who will work this spring to add size to be ready to play in the SEC. He will compete for immediate playing time in the secondary and will likely be an impact player on special teams.
Highlights from hudl…
Hear The Sports Animal’s interview with Tyus Fields’ high school coach, Matthew Jenkins…
ESPN:
Natl Rank: No. 196
Position Rank: No. 18 ATH
State Rank: No. 6 in NC
247 Sports:
Natl Rank: No. 235
Position Rank: No. 25 CB
State Rank: No. 10 in NC
Rivals:
Natl Rank: —
Position Rank: No. 39 CB
State Rank: No. 14 in NC
High School
Starred at Hough High School in Cornelius, N.C.
2017 USA Today All-USA North Carolina Football Team selection.
2017 Associated Press North Carolina All-State Team selection.
Totaled 182 tackles and seven INTs during prep career.
Also a dynamic returner, recording 488 return yards during his prep career.
Helped Hough High School post an 11-3 record and advance to the state quarterfinals in 2018.
Helped lead the Huskies to an 11-4 record and a spot in the North Carolina Class 4AA state semifinals in 2017.
Had 92 tackles and two interceptions as a junior, one of which he returned 105 yards for a touchdown.
Father, Mark Fields Sr., played linebacker in the NFL for the Saints, Rams and Panthers from 1995-2004 and was a two-time Pro Bowler (2000 and 2004).
Brother, Mark Fields Jr., is a senior cornerback at Clemson.
Chose Tennessee over Florida State, Penn State and Wisconsin.
TE Rome, GA (Coosa) 6’5, 250
Committed: 5/12/18
Stars: 3 by 247Sports / 3 by ESPN / 3 by Rivals
Josh Ward’s Analysis: Brown helps add depth to Tennessee’s tight end group. He’ll arrive at Tennessee this summer and begin competing for playing time.
Highlights from hudl…
The Sports Animal’s interview with Sean Brown’s high school coach, Todd Wheeler
Need to Know:
2018 Coaches All-Region 7-AA selection.
2017 Georgia Sports Writers Association Class AA All-State Second Team selection.
2017 Rome News-Tribune All-Area First-Team selection.
ESPN:
Natl Rank: —
Position Rank: No. 17 TE
State Rank: No. 69 in GA
247 Sports:
Natl Rank: No. 793
Position Rank: No. 37 TE
State Rank: No. 78 in GA
Rivals:
Natl Rank: —
Position Rank: No. 36 TE
State Rank: No. 75 in GA
High School
Starred at Coosa High School in Rome, Ga., playing both tight end and defensive line.
Helped lead Coosa High School to the Georgia Class AA state playoffs in 2018.
In his third game back from injury and Coosa’s regular-season finale, recovered two fumbles, forced a fumble, made six tackles and rushed for 22 yards on three carries to help Coosa secure a playoff spot.
Also plays basketball for Coosa High School.
TE Cartersville, GA (Cartersville) 6’5, 242
Committed: 3/30/18
Stars: 4 by 247Sports / 4 by ESPN / 3 by Rivals
Josh Ward’s Analysis: Lowe already has good size at the tight end position, which should improve even more after he enrolls at Tennessee in the spring. The Vols rely on their tight ends both in the passing game and as blockers. Lowe will help with that greatly.
Highlights from hudl…
Hear The Sports Animal’s interview with Jackson Lowe’s high school coach, Joey King…
Need to Know:
2018 Georgia Preseason Class 4A All-State selection.
2017 All-Region 5-AAAA first-team selection.
Helped lead Cartersville to a 14-1 record and an appearance in the state championship game in 2018.
ESPN:
Natl Rank: No. 227
Position Rank: No. 6 TE
State Rank: No. 28 in GA
247 Sports:
Natl Rank: No. 493
Position Rank: No. 22 TE
State Rank: No. 50 in GA
Rivals:
Natl Rank: —
Position Rank: No. 24 TE
State Rank: No. 47 in GA
High School
Starred at Cartersville High School in Cartersville, Ga.
Tallied 340 receiving yards and six touchdowns as a junior in 2017.
As a senior, earned player of the week honors from the Daily Tribune News in Cartersville, Ga. for performance in the second round of the playoffs where he had five receptions for 74 yards and three touchdowns, including one score on fourth-and-10.
WR Marietta, GA (Marrieta) 6’3, 185
Committed: 5/16/18
Stars: 4 by 247Sports / 4 by ESPN / 4 by Rivals
Josh Ward’s Analysis: Keyton offers more size to Tennessee’s group of wide receivers and will have a chance to play immediately. Keyton’s ability to make contested catches will be welcomed in Tennessee’s offense. He could also help develop a pipeline for Tennessee at Marietta High School.
Highlights from hudl…
Hear The Sports Animal’s interview with Ramel Keyton’s high school coach, Richard Morgan…
Need to Know:
Selected to play in the 2019 All-American Bowl.
2018 Georgia Preseason Class 7A All-State selection.
2017 Georgia Class 6A All-State Honorable Mention.
Named to Atlanta Journal Constitution’s 2018 Super 11 Football Prospects List.
ESPN:
Natl Rank: No. 113
Position Rank: No. 14 WR
State Rank: No. 15 in GA
247 Sports:
Natl Rank: No. 111
Position Rank: No. 17 WR
State Rank: No. 13 in GA
Rivals:
Natl Rank: No. 159
Position Rank: No. 25 WR
State Rank: No. 14 in GA
High School
Starred at Marietta High School in Marietta, Ga.
Named to the Marietta Daily Journal Dynamite Dozen in 2018.
Tallied 44 receptions for 694 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2018 despite missing the second-half of the season with an injury.
Opened the 2018 season by catching 14 passes for 191 yards and four touchdowns in first game of the season.
Over the course of his entire high school career, totaled 184 receptions for over 3,000 yards and 34 touchdowns, averaging over 100 yards per game.
Led all players in Cobb County with 59 receptions for 1,298 yards and 16 touchdowns in 2017, helping lead Marietta to the state quarterfinals.
Marietta head coach Richard Morgan: “I think Ramel is the most dominant receiver in the state, and I think he’s proven that year after year.”
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Sophomore guard Evina Westbrook tallied a career-high-tying 29 points and dished out 10 assists, as No. 9/8 ranked Tennessee fell 95-85 to No. 8/9 Stanford at Thompson-Boling Arena on Tuesday night.
Sophomore forward Rennia Davis joined Westbrook in notching a double-double (14 points and 10 rebounds), carding her second of the season and 11th of her career. Senior guard/forward Meme Jackson (17) and freshman guard Zaay Green (14) were the other Tennessee players with double-digit points in the contest. Westbrook became the first Lady Vol since Candace Parker in 2007-08 to register four-straight 20-point games.
Stanford (8-1) was led by a 33-point and 13-rebound performance by DiJonai Carrington, as the Cardinal hit 58 percent of their three-point shots (14 of 24). Four other Stanford players scored in double figures, including Alanna Smith and Kiana Williams with 16 each, fueled by 3-of-4 shooting from three-point range. Lacie Hull tossed in 14, hitting four of five treys, while Maya Dodson chipped in 10.
A 3-for-5 start from deep range propelled Stanford to a 13-5 lead in the first five minutes of the game. Tennessee connected on just three of 10 shots to start, with its first 10 points coming from Davis and Cheridene Green. Despite the shaky start, a Jackson 3-pointer and a layup from Westbrook cut the Cardinal lead to 22-17 through ten minutes of play. Green led the Lady Vols with six first-quarter points and three rebounds.
Jackson kicked the second quarter off for Tennessee with a 3-pointer, cutting the Lady Vol deficit to just two points. Stanford, however, answered by hitting its first three shots of the second quarter, including two 3-pointers. Williams notched nine points from beyond the arc, as the Cardinal shot 9-for-15 from deep in the first half. Tennessee cut the Stanford lead to 47-37 prior to the break, with Westbrook leading the Lady Vols with 15 points over the first 20 minutes.
Tennessee fought back within three points of the lead after forcing four turnovers and shooting 5-for-7 from the floor in the first three minutes of the second half. The Lady Vols tallied a 19-8 start behind seven points from Westbrook and took their first lead of the game at the 5:21 mark in the third quarter. The Cardinal responded with a 9-0 run to end the quarter, as Stanford held a 67-62 lead going into the final frame.
Zaay Green scored five quick points for Tennessee to begin the final stanza, but the Cardinal answered back with a 6-0 run. The Lady Vols faced an eight-point deficit with a little over three minutes remaining in the game. A Stanford 3-pointer extended the Cardinal lead to 89-77 with two minutes remaining, and a pair of free throws from Williams iced the 95-85 victory for the Cardinal.
Up Next: The Lady Vols will host ETSU on Friday. The game is scheduled to tip at 7:02 p.m. and will be available for streaming via SECN+. The contest features a “School’s Out” promotion, with kids 12 & younger receiving complimentary admission at any arena ticket window. It’s also a Big Orange Friday. Download a “BOGO” Buy One Get One Free ticket voucher available exclusively at BigOrangeFriday.com
Consecutive 20s: Sophomore Evina Westbrook has strung together four straight 20+ point performances, becoming the first Lady Vol to do so since Candace Parker had four in a row over the first four games of the 2007-08 season.
Hitting From Long:Meme Jackson has hit three or more treys in five of nine games this season, while Evina Westbrook has contributed at least two in four contests.
Dynamic Duo: Jackson and Westbrook have combined for 281 points through nine games, and Tennessee has been led in scoring by a member of the pair on seven occasions.
Turning Them Over: Stanford entered the contest at UT averaging only 13.3 turnovers per game. The Lady Vols forced them into 20 turnovers, marking the eighth time this season Tennessee has forced 17+ turnovers. Comparatively, the Cardinal committed just 10 turnovers in its upset win over then-No. 3 Baylor on Saturday.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — No. 3 Tennessee returns to Thompson-Boling Arena Wednesday night for a matchup against Samford, marking the first of a four-game homestand for the Vols.
The game will tip at 7 p.m. ET and can be streamed online through SEC Network+ and WatchESPN. Fans can also listen live on their local Vol Network affiliate to hear Bob Kesling and Bert Bertelkamp describing the action. Tickets for Wednesday and most remaining Tennessee home games are available at AllVols.com.
Tennessee (8-1) is coming off its first true road game of the season, topping in-state foe Memphis in front of a sell-out crowd, 102-92. It was the first time since Appalachian State in 2016 that UT had eclipsed to 100-point margin in a game. Through nine games, the Vols have scored at least 85 points in six games and average 84.9 points per game, which ranks 19th in the country
Samford boasts a 10-2 record on the season, with its lone losses coming against Ohio State on the road and Belmont in overtime. The Bulldogs defeated Houston Baptist Monday, 85-61, to cap its best start after 12 games since the 1960-61 season. The offense has scored at least 75 points in seven games, including three performances with more than 90
Admiral Schofield enters the game on a hot streak, scoring 30 and 29 points in back-to-back games to fuel UT’s offense. The efforts earned him SEC Player of the Week accolades twice. The senior wing is the first Vol to score 25 points in consecutive games since Kevin Punter Jr. did so in 2016.
THE SERIES
• Tennessee won its only previous meeting with Samford, as the Vols posted an 83-79 home win on Nov. 28, 1977, at Stokely Athletics Center.
• The Vols are 93-17 all-time against current members of the Southern Conference.
A WIN WOULD…
• Extend Tennessee’s win streak to five games.
• Extend UT’s home win streak to 14 games. It’s the longest such streak of the Barnes era.
• Preserve Tennessee’s perfect record this season at Thompson-Boling Arena.
STORYLINES
• Samford is a private Christian university founded in 1841 and located in Homewood, Alabama
• Wednesday’s contest vs. Samford marks the start of a four-game homestand that extends through the first week of January.
• Many UT students are gone now that Fall exams concluded last week. Tickets for most remaining Tennessee home games are available at AllVols.com.
• In Tennessee’s last two games, junior wing Admiral Schofield has totaled 59 points, with 10 made 3-pointers.
• Senior forward Kyle Alexander needs just one block to move into the top five on Tennessee’s all-time blocks list.
LAYUPS
• According to KenPom, Tennessee ranks in the top 20 in both offensive efficiency (10th) and defensive efficiency (18th).
• Tennessee ranks second in the country with 21.1 assists per game and also ranks among the top 10 nationally in assist/turnover ratio (9th, 1.68) and blocks (10th, 6.0 bpg).
• Grant Williams leads the SEC in scoring (19.8 ppg), ranks second in field-goal percentage (.571), fourth in rebounding (8.7 rpg) and seventh in assists (4.7 apg). He also owns the team’s best plus-minus (per 40) rating at +21.91.
• Reigning SEC Player of the Week Admiral Schofield is the SEC’s second-leading scorer (19.1 ppg). He has made multiple 3-pointers in each of UT’s last six games, with 20 total makes during that span.
• Guard Lamonté Turner remains sidelined with a left shoulder injury and has appeared in only three games this season.
ABOUT SAMFORD
• The Bulldogs’ 2018-19 roster looks almost completely different from last season’s squad, as Samford’s top five scorers are gone.
• Josh Sharkey is one of just three returners who saw action last year. Sharkey, along with Stefan Lakic and Kevion Nolan, combined for a total of 15 starts and accounted for just 18 percent of the Bulldogs’ total scoring last season.
• With significant turnover, former first-round NBA Draft pick and Kentucky standout Scott Padgett brought in one of the most touted recruiting classes in program history, signing seven players. To go along with the large class, a pair of transfers from last season will be eligible to play this year, including Brandon Austin from Alabama.
• Sharkey (14.7 ppg, 6.0 apg, 3.4 rpg, 2.6 spg) and Austin (11.6 ppg, 4.5 rpg) are two of four Bulldogs averaging double-digit scoring per game. Junior college transfer Myron Gordon (11.8 ppg) has been a solid addition for Samford this year.
• However, the biggest impact has been from redshirt senior Ruben Guerrero. The 7-foot center transferred from USF last year but was forced to sit out. This season, he leads the Bulldogs in scoring (15.0 ppg), rebounding (8.4 rpg), blocks (1.9 bpg) and shooting percentage (.664).
• Samford boasts a 10-2 record on the season, with its lone losses coming against Ohio State on the road and Belmont in overtime. The Bulldogs opened the season with a five-game winning streak. The offense has scored at least 75 points in seven games, including three performances with more than 90.
LAST MEETING VS. SAMFORD
• Acting Tennessee head coach Cliff Wettig—filling in for the legendary Ray Mears, who sat out the season due to nervous exhaustion—led the Volunteers to an 83-79 win over Samford at UT’s Stokely Athletics Center on Nov. 28, 1977.
• Tennessee took a 38-34 lead into halftime.
• Reggie Johnson led the Vols with 22 points—11 in each half—and eight rebounds. Point guard Johnny Darden added 18 points and eight assists, while Terry Crosby scored 17.
• Bert Bertelkamp, who now serves as the color analyst for Tennessee games on the Vol Network, 10 points, six rebounds and an assist in the win.
• Guard Ervin Terry was the Bulldogs’ top performer, totaling 22 points, seven assists and four rebounds.
• Sid Hankins was the official timer for that game, and he will be serving in the same capacity Wednesday night.
AUSTIN HAS FACED UT BEFORE
• Samford redshirt junior guard Brandon Austin faced Tennessee during his time at Alabama.
• In Alabama’s win over the Vols in Tuscaloosa on Jan. 26, 2016, Austin played four minutes off the bench and was 0-for-1 from the field.
• After two seasons with the Crimson Tide, Austin transferred to Samford.
TENNESSEE DUO AMONG TOP 80 ON NCAA SCORING LEADERBOARD
• Tennessee’s imposing duo of Grant Williams (19.8 ppg) and Admiral Schofield (19.1 ppg) make the Vols one of only four teams with two players ranked among the top 80 scorers in Division I.
TEAM PLAYERS PPG
South Dakota St. M. Daum/D. Jenkins 45.9
Duke RJ Barrett/Z. Williamson 44.6
Coll. of Charleston G. Riller/J. Brantley 42.8 Tennessee G. Williams/A. Schofield 38.9
I can’t believe we’ve come to the finale episode of Season 1.
I’m so excited about what we’ve accomplished since launching this podcast in June—and that includes YOU listening, watching and reading this. We will definitely keep things going in 2019, but we have the perfect way to wrap things up in 2018. Our guest this week is Cam, a woman who has been at the top of my guest list since starting the show. Cam has been a huge inspiration to me, and a wonderful friend and supporter of the show. You’ll hear more specifics when you listen to this episode. It is a great one! Cam did not hold back, which is one of the reasons I love her.
I hope you enjoy, and thank you for the best experience during Season 1 of Women Want to Hear Women.
Show Participants:
Cam
Elaina Smith, host of WWTHW
Videos:
Cam “Plays It Forward” by covering Lori McKenna’s “Halfway Home.”
Audiophiles who have longed for more Garth Brooks’ records are in for a treat in 2019.
Garth revealed on his Inside Studio G Facebook series on Dec. 17 that he’ll be releasing more of his music on vinyl in 2019. Currently, only Garth’s first three albums—his 1989 self-titled debut, 1990’s No Fences and 1991’s Ropin’ the Wind—are available on vinyl.
“Get ready for vinyl,” said Garth. “But get ready for it in a lot of different ways, like you’ve never seen before. Remember, we were lucky enough to record in analog and we’re lucky enough to be in the digital world, as well. So, this will be something like nobody else has . . . which you guys should have.”
While Garth didn’t offer any details regarding which of his albums will be made available, he did mention that “it’s coming in a way I’ve never seen before. It’s so friggin’ cool. It’s going to be a lot of fun.”
