Tennessee head football coach Jeremy Pruitt met with the media after spring practice #4 on Tuesday. Here is his press conference via UT Athletics.
Video: Jeremy Pruitt discusses team after practice 4
Pruitt, Staff Continue to Evaluate on Day 2 in Pads
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Jobs are wide open and position battles continue as the Tennessee football team began its second week of spring practice on Tuesday at Haslam Field.
UT head coach Jeremy Pruitt told media following the Vols’ second practice in pads, and fourth overall, that everything a player does on the field is being evaluated.
The new staff has given each Vol an opportunity for a fresh start. Some players are even experimenting at new positions for the first half of the spring session.
Everybody has an opportunity to play – they just have to prove it on the field.
“Every day we evaluate all four groups,” Pruitt said. “We don’t have any starters. We don’t have any second or third team guys. We have a rep chart. Everything is being evaluated.”
Pruitt said the team will scrimmage twice before the DISH Orange and White Game on April 21 (2 p.m., SEC Network) – giving the Vols three chances to replicate what a game will be like this fall.
It’s clear, he wants to test his young team.
“(The coaches) are not there to encourage you,” Pruitt said about scrimmages. “They’re not there to correct you. You’re playing just your 11 guys on one side of the ball, so that in itself is new. You definitely have to do that. It’s kind of like a test. You go to class for a certain period of time, you get the information and then they test you on it to see what kind of knowledge you’ve retained. That’s what a scrimmage is.
“To me, when you have the Orange and White game, you add the element when you create a game-like atmosphere. There’s a little more excitement, a little more anxiety, a little more pressure, butterflies. Some guys perform better in those situations, some guys perform worse.
“We need to find out who those guys are.”
Offense “Kicks Defense’s Tail”
Pruitt said he was ‘ticked off’ walking off the field, but didn’t know if he was mad at the whole team or just the defense because “the offense kicked the defense’s tail.”
A defensive coordinator the last five years at Alabama, Georgia and Florida State, Pruitt is used to only coaching the defense and adjusting to managing the entire squad.
Still he knows effort when he sees it and the Vols’ coach wants more out of his team.
“One thing I did notice today was that we had a lot of guys that had two days off and did not respond the right way,” Pruitt said. “We have to fix that….I wish we had 30 of them (spring practice) so we could, but we only get 15. I’m not sure everyone took advantage of their opportunities today. We will watch the tape and see if that’s right or not.”
Head Coach Jeremy Pruitt Press Conference Transcript – March 27, 2018
Opening Statement:
“It was an interesting day out there today for me. Coming off of the field I was ticked off, I don’t know if it’s because I am mad at the way the whole team practiced or if it’s because the offense kicked the defense’s tail. I haven’t figured it out yet, so I have to watch tape and see. One thing I did notice today was that we had a lot of guys that had two days off and did not respond the right way. We have to fix that. We need to be having spring practice every day. I wish we had 30 of them so we could, but we only get 15. I’m not sure everyone took advantage of their opportunities today. We will watch the tape and see if that’s right or not.”
On the offense making big plays against the defense today:
“Sometimes you get beat because the other guy is better than you. Sometimes you get beat because you don’t execute the right way. If the other team beats us because they are better than us, that’s one thing. When you make mental errors, it’s another. We made a lot of mental errors out there today. It was not very focused in the meetings. We did not take what we went over in the meetings onto the field. That probably contributed to some of it.”
On the progression of the players who are testing different positions:
“We will look at their whole body of work. We are still installing. We will install for five days before we really slow it down. We will see after seven days if we want to let those guys scrimmage on the ninth day or if we should go ahead and move them back to their original position. They are learning both right now.”
On preparing for the Orange and White game:
“Every day we evaluate all four groups. We don’t have any starters. We don’t have any second or third team guys. We have a rep chart. Everything is being evaluated. There is only so much pressure a coaching staff can put on guys to see how they respond in adverse situations. When you go to a scrimmage, I have seen guys that practice really well, then go to a scrimmage situation so it’s new and they have anxiety so they don’t perform well at the stadium. You have guys that perform fine in all of the practice situations and then go to the stadium and there is 102,000 people in the stadium and they have anxiety there and they don’t respond in the right way. Sometimes you find guys who rise to the occasion. I want to create a game like situation for the team to see who the competitors are. That’s one of the things we talked about going into spring practice, it was finding the guys who love to compete when the game is on the line. The only way to figure that out is to put them in a game like situation and pick sides and let’s go. My goal is to treat it just like it’s a game for us. We want to prepare and get used to our expectations because everything is new. Everything is new to what these guys have been accustomed to. I don’t want our first time to be when we are heading to Charlotte. We want to get it the way it’s going to be the night before a game. That’s what we are going to do.”
On if there are any position groups that have stood out:
“I’d say every group does some things well at times and then some things poorly at times. That’s really the thing you’re trying to do is kind of create a standard, be detailed about what we want to get done and try to get the guys to do it over and over again. A lot of our guys are trying to figure out exactly what the standard is. We’re improving and they’re willing, but we’ve gotta continue to make strides and we’re definitely not good enough to go backwards in a day.”
On what he hopes to learn from scheduled scrimmages:
“Your practice is kind of like you go in there and have meetings, you go over what you’re gonna go over and then you go out to practice and you do walkthroughs, then you make your individual practice around the things that you plan on doing that day. Then you have, whether it’s half-line, tray drill or man to man drills, so you kind of take the next step. Then, whether it’s seven on seven, it kind of works its way into teams. From there, that’s practice. There’s a little difference when you go out there and the coaches aren’t out there on the field with you, and you gotta make the calls, you going get lined up. They’re not there to encourage you, they’re not there to correct you. You’re playing just your 11 guys on one side of the ball, so that in itself is new. You definitely have to do that. It’s kind of like a test. You go to class for a certain period of time, you get the information and then they test you on it to see what kind of knowledge you’ve retained. That’s what a scrimmage is. To me, when you have the Orange and White game, you add the element when you create a game-like atmosphere. There’s a little more excitement, a little more anxiety, a little more pressure, butterflies. Some guys perform better in those situations, some guys perform worse. We need to find out who those guys are.”
On if there are any position groups that are better than when he originally evaluated the team:
“When I watched the film when I first got here, I’m just trying to get an idea, first of all how to kind of go about the recruiting class, to have an idea. Can you move guys around? Can other guys play different positions? Because certain guys that were recruited here might not necessarily fit what I want to do with them. I didn’t really look at it as a group. I just kind of looked at it from an individual basis.”
On what he is looking for from defensive backs:
“We need all our defensive backs to be able to play more than one position. First of all, it helps them create value in themselves. If you’re going to play five defensive backs, you want your sixth best defensive back to be the first guy in the game if one of those five guys gets hurt. So, if your left corner gets hurt, and you got 10 guys, and it just so happens that the backup left corner is the 10th best player, it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to put the 10th best guy in before you put the sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth guy in. We want all our guys to learn multiple positions, and we teach things by concepts, so we’re working a lot of guys there.”
On how the process of installing new schemes has gone through four practices:
“I think the big thing for our guys is the meetings. I think the meetings are a little different than what they’re accustomed to. I do think the guys are trying hard to grasp it. Obviously it’s a different defense, so there’s not a lot of familiarity when you cross over. It’s a lot of new concepts, but it’s no different in any other place I’ve been. When you start in the spring and you start installing for the guys, if you have freshmen out there, which everybody’s like a freshman because it’s the first time they’ve ever heard it, usually it’s the second time through in the second week before they kind of start grasping everything.”
On who has stood out on offense:
“When we do a good job protecting, our guys have made some good throws. When we step in the right direction and play with good pad level up front, all of our runners are capable of creating positive plays. It’s hard to single anybody out, but when everybody is on the same page, good things have happened.”
On special teams:
“We are doing a lot of drills right now, a lot of fundamentals. For us to go out there and do a certain amount of teams as far as first team, second team, third team, we don’t even know who the best football players are yet. We don’t know who’s going to get on the bus and go to the first game, so for us, we need to teach as many fundamentals as we can. Stay with the basics, whether it’s how to protect and punt or hold up in punt return, how to stack kick-off return, how to press the ball in the cover game. We’re doing as many things as we can that way, and then as we build after the next couple of practices, we’ll get into more teamwork.”
On behind honored in his hometown of Rainesville, Ala. with the key to the city:
“I have a lot of pride in where I’m from, and I think the people in our community do. I was fired up about it and very appreciative of it, but the main thing I was fired up about is my old high school team won the state championship in basketball. That was a big deal to me and our community.”
On what he does to show his team they are picking up in things:
“Offenses create a lot of multiples when you talk about the defensive side and the way they move around. That’s the way the game is in college. Everybody is going fast, snapping the ball. You get a lot of rocket motions and unusual formations. You have to recognize formations, splits, backfield locations, whatever it is, so they’re creating multiples. The more multiples you have and the more multiples they have, it just becomes a lot of stuff. Communicating is a big deal. You have to be a good communicator if you’re going to play good defense, because the first thing nowadays is you have to get lined up, and everybody has to be on the same page. We’ll tell a lot more of that. There may be guys out here right now that can make the calls, do this and do that, but when we roll out there the first time to scrimmage, they may not can do it. When we have the Orange and White game, and hopefully we have the crowd that I’m expecting, the may excel or they may not. We’ll see, but we need to know that.”
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“Family First” Lady Antebellum Gears Up for Summer Tour With Six Kids On the Road
Lady Antebellum’s Hillary Scott, Dave Haywood and Charles Kelley are going to be doing a lot of “playing” on their co-headlining Summer Plays On Tour with Darius Rucker.
When Dave welcomed daughter Lillie Renee Haywood on December 22 and Hillary gave birth to twins Betsy Mack and Emory JoAnn Tyrrell on January 29, it brought the total number of Little Antebellums to six, joining Eisele Tyrrell, 4, Cash Haywood, 3, and Ward Kelley, 2.
With six tykes on tour this summer, Lady A will have a virtual traveling daycare.
“You know, it’s part of it,” says Charles to Kix Brooks of American Country Countdown. “We always want to put family first. We adjust. We always have. It’s like a traveling road family out there, and yeah, they almost are like little siblings already, so it’ll be interesting.”
“The [older] kids have been out a lot on tour, so they play together great,” says Dave. “It’s super cute. Eisele’s the leader of the bunch, and Cash and Ward are following her around, which is super cute to watch. But to think about the fact that there will be six is just really weird to even say.”
Kicking off on July 19 in Toronto, Ontario, the 30-date Summer Plays On Tour will make stops in Seattle, Phoenix, San Diego, Chicago, Philadelphia and more.
We hope Darius knows what he signed up for.
photo by Jason Simanek
Future Lady Vols To Play in McDonald’s All American Game
ATLANTA – Three of the four 2018 Tennessee women’s basketball signees will take part in the McDonald’s All American Game on Wednesday evening at Philips Arena.
The 17th annual McDonald’s All American Girls Game will tip off at 5 p.m. ET and will air live on ESPN2. The men’s game follows on ESPN.
Tickets for the 2018 McDonald’s All American Boys and Girls Games are on sale via Ticketmaster or at the Philips Arena box office. Ticket prices start as low as $10.
Amira “Mimi” Collins, a 6-3 forward from Waldorf, Md. (Paul VI Catholic H.S. [Fairfax, Va.]); Zarielle “Zay” Green, a 6-0 guard from Duncanville, Texas (Duncanville H.S.); and Jazmine Massengill, a 6-0 point guard from Chattanooga (Hamilton Heights Christian Academy); will be in action. Collins and Massengill will play for the East, while Green is a member of the West roster. Rae Burrell, a 6-1 wing from Henderson, Nev. (Liberty H.S.), was a nominee from her home state but not among the final honorees.
Lady Vol head coach Holly Warlick and her staff followed up last season’s four-player class of McDonald’s All-Americans with a group of three this time around. That two-year total of seven is the second-most ever assembled over a two-year span by the UT program behind the 2007 (3) and 2008 (5) collection of eight. The most recent McDonald’s All-Americans bring the all-time total of Lady Vol honorees to 34, including 13 players who signed during Warlick’s six seasons as head coach.
“On behalf of the Atlanta Hawks, Philips Arena and the great city of Atlanta, we’re proud to host the 2018 McDonald’s All American Games and are excited they are returning to a region of the country with such a storied legacy of basketball,” said Dominique Wilkins, Vice President of Basketball for the Atlanta Hawks and a 1979 McDonald’s All American. “Having spent much of my life playing and living here, I know the city and fans will enjoy hosting this event and seeing the next great crop of basketball talent.”
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![Chris Stapleton to Headline 2018 Pilgrimage Festival [Full Lineup]](https://cdn.socast.io/6616/sites/1446/2018/03/13100330/Chris-Stapleton.jpg#aqua_resizer_image_not_local)
Chris Stapleton to Headline 2018 Pilgrimage Festival [Full Lineup]
The Pilgrimage Music & Cultural Festival announced the lineup for its fourth annual event on Sept. 22 and 23 in Franklin, Tenn.
Chris Stapleton, Jack White, Lionel Richie, Counting Crows and Brand Carlile are among those slated to take the stage during the two-day festival that also features a variety of food trucks and craft beers.
Tickets go on sale on March 30 at 10 a.m. CT. Two-day passes cost $185, while a Grand Champion Experience With Blackberry Farm ticket costs $2,500.
A portion of ticket sales will benefit MusiCares, a nonprofit organization that was established by the Recording Academ to provide a wide range of emergency financial assistance and addiction recovery resources to members of the music community.
The full lineup is below.
- Chris Stapleton
- Jack White
- Lionel Richie
- Hozier
- Brandi Carlile
- Counting Crows
- Amos Lee
- Bleachers
- Lord Huron
- Dawes
- Maggie Rogers
- Elle King
- Mat Kearney
- Valerie June
- The Struts
- Jade Bird
- Kevin Griffin
- Keb’ Mo’
- The White Buffalo
- Pete Yorn
- The Record Company
- Caitlyn Smith
- John Moreland
- The Infamous Stringdusters
- all Heights
- Tyminski
- Aaron Lee Tasjan
- Jillian Jacqueline
- Low Cut Connie
- Donovan Woods
- Courtney Marie Andrews
- Rebirth Brass Band
- Wild Rivers
- Joshua Hedley
- Caroline Rose
- Robert Finley
- Devon Gilfillian
- Whitney Rose
- Lilly Hiatt
- Sarah Shook & The Disarmers
- AHI
- Liz Longley
- Hannah Dasher
- Josh Martin
- Bishop Gunn
- Ralph’s World + Friends Siama’s Congo Roots
- 123 Andrés
- Mister G
- Cajun Mike
- Tom Mason and the Blue Buccaneers and more
photo by Jason Simanek
Ricky Skaggs, Dottie West & Johnny Gimble Elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame
The Country Music Association announced its 2018 Country Music Hall of Fame inductees on March 27:
- Modern Era: Ricky Skaggs
- Veteran Era: Dottie West
- Musician: Johnny Gimble
Ricky Skaggs
As far as a pioneer, Ricky Skaggs is one of the great innovators and trailblazers of modern country. Ricky led the fight to bring country music back from the depths of Urban Cowboy and pop-infused country in the early 1980s. He helped pioneer the era’s neo-traditionalist movement, drawing upon his heroes like Bill Monroe and Ralph Stanley. Fusing the contemporary sounds with a notable touch of bluegrass, Ricky made traditional country popular again, even racking up a No. 1 hit with a remake of Bill Monroe’s “Uncle Pen.” The decade soon gave way to more traditionalists who followed Ricky’s lead, including Randy Travis, Hank Williams Jr. and Keith Whitley. No less a figure than the legendary Chet Atkins once credited Ricky for “single-handedly” saving county music.
And his influence? To start, Ricky’s outstanding musicianship—he plays mandolin, guitar and fiddle, among others—has placed him in a different class of artists. Not only could he write and sing the songs, he could play them with a feverish ferocity. His versatility and almost jazz-like improvisational playing has certainly influenced the likes of Vince Gill and Brad Paisley, along with countless bluegrass artists.
In the last 15 years, Ricky has turned his creative attention more toward bluegrass and Christian music. Indeed, most of his Grammy honors have been earned in the bluegrass field as he helped bridge the gap between the sounds of Appalachia and the stylings of Music Row.
Ricky has also been a progressive reformer through his collaborations with artists from genres well beyond the country boundaries. He has recorded critically praised efforts with pop icon Barry Gibb of The Bee Gees and rock standout Bruce Hornsby, who has often joined Ricky on tour. Through these various pairings, Ricky has undoubtedly brought new fans to country music.
Ricky earned eight Country Music Association Awards (including Entertainer of the Year in 1985) and 15 Grammy awards. He was a member of both Ralph Stanley’s Clinch Mountain Band and Emmylou Harris’ famed Hot Band.
Dottie West
Born Dorothy Marie Marsh on October 11, 1932 near McMinnville, Tennessee, she endured an abusive childhood at the hands of her father while working as a teenager in her mother’s restaurant. Music became her outlet to escape the real world, as she began playing guitar with a local band while in high school.
After graduation, she continued her education with a music scholarship at Tennessee Technological University in Cookeville. It was there she would meet Bill West, whom she would marry. The young couple moved to Cleveland, Ohio, where she began to appear on a local television program. All the while, West continued to keep her heart and mind focused on that musical mecca just a few miles up the road from her hometown – Nashville.
She made repeated trips to Music City in hopes of getting her songs heard throughout the 1950s. By 1959, she achieved her goal – a recording contract with Starday Records. Though recording success would elude her there, her compositions began to be heard around town, as she toured and became friends with such performers as Patsy Cline.
In 1963, superstar Jim Reeves recorded her song “Is This Me?” and the song became a No. 3 record on the Billboard Country singles chart. She soon signed with RCA Victor, where she recorded with Reeves on “Love Is No Excuse” and then hit solo stardom with the self-penned “Here Comes My Baby.” The song helped West become the first female artist in Country Music history to win a Grammy and launched a run of hits that included “Would You Hold It Against Me” and “Paper Mansions.”
Two of West’s hits for RCA Victor – “Country Girl” and “Country Sunshine” – were featured in television campaigns for Coca-Cola, with the latter winning a coveted Clio award for television advertising.
In 1976, West signed with United Artists Records, where she found an immediate hit with “When It’s Just You and Me.” Not long after, she was finishing up a recording session one afternoon when the next artist who happened to show up early was Kenny Rogers. The two began to harmonize on a song that she was going to record, and the rest was history. That record, “Every Time Two Fools Collide,” topped the charts in short order and served as the catalyst for a pair of Gold-selling albums, back-to-back CMA Awards for Vocal Duo of the Year, and one of the most successful tours in Country Music history.
The duets with Rogers also propelled West’s solo career to new heights, with songs such as “Are You Happy Baby?” and “A Lesson In Leavin’” becoming fan favorites. In addition to her own recorded work, she was instrumental in the careers of several other artists, musicians, and songwriters including Grand Ole Opry members Larry Gatlin, Jeannie Seely, and Steve Wariner. As she entered her fifties – an era where women in the format typically slowed down – she continued to plow ahead in new creative fields including film and theater.
On her way to an appearance on the Grand Ole Opry in August of 1991, West was involved in an automobile accident. Despite three surgeries, and a valiant fight for her life, she succumbed to her injuries at the age of 58. Now, the career trajectory of Dottie West places her in the same destination that her previous duet partners of Jim Reeves, Kenny Rogers, Don Gibson, and Jimmy Dean have landed – the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Johnny Gimble
Johnny Gimble was born May 30, 1926 in Tyler, Texas. The music bug bit him early, as he was playing the fiddle by age 10. Before the 1940s, he was playing professionally as a member of a band called the Rose City Swingsters alongside his brothers. One of his early gigs was playing music during Jimmie Davis’ campaign for Governor in Louisiana. After serving his country in World War II, Gimble returned to his native Lone Star State and performed on local radio shows. His musicianship would merit the attention of Bob Wills, who hired him to be a member of his Texas Playboys in 1949, an association that would last on and off through the 1960s.
His fiddle work would be heard on hundreds of classic hit recordings over the years, with Marty Robbins’ 1952 chart-topper “I’ll Go On Alone” being one early example. His tasty licks would grace classic hits from Connie Smith and Conway Twitty. In 1970, Gimble added his touch to Merle Haggard’s seminal A Tribute to the Best Damn Fiddle Player in the World (or, My Salute to Bob Wills). Over the years, Gimble’s work was heard on television series such as “Hee Haw” (where he was a member of the Million Dollar Band) and “Austin City Limits.” He was also a key element of the 1973 disc Superpickers from Chet Atkins, which featured (in addition to Atkins) Country Music Hall of Fame members Hargus “Pig” Robbins and Charlie McCoy.
In 1979, Gimble once again took on the role of a road musician, with a two-year stint in Willie Nelson’s band – also appearing in the singer’s “Honeysuckle Rose” film. In 1982, he went in front of the camera to portray the man who gave him his first major musical break – Bob Wills – in the Clint Eastwood theatrical release “Honkytonk Man.”
All along the way, Gimble continued to make melodies with his fiddle that found their way into the hearts of millions of Country Music fans around the world. In 1983, a rising young artist who grew up enamored by the music of Wills named George Strait utilized Gimble’s magic on his Right or Wrong album. This working relationship would prove to be one of the longest associations of his career. He would appear on 10 of Strait’s albums through 1992, becoming a key part of Strait’s early sound on such hits as “Baby’s Gotten Good At Goodbye” and “All My Ex’s Live In Texas.”
Gimble’s work earned him 15 CMA Awards nominations, including 14 nominations for Instrumentalist/Musician of the Year from 1975 through 1990. He won five times, in 1975, as well as 1986-87, and 1989-90. Along the way, he also tallied two Grammy trophies.
Johnny Gimble died on May 9, 2015 at the age of 88. Fans can celebrate the collection of legendary musicians as it grows a little larger with the induction of Johnny Gimble into its hallowed ranks.
photo courtesy of Absolute Publicity
Miranda Lambert Closes Tour With Sizeable Donations to Pet Shelters
With eight rescue dogs of her own, it’s no secret Miranda Lambert has a soft spot in her heart for fury, four-legged friends.
That’s why in 2009, Miranda and her mom, Bev, started the MuttNation Foundation, an organization with the mission of ending animal suffering and homelessness on every front. The foundation has successfully raised millions of dollars to aid organizations, government institutions and entities that build animal shelters for better care and increased pet adoption.
Miranda’s latest venture to nurture her love of music and mutts involved collecting dog food, treats, supplies and cash at the entrance of each venue on her recent 24-city Livin’ Like Hippies Tour. Concertgoers dropped off their donations—which will support local dog shelters in each area—at the “Fill the Little Red Wagon” activation located at the entrance of each venue before the shows.
“My fans are passionate—they care about music and they care about animals,” says Miranda. “Without them, neither my music nor MuttNation could reach as many people or help as many dogs as we do. It’s incredibly heartwarming to see The Little Red Wagon overflowing at each show and it makes me crazy happy to combine two of my biggest loves, music and mutts, every night.”
Look for the The Little Red Wagon to roll back out this summer when it jumps on the Bandwagon Tour, featuring Miranda and Little Big Town.
photo courtesy of Miranda Lambert
Luke Bryan Scores 20th No. 1 Single With “Most People Are Good”
Luke Bryan scored the 20th No. 1 single of his career as “Most People Are Good” ascended to the top of the Billboard Country Airplay chart.
Penned by David Frasier, Ed Hill and Josh Kear, the tune is the second single from Luke’s 2017 album, What Makes You Country. The song also marks Luke’s 12th consecutive Billboard No. 1 single, which is currently the longest streak.
“I think that ‘Most People Are Good’ might be one of the best songs I’ve ever recorded,” says Luke. “I think it’s a song that truly helps people believe in people again. We seem to get reminded every day of all the negativity of what humans are, and truly it’s only .001 percent of people causing all the negativity. I mean, I truly believe that. This song preaches the innocence of children, the beauty of mothers, the beauty of relationships, the beauty of what life truly could be and should be and really is. I think that most people lay their heads down at night and try to be better and try to be good to other people. And this song captures those emotions perfectly.”
photo by Tammie Arroyo, AFF-USA.com
Who’s New: Canaan Cox
Born: Asheville, N.C.
Lives: Nashville
Age: 28
Single: “Coming Back”
EP: Canaan Cox
Twitter: @CanaanCox
Instagram: @CanaanCox
Facebook: @CanaanMusic
North Carolina native Canaan Cox has been surrounded by mountain music since birth, learning the mandolin, fiddle and guitar before studying musical theater at Catawba College in Henderson, N.C. After taking his talents to the high seas—where he performed on Carnival Cruise Line for three years—Canaan moved to Nashville in 2016. He recently dropped his self-titled EP, featuring the new single, “Coming Back.”
How did you get started in music?
I’ve been surrounded by music since birth. With Grandma playing the piano for our little church to Mom playing in her own band and Dad putting on every Conway Twitty record ever released, I was in it. I’m from the mountains of North Carolina, so it wasn’t long until I picked up a mandolin while listening to Ricky Skaggs and other bluegrass greats. Then came fiddle and guitar, and I always plunked around on Grandma’s piano.
At what age did you realize you wanted to make music your career?
It’s been the only dream I have ever had—to be able to do something I’m so passionate about and watch people enjoy it. I got serious about it after I wrote my first song during my freshmen year in college. One of my professor heard me sing—and he owned his own studio—so one thing led to another, and after hearing something that I created in my head come out in a full-blown production, I was hooked.
Did you study music in college?
Yes. I went to Catawba College in North Carolina and got my BFA in Musical Theatre. Throughout my time there, we studied everything from piano and theory to aural skills and ballet.
Who are some of your musical influences?
In country music, I definitely loved Joe Diffie. However, I love putting some soul and funk into my country music, so Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson and even the ’90s boy band Hanson are some huge influences when it comes to my style.
What three words describe you as a musician?
Entertaining A.F. [laughing]. Can I say that? If not, dynamic, percussive, entertaining.
What would you say is unique about your sound?
My vocal abilities and timbre. I have a pop style in my abilities with riffs and vibrato, so it’s fun to be able to throw that into country music.
What does your new single, “Coming Back,” say about you as an artist?
That a negative doesn’t have to be bad. The song itself talks about a break-up—we know we shouldn’t be together, yet here we are. In writing the song, I wanted to focus more on why we were so good in the first place. I didn’t want to focus on coming back for a one-night-stand thing. I wanted the audience to be like, “Ugh, why cant I get her/him off my mind?” Is it because of that first kiss or that time we slow danced in the rain or that time she looked at me just before I told her I loved her? It’s a positive take on a negative situation.
Did you know the woman who played the lead in the “Coming Back” video?
I didn’t know her at all. However, I had a specific look in mind for her. So I searched through some modeling sites in Nashville and found the look. It was really cool reaching out to Emma about doing the video because she knew my music beforehand. We clicked immediately and it made for a fun shoot.
What was the first concert you ever attended?
Rascal Flatts. Blake Shelton and Jason Aldean were opening for them.
What’s the last song you heard that blew you away?
Coming from a musical theatre background, it’s no surprise I’ve seen The Greatest Showman four times. That soundtrack is absolutely brilliant and breathtaking. I’ve even added one of the songs to my set. But the track “Never Enough” is simply stellar. I don’t care what kind of music you listen to, if you hear this and aren’t moved, you’re dead inside.
Where is the most interesting place you’ve performed?
I performed on cruise ships for about three years. With Nashville being a tourist hot spot, there have been many times I have played downtown and people will come in and be like, “Canaan Cox? I saw you last year on the Carnival Magic.”
What family member or friend has been the most supportive of your musical career?
My dad. He is my my best friend. He jokingly calls himself my “Southeastern Regional Manager.” It was all jokes and such until he actually called me one day and got me on our local radio station, booked me a few gigs and got me the number of a venue. And fun little sidenote, he is the only one I’ve ever co-written with.
photo courtesy of Canaan Cox
UT’S Nared Receives AP All-America Honorable Mention
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee women’s basketball standout Jaime Nared is among those earning honorable mention distinction on the 2018 AP All-America Team that the organization released on Monday.
The team was selected by a 32-member national media panel that votes on the AP Top 25 each week. This marked Nared’s first-ever recognition on any sort of All-America team.
A 6-foot-2 forward from Portland, Ore., Nared led Tennessee in scoring at 16.7 points per game in 2017-18 and was third on the squad with 7.4 rebounds per contest. She also ranked first in steals (73), second in three-pointers made (27), third in assists (84) and third in blocks (20), while leading the Lady Vols in free throw percentage (.820), free throws made (169) and free throws attempted (206).
With 19 double-doubles during her career, Nared’s 10 this season ranked her sixth among SEC players and seventh-most ever by a Lady Vol senior. She finished second all-time at UT in a season in free throws made (169) and 10th in free throws attempted (206), while standing fifth in career free throws made (429) and fifth in career free throw percentage (.827). Her scoring average of 16.7 is the eighth-highest all-time of any Lady Vol senior and her career point total of 1,460 ranks No. 26 on UT’s scoring list.
Nared finished fourth in the SEC in steals this season (2.2 spg.), ninth in scoring (16.7 ppg.), ninth in free throw percentage (.820), 10th in minutes played (33.4) and 14th in rebounding (7.4 rpg.). She was named WBCA All-Region, All-SEC First Team by the coaches and second team by the media, MVP of the Cancun Challenge and a finalist for the Cheryl Miller Award. She also was named USBWA Ann Meyers Drysdale National Player of the Week, a two-time SEC Player of the Week, a two time College Sports Madness National Player of the Week and a three-time College Sports Madness SEC Player of the Week.
UT Athletics
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