Photo Gallery: Alan Jackson’s Hall of Fame Ceremony With George Strait, Randy Travis, Oak Ridge Boys & More

Photo Gallery: Alan Jackson’s Hall of Fame Ceremony With George Strait, Randy Travis, Oak Ridge Boys & More

The Country Music Association inducted Alan Jackson (modern era), Jerry Reed (veteran era/posthumously) and Don Schlitz (songwriter) into the Country Music Hall of Fame on Sunday, Oct. 22.

During the ceremony, Bobby Bare, Vince Gill and Connie Smith presented Alan, Don and the family of Jerry with their official Hall of Fame medallions, while musical tributes were performed by George Strait, Alison Krauss, Aloe Blacc with Vince Gill, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Jamey Johnson, Ray Stevens, Lee Ann Womack, Charlie Worsham with Jelly Roll Johnson and Thom Schuyler.

Before the Medallion Ceremony took place, a number of stars walked the red carpet, including Alan Jackson, George Strait, Kris Kristofferson, Randy Travis, the Oak Ridge Boys, Charlie Daniels and more.

Take a look at our red carpet photo gallery, courtesy of Tammie Arroyo, AFF-USA.com.

Shay Mooney of Dan + Shay Marries Hannah Billingsley

Shay Mooney of Dan + Shay Marries Hannah Billingsley

Dan + Shay’s Shay Mooney and Hannah Billingsley tied the knot at his parents’ farm in Arkansas on Oct. 20.

Shay and Hannah got engaged in August 2016 and welcomed a baby boy, Asher James, in January.

Congrats to the newlyweds, who will be honeymooning in Cancun, Mexico.

#1 Alabama beats Tennessee 45-7; Third straight UT loss, now 0-4 in SEC

#1 Alabama beats Tennessee 45-7; Third straight UT loss, now 0-4 in SEC

Vols LB Daniel Bituli / Credit: UT Athletics

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Tennessee’s defense had its first interception returned for a touchdown of the season, but the Volunteers fell to No. 1 Alabama, 45-7on Saturday at Bryant-Denny Stadium.

Today’s “Third Saturday of October” matchup marked the 100th meeting between the two programs. Dating back to 1901, Tennessee (3-4, 0-4 SEC) holds a 38-55-7 all-time record against Alabama (7-0, 5-0), including a 4-9 record in Tuscaloosa and an 18-30-6 record overall on the road.

Redshirt freshman quarterback Jarrett Guarantano completed 9 of 16 passes for 44 yards and threw one interception, while junior running back John Kelly rushed for 63 yards on 12 carrries (5.3 average).

Alabama starting quarterback Jalen Hurts finished 13-of-21 for 198 yards and one touchdown. Tua Tagovailoa entered in the third quarter and finished 9-of-12 for 134 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Tagovailoa also rushed for a touchdown.

Alabama wasted no time getting on the scoreboard, as the Crimson Tide went 63 yards down the field in 12 plays on its opening drive to take a 7-0 lead in the first quarter.

Tennessee’s defense forced a three-and-out on Alabama’s opening drive of the second quarter. The Vols got off five plays for 23 yards before redshirt senior punter Trevor Daniel booted the ball 47 yards to the UA15.

The Tide then added 14 points to the board in the second as junior running backs Bo Scarbrough and Damien Harris each rushed for a touchdown.

Alabama extended its lead to 28-0 in the third when Hurts completed a pass to Irv Smith Jr. for a 14-yard score.

With six minutes left in the third quarter, sophomore linebacker Daniel Bituliintercepted Tagovailoa’s pass over the middle and returned it 97 yards to the end zone. Freshman kicker Brent Cimaglia then made the first PAT of his career, cutting the Crimson Tide’s lead to 28-7. Bituli is the first Alabama opposing player to have a pick-six since 2015.

Tennessee’s defense held Alabama to a field goal to close the third, but the Tide went 77 yards on seven plays in its next possession to take a 38-7 advantage.

In the fourth quarter, Daniel punted 60 yards to the UA15 where redshirt junior defensive back D.J. Henderson punched the ball loose at the UA19, forcing the first fumble of his Tennessee career. Redshirt junior defensive back Rashaan Gauldenrecovered the ball at the 20-yard line.

Alabama scored the final touchdown of the game with five minutes on the clock.

In his first career start, freshman defensive back Shawn Shamburger led Tennessee with 12 tackles and a sack. Redshirt sophomore linebacker Quart’e Sapp had 11 tackles and a QBH in the game.

The Vols head to Lexington, Kentucky, next Saturday to face the Wildcats at 7:30 p.m. ET. The game will be aired on SEC Network.

-UT Athletics

 

Jimmy’s blog: Vols offense struggles again as Bama runs streak to 11 in a row

Jimmy’s blog: Vols offense struggles again as Bama runs streak to 11 in a row

By Jimmy Hyams

You’ve got the ball on the one-foot line, but you can’t score.

You force a turnover on a fumble through the end zone, but it’s negated by a penalty.

You force a third-and-10 when it’s 14-0, but another penalty gives Alabama a first down en route to a touchdown drive.

You score on a 97-yard interception return and a star defensive player classlessly flips off Alabama fans with both middle fingers.

That, folks, is Tennessee football. And it’s not a pretty site.

It must be frustrating and maddening for Tennessee fans to watch the Vols continue to implode, this time in a 45-7 pasting Saturday afternoon against No. 1 Alabama.

Alabama showed why it is undefeated.

Tennessee showed why it’s 3-4 and headed toward a losing season – unless things change dramatically on offense.

In my 33 years of covering Tennessee football, this is the most inept offense I’ve seen.

Tennessee’s attack has now gone 14 quarters without scoring a touchdown. It crossed midfield only twice against the Crimson Tide’s top-ranked defense. It managed just seven first downs.

It was outgained by a staggering 604 yards to 108 yards (3.2 yards per snap).

It converted 1 of 12 third-down tries and faced third downs of 11, 12, 14, 15, 19, 17, 8 and 7 yards. The Vols have now made good on 5 of 37 third downs spanning three games.

As bad as the third-down offense has been, the red zone offense has been just as bad. It ranks last in the SEC and among the bottom 20 in the nation. The Vols have scored a touchdown on 10 of 20 trips in the red zone; they are 10 of 12 v. non-SEC opponents, 0 of 8 against SEC teams.

“The offense had way too many negative plays, no explosive plays, and too many tbhree-and-outs,’’ said Tennessee coach Butch Jones, now 2-8 in his last 10 SEC games.

The offense refrain has become familiar, and I see no relief in site.

Redshirt freshman quarterback Jarrett Guarantano complete 9 of 16 passes for 44 yards – and some considered that progress.

I don’t think Tennessee can post a winning record in its last five games with Guarantano at the helm. He is not accurate, he stares down receivers, he holds the ball in the pocket too long, he doesn’t anticipate receivers breaking open and he isn’t that good of a runner.

In short, he’s not ready for prime time playing.

I would strongly consider going back to Quinten Dormady, if his bum right shoulder is healthy enough to perform. After all, he did play very well in the second half and overtime against Georgia Tech, and did a nice job in the fourth quarter against Florida.

I’m not the only one that would look to Dormady.

Former Tennessee great Tim Irwin said on WNML’s Sunday Sports Soundoff that he would go back to the junior.

“Don’t pay the price to get him (Guarantano) ready,’’ Irwin said.

But there might not be a way to fix Tennessee’s inept offense at this point.

The offense line is awful. The receivers don’t get open consistently and drop too many passes. And the quarterback play might be the worst in the SEC.

Quick: Name an SEC team that has had poorer quarterback play.

Irwin also thinks UT’s offense must do two things to get better: Find the tight end and get the ball to receiver Marquez Callaway.

In the last 14 quarters, Tennessee’s offense has gained 561 yards, allowed 14 sacks and averaged 2.98 yards per play.

One series in the fourth quarter against Alabama typified how pathetic UT’s offense has become.

The Vols took over on the Alabama 20 after a fumbled punt. Two plays later, roughing the passer put the ball on the 5. Two runs put the ball on the 1 after John Kelly was ruled to have come up a foot shy of the goal line.

Just as I predicted before the snap, UT was guilty of illegal procedure, moving the ball back to the 5. A run gained 1, then, on fourth down, Guarantano threw well behind intended receiver Kelly and Alabama intercepted near the goal line.

Had Guarantano led Kelly on the pass, UT would have scored.

That, in a nutshell, tells you where UT’s offense is.

And if it doesn’t get much better soon, UT’s three-game winning streak could stretch to four at Kentucky this Saturday.


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Sales of Jason Aldean’s “SNL” Performance of “I Won’t Back Down” Will Benefit Las Vegas Shooting Victims

Sales of Jason Aldean’s “SNL” Performance of “I Won’t Back Down” Will Benefit Las Vegas Shooting Victims

After a gunman killed 58 people and injured close to 500 while Jason Aldean was onstage in Las Vegas on Oct. 1, Jason opened Saturday Day Night on Oct. 7 with a message of hope before performing a cover of Tom Petty’s “I Won’t Back Down.”

Jason’s cover of “I Won’t Back Down” is now available across digital retailers and streaming services, with all proceeds going to the Direct Impact Fund to benefit victims of the Las Vegas shooting.

“I’m Jason Aldean,” said Jason from the SNL stage. “This week, we witnessed one of the worst tragedies in American history. Like everyone, I’m struggling to understand what happened that night and how to pick up the pieces and start to heal. So many people are hurting—they’re our children, parents, brothers, sisters, friends. They’re all part of our family. So I want to say to them, we hurt for you and we hurt with you. You can be sure that we are gonna walk through these tough times together every step of the way, because when America is at its best, our bond and our spirit, it’s unbreakable.”

Jason performed “I Won’t Back Down,” a song made famous by Tom Petty, who passed away on Oct. 2. After his performance, Jason opened the show by saying “Live from New York, it’s Saturday night.”

Watch Darius Rucker’s Boot-Stompin’ New Video, “For the First Time”

Watch Darius Rucker’s Boot-Stompin’ New Video, “For the First Time”

Darius Rucker dropped his fifth country album, When Was the Last Time, today (Oct. 20).

The 12-song offering already boasts a No. 1 hit, as lead single, “If I Told You,” reached the top of the Billboard Country Airplay chart in June. The album’s follow-up single, “For the First Time,” which was penned by Darius, Derek George and Scooter Carusoe, is No. 43 on the chart after 10 weeks.

“There’s a lot of nostalgia in ‘For the First Time,’” says Darius to Nash Country Daily. “The line ‘Say you never drank from the bottle of some two dollar wine, run barefoot through the mud’—that’s stuff you do in high school and college, so it was a fun one to write.”

Check out the new video for “For the First Time” below.

photo by David McClister/EB Media

When Was the Last Time Track List and Songwriters

  1. “For the First Time” (Darius Rucker, Derek George, Scooter Carusoe)
  2. “Bring It On” (Ross Copperman, Ashley Gorley, Dallas Davidson)
  3. “Life’s Too Short” (Copperman, Jon Nite, Jaren Johnston)
  4. “If I Told You” (Copperman, Shane McAnally, Nite)
  5. “Don’t” (Adam Doleac, A.J. Babcock, Pete Good)
  6. “Twenty Something” (McAnally, Nite, Zach Crowell, Josh Osborne)
  7. “Straight to Hell” with Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan and Charles Kelley (Kevin Kinney)
  8. “Count the Beers” (Rucker, Dean Dillon, Josh Thompson)
  9. “Another Night With You” (Rucker, Dillon, Josh Thompson)
  10. “Hands On Me” (Copperman, McAnally, J.T. Harding)
  11. “She” (Chris Tompkins, Rodney Clawson)
  12. “Story to Tell” (Copperman, Gorley, Rucker)
Alan Jackson, Jerry Reed & Don Schlitz to Be Inducted Into the Country Music Hall of Fame on Oct. 22

Alan Jackson, Jerry Reed & Don Schlitz to Be Inducted Into the Country Music Hall of Fame on Oct. 22

The Country Music Association will inducted Alan Jackson (modern era), Jerry Reed (veteran era) and Don Schlitz (songwriter) into the Country Music Hall of Fame on Sunday, Oct. 22.

While the Medallion Ceremony is closed to the public, fans can check out the red carpet arrivals at 2:30 p.m. on Oct. 22. To prepare for the induction ceremony, the Hall of Fame will be closed on Oct. 22.

Check out a little bit more about Alan, Jerry and Don below.

Alan Jackson

Mustachioed and mulleted, Alan burst onto the country music scene in 1990 with his platinum-selling debut album, Here in the Real World. But that success—and mullet—didn’t happen overnight. To truly appreciate the heights to which this singer/songwriter has risen, it’s important to know where he stated. Born into humble beginnings in Newnan, Ga., in 1958, Alan grew up listening to the spiritual sounds of gospel music in his family’s local church. After a friend introduced him to the stylings of Gene Watson and Hank Williams Jr., Alan became hooked on the everyman lyricism of country music. When Alan was 16, his parents bought him a $50 guitar, and he made his first public performance a year later.

After graduating from high school, Alan worked a series of blue-collar jobs, started his own band, Dixie Steel, and became a frequent performer at local clubs. He scraped by on the regional circuit before landing his big break in 1986 when his wife, Denise, who was working as a flight attendant, met Glen Campbell and gave him a copy of Alan’s demo. Alan secured a songwriting gig at Glen’s publishing company, eventually becoming the first artist to sign with Arista’s new Nashville division in 1989. And the rest, as they say, is history.

Over the course of the next 27 years, Alan unleashed 35 No. 1 hits, including his 9/11 tribute “Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning),” dropped more than a dozen platinum albums and earned two Grammys, 16 CMA Awards (three for Entertainer of the Year) and 18 ACM Awards. He has sold nearly 60 million albums worldwide and ranks as one of the 10 best-selling country artists of all-time.

The folkloric escapades of Alan are almost as compelling as his music, from spontaneously adding a snippet of George Jones’ “Choices” to his set at the 1999 CMA Awards to donning a fake mullet and stonewashed jeans in his 2014 artist-in-residence show at the Country Music Hall of Fame. And if it’s been a while since you’ve reveled in the awesomeness of the 1993 music video for “Chattahoochee,” stop reading right now and watch it.

“For me to say I’m honored sounds like the standard old response, but for a man who loves country music, there is no higher honor,” said Alan during his acceptance speech. “This is the mountaintop.”

Jerry Reed

Jerry Reed

Jerry “The Guitar Man” Reed was born in Atlanta on March 20, 1937, and passed away from complications of emphysema on Sept. 1, 2008, at the age of 71.

Over his storied career, the consummate entertainer racked up hits as a singer and songwriter, while mesmerizing fans with his guitar prowess and charming audiences with his down-home acting chops.

As a songwriter, Jerry penned tunes for everyone from Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash to Dean Martin and Tom Jones. As a solo artist, Jerry found his groove with hits like “Amos Moses,” “When You’re Hot, You’re Hot”—which won a Grammy Award—“Lord, Mr. Ford,” and “East Bound and Down,” which served as the theme song to 1977’s Smokey and the Bandit. In the flick, Jerry starred opposite Burt Reynolds as wily truck driver Cledus “Snowman” Snow.

Leave it to Jerry to upshift the unsavory occupation of bootlegging beer into an anthem for every truck-driving Southerner with an unquenchable thirst for adventure. When The boys are thirsty in Atlanta and there’s beer in Texarkana, the big-riggin’ Snowman will bring it back no matter what it takes.

“Thank you, CMA and Country Music Hall of Fame, for recognizing all the years of love, dedication and hard work that daddy put into his craft,” said Jerry’s daughters, Seidina Hubbard and Lottie Zavala, during their acceptance speech. “He loved country music and would be so deeply humbled and appreciative if he was here. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.”

Don Schlitz

Don Schlitz

Don is among the most influential and beloved songwriters in the history of country music. His chart-topping songs include “The Gambler,” “On the Other Hand,” “Forever and Ever, Amen,” “He Thinks He’ll Keep Her,” “The Greatest” and “When You Say Nothing At All.”

Don’s 50 Top 10 singles have been performed by iconic acts Mary Chapin Carpenter, Alison Krauss, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Kenny Rogers, The Judds, Randy Travis, Tanya Tucker, Keith Whitley, and many others. Don has won three CMA Song of the Year Awards, two Grammy Awards, and four consecutive ASCAP Country Songwriter of the Year trophies (1988-91).

Don was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Association Hall of Fame in 1993 and the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2012.

“I live in the parentheses,” said Don during his acceptance speech. “I’m just a small part of a wonderful process of making music. This is overwhelming and humbling.”

Listen to Alan Jackson’s New Song, “The Older I Get,” From Upcoming Album

Listen to Alan Jackson’s New Song, “The Older I Get,” From Upcoming Album

Alan Jackson has a big weekend ahead of him.

The Georgia native will be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame on Oct. 22, but Alan is getting the party started today (Oct. 20) by releasing a new song, “The Older I Get.”

Penned by Adam Wright, Hailey Whitters and Sarah Allison Turner, the tune is the first offering from Alan’s upcoming album, which is tentatively scheduled to drop in 2018. The album will be Alan’s first since 2015’s Angels and Alcohol.

“This song reflects a lot of how I feel these days,” says Alan. “It’s a good song. I really liked it, but the message was a little different when I first heard it. I thought maybe it could be a little more positive about being older and wiser and more content, so they rewrote a few things, and this is how it ended up.”

Listen to “The Older I Get” below.

 

Listen to the First Release From Chris Stapleton’s New Album, “From A Room: Vol 2”

Listen to the First Release From Chris Stapleton’s New Album, “From A Room: Vol 2”

Following the release of From A Room: Volume 1 in May 2017, Chris Stapleton announced that Volume 2 will be released on Dec. 1.

Taking its name from Nashville’s historic RCA Studio A—where it was recorded in 2016 with producer Dave Cobb—Volume 2 will feature nine songs, including seven co-penned by Chris.

One of the two songs that Chris did not co-write is Kevin Welch’s “Millionaire,” which you can listen to below.

From A Room: Volume 1 debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Country Albums chart and No. 2 on the all-genre Billboard 200 chart. It remains the best-selling country album of 2017.

From A Room: Volume 2 Track List & Songwriters

  1. “Millionaire” (Kevin Welch)
  2. “Hard Livin’” (Chris Stapleton, Kendell Marvel)
  3. “Scarecrow in the Garden” (Chris Stapleton, Brice Long, Matt Fleener)
  4. “Nobody’s Lonely Tonight” (Chris Stapleton, Mike Henderson)
  5. “Tryin’ to Untangle My Mind” (Chris Stapleton, Jaron Boyer, Kendell Marvel)
  6. “A Simple Song” (Chris Stapleton, Darrell Hayes)
  7. “Midnight Train to Memphis” (Chris Stapleton, Mike Henderson)
  8. “Drunkard’s Prayer” (Chris Stapleton, Jameson Clark)
  9. “Friendship” (Homer Banks, Lester Snell)

photo by Jason Simanek

Kelly, Phillips Accepted into National Leadership Honor Society

Kelly, Phillips Accepted into National Leadership Honor Society

Vols Kyle Phillips (L) & Todd Kelly Jr. (R) / Credit: UT Athletics

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee football players Todd Kelly Jr. and Kyle Phillips thought they were going to a team meeting on Wednesday at the Anderson Training Facility.

When the pair entered the defense’s team meeting room, both players were surprised to find several teammates, academic advisors and coaches waiting for them and clapping.

Kelly, a senior defensive back, and Phillips, a junior defensive end, had been “tapped” or accepted into Omicron Delta Kappa (ODK), the premiere National Leadership Honor Society that recognizes achievement of men and women in the areas of scholarship, athletics, community service/student leadership, journalism/student media, and creative/performing arts.

Only juniors and seniors with exceptional achievement who rise to the top 35% of their classes are eligible to be inducted into ODK.

The pair joins Tennessee legends Pat Summitt and Peyton Manning in Omicron Delta Kappa, as well as 2016 inductee, Joshua Dobbs.

“I’m very excited to be part of Omicron Delta Kappa. To be with Kyle – one of my teammates, one of my classmates – is pretty awesome,” Kelly said. “We brought it up actually a day ago…So it’s kind of funny that we both are being inducted. Just to hear about the alumni that have come before us, it’s a great experience and we are excited to do whatever we can for the society and we can’t thank them enough for inducting us.”

Kelly is a semifinalist for the 2017 William V. Campbell Trophy. He was on the watch list for the 2017 Lott IMPACT Trophy and a nominee for the Wuerffel Trophy and the AFCA Good Works Team. As a Knoxville native, Kelly takes a lot of pride in serving the local community. His community service activities have centered on helping children. From cheering on patients at East Tennessee Children’s Hospital to mentoring local fourth-graders at Lonsdale Elementary to serving others via the Emerald Youth Foundation and Read Across America, Kelly is committed to inspiring local youth. He is a member of the 100 Black Men of Knoxville, which serves as a catalyst to empower minority youth to reach their full potential. He has also served as a speaker at local churches and elementary schools.

A senior from Knoxville, he is a three-time member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll and collected CoSIDA Academic All-District honors in 2016. On the field, Kelly entered the 2017 season with 16 starts and 38 games played at safety in his career. He led the Vols in tackles with 71 in 2016. His 2017 season was cut short by injury, however, and he is expected to receive a medical redshirt and return for his redshirt senior year in 2018.

Phillips was thankful that Thornton Athletics Student Life Center Associate Director Marshall Steward reminded him to fill out the application form for the honor.

It was Steward, along with Assistant Athletics Director for Student-Athlete Engagement Kayla Smith, who presented Phillips and Kelly Jr. with their letters of induction.

“I was very surprised,” Phillips said. “Hearing about all of the people that have been given this award, like Pat Summitt, Peyton Manning … Josh Dobbs. It’s a great honor.”

This past summer, Phillips took part in the VOLeaders Academy’s 13-day study-abroad trip to Vietnam where he and fellow Tennessee student-athletes learned about the nation’s culture and used sports as a means to enact positive change. On the trip, Phillips interacted with Vietnamese youth, worked with children in orphanages and volunteered at various sport skill camps. Phillips was nominated by his coaches to take part in the VOLeaders Academy.

Additionally, the Nashville native has been a two-time member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll. On the field, he has been an integral part of the Vols’ defensive line rotation in 2017, appearing in all six games with one start and totaling 12 tackles with 2.5 tackles for loss. For his career, Phillips has appeared in 23 games with two starts and 35 stops.

“I’m extremely proud of Todd and Kyle,” Tennessee head coach Butch Jones said. “These two are everything you can ask for in a student-athlete. To have two players be accepted into the top national honor society in a single year is a tremendous honor for this football program. Joshua Dobbs received this honor last year and I’m glad they have taken the torch from him and continued the legacy of service, sportsmanship and academic achievement here with Team 121.”

Kelly and Phillips join six other current Tennessee student-athletes, who will be accepted into Omicron Delta Kappa later this month. The other UT student-athletes receiving this honor are junior swimmer Joey Reilman, senior swimmer Ryan Coetzee, junior swimmer Christina Paspalas, junior track and field and cross country team member Emma Reed, senior rower Jennifer Davis and junior rower Katie Porter.

Founded in 1914, ODK honors and develops leaders through scholarships, workshops, career opportunities, leadership resources and a lifelong connection to other members.

-UT Athletics

 

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