SpongeBob SquarePants, Patrick Star, Sandy Cheeks, Squidward, Mr. Krabs and the rest of the motley crew from Bikini Bottom will hit the Broadway stage on November 6 for the opening of The SpongeBob Musical.
According to the musical’s press release, SpongeBob and his crew have their hands full as they face total annihilation in their undersea world. But just when all hope seems lost, “a most unexpected hero rises up and takes center stage.”
Directed by Tina Landau, The SpongeBob Musical features original songs from a bevy of artists, including David Bowie, Steven Tyler and Joe Perry, and Lady Antebellum, whose offering, “Chop to the Top,” is performed as SpongeBob and Sandy climb a mountain.
Other artists who penned original songs include Yolanda Adams, Sara Bareilles, Jonathan Coulton, Alex Ebert of Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros, The Flaming Lips, John Legend, Cyndi Lauper, Panic! At the Disco, Plain White T’s, They Might Be Giants and T.I.
The new musical had a Chicago run during the summer of 2016, and now the show will open at Broadway’s The Palace Theatre on December 4, with previews beginning on November 6. Tickets go on sale on June 26.
RaeLynn is following up the March release of her debut No. 1 album, WildHorse, with a new single, “Lonely Call.”
When it came time to choose the album’s sophomore single, RaeLynn enlisted the help of some of her most trusted advisors: her fans.
“I knew the most important voice in this decision would be my fans,” RaeLynn says. “I asked and ‘Lonely Call’ won hands down. My fans obviously know me well because this is the one I was hoping for too.”
Co-written by RaeLynn, Nicolle Galyon and Rob Hawkins, “Lonely Call” follows the album’s lead single, “Love Triangle,” which reached the Top 30 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart.
The NHL’s Nashville Predators were back in action against the Pittsburgh Penguins for Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final on Monday night (June 5).
Like the Preds nine previous home playoff games, the performance of the national anthem was a star-studded affair—this time Dierks Bentley had the honor.
Lee Brice and his wife, Sara, announced the arrival of their baby daughter today (June 5) on Instagram. Trulee Nanette Brice was born in Nashville on Friday, June 2, at 9 a.m.
“We are so blessed and beyond overjoyed to bring our precious baby girl into the world,” said Lee in the post. “She’s beautiful, happy and healthy, we could not ask for anything more. Introducing Trulee Nanette Brice. Born June 2, 2017, at 9 a.m., weighing 7 lbs, 13 oz and 20 inches long.”
Trulee makes the Brice family a party of five, joining big brothers Ryker Mobley, 3, and Takoda, 8.
Bill Monroe’s estate is for sale, including name, image and likeness rights.
Bill, who died in 1996, popularized traditional bluegrass music in the U.S. as a singer, instrumentalist and influential bandleader. The “Father of Bluegrass,” as he was known, scored hits on the country charts during the 1940s and 1950s, including “Kentucky Waltz,” “Wicked Path of Sin” and “Gotta Travel On.” He is one of the few artists inducted into the International Bluegrass Hall of Fame, the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Some of the items included in the estate sale:
Uncle Pen’s Cabin, where Bill lived with his uncle from 1927–1929 after his parents died
BillMonroe.com
Name, image and likeness rights
Last will and testament
Personal record collection
Fiddle, with Bill’s initials inscribed
Interested parties should contact Tony Conway, Conway Entertainment Group, at 615-724-1818 for more information.
Tuning up for his CMA Fest and Bonnaroo performances this week in Tennessee, Luke Combs dropped by the Today show studio in NYC this morning (June 4) to perform his debut No. 1 single, “Hurricane,” as well as his new single, “When It Rains It Pours.”
Luke released his debut album, This One’s For You, on June 2. The 12-song offering, which was recorded in March 2016, features a dozen songs that Luke co-wrote.
“I think it’s a good synopsis of who I am,” says Luke to Nash Country Daily. “I don’t think there’s one track that sounds the same as another. It’s not in one lane. From track to track, it’s different every time. I wrote some of these songs over two years ago, so it’s been a long journey for these songs, and I’m excited for people to finally get their hands on them. We’ve got folks who have been to 30-something shows at this point. And they’ve heard stuff on the album a bunch of times, and they’re ready to be able to listen to it in their car or at home.”
Watch Luke perform “Hurricane” and “When It Rains It Pours” below.
Tennessee athletic director John Currie has been on the job since April 1.
He was hired Feb. 28.
One of the most polarizing issues he inherits is whether to restore the Lady Vols nickname and logo to all women’s sports, rather than have it apply to just women’s basketball.
Former Tennessee AD Dave Hart probably angered more people with his decision to implement “One Tennessee’’ than any verdict he rendered.
Currie has had two months on the job, three months overall, to digest the issue.
His thoughts now?
“I don’t have a full answer to all those questions, although I have been really appreciative of the way people have expressed their opinion on the Lady Vols brand and the Lady Vols logo,’’ Currie said.
“I personally have a tremendous sense of appreciation of the history of what women’s athletics at the University of Tennessee has been and meant to for all of college athletics. I appreciate that very, very much.
“It’s a really interesting issue and I know it is one that has caused pain and a feeling of disrespect among some of our constituents and I don’t like that. I don’t like pain and disrespect. So part of what we’re trying to do is be as respectful as possible in considering the different aspects and nuances of the issue.’’
With the start of classes and some women’s sports at UT just a few months away, Currie was asked when he would make a decision.
“I think it’s tough to put a timetable on something like that,’’ Currie said. “Part of my obligation, and I think the chancellor would concur, is to really listen. There’s lots of different folks. Most of our student-athletes are not on campus now. I think we need to be deliberate in that process. I also think it’s important to show a commitment to all of our athletes.’’
To that end, Currrie has attended a number of sporting events in the past few months – baseball, softball, tennis, track meets.
Currie said the commitment to women’s sports isn’t just with a logo but with “actions and words and hearts, and how we care about both men’s and women’s student athletes at the University of Tennessee.’’
But if Currie reinstates Lady Vols, that would be commitment enough for many women’s sports followers.
Tennessee football VFLs at the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame’s 51st Annual Induction Banquet at the Omni-Nashville Hotel / Credit: UT Athletics
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Five Tennessee football VFLs were among those enshrined at the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame’s 51st Annual Induction Banquet Saturday at the Omni-Nashville Hotel.
The 11-member 2017 induction class featured former Tennessee football stars Chad Clifton, Willie Gault, Haskel Stanback, Graham Vowell (posthumous) and Al Wilson.
A pair of Tennessee track national champions and Olympians also were “honored” by the Hall of Fame Saturday, as Justin Gatlin was named the Male Professional Athlete of the Year and current Vols sophomore Christian Coleman was the organization’s Male Amateur Athlete of the Year for the second consecutive year.
Former Southeastern Conference Commissioner Roy Kramer, a graduate of Maryville College, also was honored Saturday as the 2017 recipient of the Pat Summitt Lifetime Achievement Award.
The Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame, which held its first induction banquet in 1966, has as its goal to enshrine successful teams and individuals who display sportsmanship, good character and success, creating a legacy for others to follow. The Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame Museum is housed in Bridgestone Arena in Nashville.
Clifton, who is from Martin, Tennessee, enjoyed an All-SEC career at Tennessee from 1995-2000. After using his redshirt in 1995, he emerged as a fixture on the Vols’ offensive line, earning All-SEC honors in 1997 and 1998 and Sporting News All-American honors as a senior in 1999. UT went 43-7 with two SEC titles (1997, 1998) and one national title (1998) during Clifton’s four-year playing career at Rocky Top. This past summer, Clifton was inducted into the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame in honor of his outstanding 12-year, 165-game NFL career with the Packers, who selected him the second round of the 2000 NFL Draft with the 44th overall pick. He was a two-time Pro Bowl selection (2007, 2010) and a member of the Packers’ Super Bowl XLV champion team.
Gault was a two-sport standout for the Vols, starring both on the football team and the track and field team. He earned All-America honors as a senior in 1982, hauling in 50 receptions for 668 yards and four touchdowns. In 1980, he led the NCAA with three kickoff returns for touchdowns. Gault finished his UT career with 89 receptions for 1,482 yards and 10 touchdowns, 78 kick returns for 1,854 yards (23.8-yard average) and four touchdowns and 78 punt returns for 659 yards (8.4-yard average) and one touchdown. He was a prolific hurdler as well, setting 12 school track records, and was an 11-time All-American and a six-time SEC Champion from 1981 to 1983. Gault was the 1983 NCAA indoor champion in both the 60-yard dash (6.18) and 60-yard hurdles (6.98) and ran on Tennessee’s 1983 NCAA outdoor champion 4×100.
Stanback was a running back for the Vols from 1971 to 1973, earning AP Second Team All-SEC honors in 1972 and 1973. He played in 33 games and had 391 career carries for 1,730 yards and 20 touchdowns. He enjoyed his best season in 1972 when he ran for 890 yards and 13 touchdowns (tied for sixth-most in a single season in UT history) on 183 carries, averaging 4.9 yards per carry. Stanbeck was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the fifth round (114th overall pick) of the 1974 NFL Draft and played for the Atlanta Falcons from 1974 to 1979, totaling 2,662 rushing yards and 25 touchdowns on 728 carries and 786 receiving yards and one score on 98 receptions.
Vowell owns the distinction of being Tennessee’s first football All-American. He earned Walter Camp, Collier’s Magazine Third Team All-American honors and All-Southern honors in 1916. Vowell played mostly at end, was a member of Tennessee’s 1914 SIAA champion team and was the team captain for UT’s 8-0-1 team in 1916. Vowell died on Nov. 17, 1963, at the age of 68.
Wilson played for the Vols from 1996 to 1998 and was an All-America selection from Tennessee’s 1998 undefeated national championship team and a two-time All-SEC honoree (1997, 1998). He finished his collegiate career with 272 tackles (188 solo), 11.0 sacks, eight fumbles forced, two fumbles recovered and two interceptions. Wilson was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the first round of the 1999 NFL Draft (31st overall selection) and played his entire eight-year career (1999 to 2006) for the Broncos. He was a five-time Pro Bowl selection (2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006) and finished his NFL career with 712 combined tackles (554 solo), 21.5 sacks, eight forced fumbles and seven fumbles recovered.
Holly Warlick, Bob Kesling, Butch Jones and Rick Barnes – UT / Credit: UT Athletics
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — Chattanooga’s First Tennessee Pavilion hosted the University of Tennessee’s first Big Orange Caravan stop of 2017 Saturday, with nearly 1,000 passionate UT fans enjoying more than two hours of family-friendly fun with a collection of Tennessee coaches, administrators and Spirit Squad members. The caravan rolls into Memphis next Saturday.
As part of the new-look Caravan this year, Shelby Guthrie, a rising UT freshman from Chattanooga and graduate of Lookout Valley High School received a scholarship awarded by the Chattanooga UT Knoxville Alumni Chapter.
The next stop on this summer’s Big Orange Caravan summer outreach tour takes place next Sunday, June 11, from 6-8 p.m. CT at the Expo Center at Agricenter International/West Pavilion. Fans are encouraged to pre-register.
The Nashville stop coincides with the 51st annual UT All-Sports Picnic at The Barn at Sycamore Farms on Monday, July 10 (6-8 p.m. CT). Pricing and registration information for that event are forthcoming.
A Tri-Cities event is in the planning stages, and details will be forthcoming when a date and venue is finalized and secured.
Overheard: BOC Chattanooga
John Currie (Opening remarks)
“This is awesome. A lot of times during the year, you all get in cars and drive up I-75 for two hours to come and see us in Knoxville. It was about time we came down here to see you. We appreciate your loyal support. I want to thank our coaches who came down today. There are a lot of staffs around the country that are sitting at the beach right now. Our coaches are working hard on behalf of the University of Tennessee.”
(On the Big Orange Caravan admission donation)
“The admissions fee that you all paid to get in today doesn’t go to us; it’s going to students in the Chattanooga area for scholarships. We have one of the best classes coming into Knoxville this year.”
Butch Jones (On the Big Orange Caravan turnout)
”It’s all about Vol Nation. Even when we were coaching in the (nearby) camp this morning, you could kind of see the streets of Chattanooga being lined in orange. We’re very proud of it, and Vol Nation is very strong.”
(On his plans for the summer)
“Were going to go through military training with the United States military. This morning, we boarded a bus from Knoxville and drove over here to Chattanooga and did a camp and we’re here now with the greatest fans in America.”
Rick Barnes (On what he’s been doing this summer)
“I’m waiting for football season! We have a couple new additions to our team, and we’re back at it. We’re all back in summer school right now.”
Holly Warlick (On the Lady Vols’ incoming freshmen)
“We are excited to get our freshman class in. We have four kids that will bring a lot to the team. It’s really great to have them on campus wearing orange and being excited to be Lady Vols.”
(On Diamond DeShields and Mercedes Russell returning for their senior seasons)
“Diamond and Mercedes had a chance to go to the (WNBA) Draft, but they both decided to come back and take care of business. Obviously, I was thrilled by their decisions.”
Hosted by Kimberly Williams-Paisley and Blair Garner, the inaugural Disco Party to benefit the Alzheimer’s Association kicked off CMA Fest week on June 4 at Nashville’s Wildhorse Saloon.
Brad Paisley, Hunter Hayes, Charles Esten, Lindsay Ell, Chuck Wicks, Jerrod Niemann, Jamie O’Neal, High Valley, Ryan Kinder, Todd O’Neill and CJ Solar donned their best disco-era duds and hit the stage to perform tunes from the 1970s and ’80s.
In addition to raising awareness in the fight to end Alzheimer’s disease, the event raised more than $300,000 through a silent auction.
Performance highlights from the night include Jamie O’Neal’s “Lady Marmalade,” Hunter Hayes’ “September” and Charles Esten’s “Play That Funky Music” with Brad Paisley on guitar.
Check out the NCD photo gallery below, including red carpet and performance photos.
![The People Have Spoken: RaeLynn’s New Single Is “Lonely Call” [Listen]](https://cdn.socast.io/6616/sites/1446/2017/06/06084721/RaeLynn.jpg#aqua_resizer_image_not_local)
Bill, who died in 1996, popularized traditional bluegrass music in the U.S. as a singer, instrumentalist and influential bandleader. The “Father of Bluegrass,” as he was known, scored hits on the country charts during the 1940s and 1950s, including “Kentucky Waltz,” “Wicked Path of Sin” and “Gotta Travel On.” He is one of the few artists inducted into the International Bluegrass Hall of Fame, the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Tennessee athletic director John Currie has been on the job since April 1.
![Disco Party! Brad Paisley, Hunter Hayes, Charles Esten, Lindsay Ell & More Groove to the Sounds of the ’70s & ’80s [Exclusive Photo Gallery]](https://cdn.socast.io/6616/sites/1446/2017/06/05104714/Disco-Party-benefit-for-Alzheimers-Assoc-Kimberly-Williams-Paisley-and-Blair-Garner-2017-06-04-red-carpet.jpg#aqua_resizer_image_not_local)
