Loretta Lynn Serves Up Hits and Quips at Her 85th Birthday Show

Loretta Lynn Serves Up Hits and Quips at Her 85th Birthday Show

Posted on April 15, 2017

Loretta Lynn definitely knows how to throw a birthday party. And where to host it. The extraordinary lady and one of the most important figures in country music history celebrated her 85th birthday as she welcomed fans, friends and family to the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Friday night (April 14), for the first of two weekend concerts. Loretta, born April 14, 1932, was joined by her sisters Crystal Gayle and Peggy Sue and special guests Martina McBride and Shawn Camp.

Though no cake could be seen onstage, Loretta served up plenty of goodies for the audience nonetheless. Loretta, clad in a floor-length, sparkly teal dress, reprised a number of her classic hits, including “You Ain’t Woman Enough,” “The Pill” and her signature tune “Coal Miner’s Daughter.” Ever the entertainer, Loretta spiced her performance with some well-timed humor and warm recollections of her career.

The quips came quickly, not long after opening act Shawn Camp, her frequent writing partner of late, finished his set. As Loretta took her seat on the Ryman stage, backed by a seven-piece band, she kicked off the night with “I Wanna Be Free” and followed with a birthday announcement. “I’m 26 years old,” she exclaimed, drawing laughs from the audience. The always-feisty entertainer also let it be known that she could “outwork any 26-year-old under the table,” which she proceeded to prove with a finely-paced 90-minute set.

First things first, though. Loretta had to tend to her gown, shifting it away from the floor as she sat. “I need a new dress,” she announced. “This one’s about ten miles too long for me.”

Loretta then shared a little nugget after her rendition of “Blue Kentucky Girl,” one of her earliest Top 10 hits. “That is my all-time favorite song,” Loretta declared. “Even over ‘Coal Miner’s Daughter.’ I wish I’d written it.” At another point in the show, Loretta told the audience that “I’m singing in my favorite place,” referring to the historic Ryman in downtown Nashville. She recalled her case of the nerves when she made her debut at the Ryman in the early 1960’s as part of a Grand Ole Opry show. “The only thing I remember is patting my foot to my song,” she smiled.

It would hardly have been a birthday bash, though, without gifts and guests. To the crowd’s surprise and applause, Martina McBride took the stage, bearing flowers and birthday wishes for her musical idol. The two strong-voiced ladies harmonized on the appropriately powerful “You Ain’t Woman Enough,” earning a standing ovation from the packed house.

The hits continued with “She’s Got You,” a No. 1 hit for Loretta, and “The Pill,” a song that stirred plenty of controversy when it debuted in 1975. Loretta also gave fans a sneak peek at her upcoming new album, Wouldn’t It Be Great, out August 18, with her performance of the title track. On that one, though, she needed a bit of assistance from her daughter Patsy, who came to her side to help with the lyrics. “I should learn it before I sing it,” Loretta cracked, seizing the moment.

The celebration turned into a true family affair as Loretta’s younger sister Peggy Sue Wright entered, joining Loretta on “Don’t Come Home A Drinkin’ (With Lovin’ on Your Mind),” Loretta’s first No. 1 single. Sister Crystal Gayle, who became a star in her own right, teamed with Loretta and Peggy Sue for the pop hit “Put Your Hand in the Hand” and Loretta’s 1968 No. 1, “Fist City.”

During another segment, Loretta poignantly asked, “Do you all miss Conway?” speaking, of course, about her popular duet partner, the late Conway Twitty. Loretta and her band leader evoked memories of Conway as they sang “Lead Me On,” one of five chart-toppers recorded by Conway and Loretta.

No Loretta show would be complete without “Coal Miner’s Daughter,” the autobiographical tune she wrote about her youth in Kentucky. Peggy Sue and Crystal returned to the stage to sing it with Loretta, bringing the audience to its feet one more time.

It was the perfect way to cap a birthday celebration. And the weekend party will continue with another show Saturday night at the Ryman.

photo by Bob Paxman

UT signees play in Jordan Brand Classic

UT signees play in Jordan Brand Classic

Posted on April 15, 2017
UT All-Americans / Credit: UT Athletics

NEW YORK —Tennessee’s quartet of women’s basketball signees made stop number two on the postseason all-star game tour on Friday, participating in the fourth women’s Jordan Brand Classic at the Barclays Center.

It was Evina Westbrook’s West squad prevailing, taking a 122-81 decision over the East at the home of the NBA’s Brooklyn Nets. The 6-foot guard from Salem, Oregon (South Salem H.S.), contributed eight points, four assists and three rebounds to the victorious cause. She connected on three of 10 attempts from the field, including a 2-for-6 afternoon behind the three-point arc.

The other three members of the Lady Vols’ No. 1-ranked recruiting class represented the East squad a night after all 24 JBC All-Americans made a visit to the WNBA Draft in Manhattan. Anastasia Hayes, a 5-7 guard from Murfreesboro, Tennessee (Riverdale H.S.), didn’t have a great shooting day at 3-for-13, but she paced UT’s East contingent with eight points, seven boards and two assists. She was one-for-one on three-point attempts.

Rennia Davis, a 6-foot-2 forward from Jacksonville, Florida (Ribault H.S.) contributed five points, four rebounds and one assist. She was one for seven on field goals but three of four from the charity stripe. Kasiyahna Kushkituah, a 6-4 post from Austell, Georgia (St. Francis H.S./Alpharetta, Ga.), added four points and four rebounds for the East squad on two-of-five shooting.

-UT Athletics

 

UT Spring Football: Law Enforcement Day

UT Spring Football: Law Enforcement Day

Posted on April 14, 2017
UT Spring Practice / Credit: UT Athletics

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — More than 150 members of local law enforcement teams took in practice at Haslam Field on Thursday afternoon as the Vols hosted Law Enforcement Day as part of their 11th of 15 scheduled spring practices.

Following practice, head coach Butch Jones presented a personalized jersey to officers from the Maryville Police Department as a salute to fallen officer Kenny Moats, who was killed while responding to a domestic disturbance on Alcoa Trail last summer.

Captain Sharon Moore of the MPD briefly addressed the team before accepting the jersey from linebacker Cortez McDowell.

Only four more practices remain in the Vols’ spring season, which concludes with the Orange & White Game on April 22 at Neyland Stadium (4 p.m. ET). The Orange & White Game will be televised on SEC Network for the second consecutive year with Clay Matvik and Clint Stoerner calling the action and Dr. Jerry Punch reporting from the sidelines.

Admission and parking are free to the public and a Fan Day event will precede kickoff.

Like all Tennessee athletic events, UT’s clear-bag policy will be enforced the Orange & White Game. For more information on the clear-bag and other safety policies, click here.

The Vols head to Neyland Stadium on Saturday for their final practice of the week.

Day 11 Quotables

Wide receivers coach Kevin Beard

(On if he told the players before spring that he would be out at practice in cleats)
“I did. They kind of saw it in the workouts before and it was almost funny because (they would say), ‘Yeah, you’ve got cleats on, but show me that route, Coach. Show me what you’re asking us to do,’ like they’re going to put me to the test. Being able to get out there and do it for them and demonstrate it, it gave me a little more credibility. It’s almost like, ‘If he did it, then I have to do it. I’m not going to let him show me up.’ That’s what it has been. It has been very competitive. They don’t want me to out-do them because I’m too old for that. It’s just been healthy, good competition.”

RS sophomore LB Austin Smith

(On if he prefers playing linebacker or defensive end)
“I don’t really prefer one over the other. I consider myself an athlete, but wherever the team needs me, I don’t really care. I’m just doing it for my team. I love my team a whole lot and I’ll always believe in family. We have this thing called FAMILY: Forget About Me, I Love You. So if the teams needs me to play safety, defensive tackle, I really don’t care. I’m just doing it for the team. Last year I sat out and I really just missed the team. I’d do anything for these boys and I love them a whole lot.”

Sophomore OL Marcus Tatum

(On why people say he is mature beyond his years)
“It’s been going pretty well. I am never satisfied, though. I can get a lot better in a lot of things, especially technique-wise. I feel comfortable in my weight, but my technique needs to get a lot better.”

Freshman DL Deandre Johnson

(On feeling more comfortable during Practice 11 as opposed to Practice One)
“I feel way more comfortable. Mentally, the game was really fast. I’ve been slowing it down in meetings, coming out here working, getting coached up and taking criticism when I mess up. That has been the biggest part so far, just trying to slow the game down mentally.”

-UT Athletics

 

Barnett and Jones among short list planning to attend NFL Draft; full draft order

Barnett and Jones among short list planning to attend NFL Draft; full draft order

Posted on April 14, 2017
Derek Barnett – UT / Credit: Ben Soloman – ESPN Images

Twenty-two top prospects, who are expected to be selected on Thursday or Friday night (April 27-28), are confirmed to attend the 2017 NFL Draft in Philadelphia, the NFL announced today.

Louisiana State leads all colleges with three players in attendance, while the Pac-12 leads all conferences with seven prospects confirmed to attend the event.

Thirteen NCAA head coaches will join their players in the green room as they await their selections.

The draft begins with the first round on Thursday night, April 27 and continues Friday, April 28, with Rounds 2-3. The draft will conclude on Saturday, April 29 with Rounds 4-7.

The NFL Draft, which had been held in Chicago in each of the past two years, returns to Philadelphia for the first time since 1961. Philadelphia’s Ritz-Carlton Hotel served as the location of the first NFL Draft in 1936. The city also hosted the event in 1949-50, 1953-54, 1956 (Rounds 1-3) and 1957-61.

The players confirmed to attend this year’s NFL Draft:

1) Jamal Adams S Louisiana State 12) Marshon Lattimore CB Ohio State
2) Jonathan Allen DT Alabama 13) Malik McDowell DT Michigan State
3) Chidobe Awuzie CB Colorado 14) Takkarist McKinley LB UCLA
4) Derek Barnett DE Tennessee 15) Ryan Ramczyk T Wisconsin
5) Garett Bolles T Utah 16) Haason Reddick LB Temple
6) Gareon Conley CB Ohio State 17) Cam Robinson T Alabama
7) Corey Davis WR Western Michigan 18) John Ross WR Washington
8) Leonard Fournette RB Louisiana State 19) Solomon Thomas DE Stanford
9) Adoree’ Jackson CB Southern California 20) Mitchell Trubisky QB North Carolina
10) Kevin King CB Washington 21) Deshaun Watson QB Clemson
11) DeShone Kizer QB Notre Dame 22) Tre’Davious White CB Louisiana State

 

The college head coaches confirmed to attend this year’s NFL Draft:

1) Larry Fedora North Carolina 8) Chris Petersen Washington
2) P.J. Fleck Minnesota 9) Matt Rhule Baylor
3) Butch Jones Tennessee 10) Nick Saban Alabama
4) Brian Kelly Notre Dame 11) David Shaw Stanford
5) Urban Meyer Ohio State 12) Dabo Swinney Clemson
6) Jim Mora UCLA 13) Kyle Whittingham Utah
7) Ed Orgeron Louisiana State

 

2017 NFL DRAFT FACTS & FIGURES

 

WHAT: 82nd Annual National Football League Player Selection Meeting.
WHERE: Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
WHEN: 8:00 PM ET, Thursday, April 27 (Round 1).
7:00 PM ET, Friday, April 28 (Rounds 2-3).
Noon ET, Saturday, April 29 (Rounds 4-7).
The first round will conclude on Thursday by approximately 11:30 PM ET. In 2016, the first round consumed three hours and 29 minutes. The second and third rounds will conclude on Friday by approximately 11:00 PM ET. The second and third rounds took four hours and one minute in 2016. The draft will conclude by approximately 6:30 PM ET on Saturday with the final four rounds. Rounds 4 through 7 took six hours and 35 minutes in 2016.
DRAFTING: Representatives of the 32 NFL clubs by telephone communication with their general managers, coaches and scouts.
ROUNDS: Seven Rounds – Round 1 on Thursday, April 27; Rounds 2 and 3 on Friday, April 28; and Rounds 4 through 7 on Saturday, April 29.
There will be 253 selections, including 32 compensatory choices that have been awarded to 16 teams that suffered a net loss of certain quality unrestricted free agents last year.
The following 32 compensatory choices will supplement the 221 regular choices in the seven rounds –

Round 3: Miami, 33; Carolina, 34; Baltimore, 35 (Traded to Philadelphia); Los Angeles Rams, 36 (Traded to Tennessee); Denver, 37; Seattle, 38; Cleveland, 39 (Traded to New Orleans via New England); Kansas City, 40; Pittsburgh, 41; Seattle, 42; New York Jets, 43. Round 4: Cincinnati, 32; Cleveland, 33 (Traded to Philadelphia); Los Angeles Rams, 35*; Cleveland, 36 (Traded to Houston); San Francisco, 37; Indianapolis, 38. Round 5: Cincinnati, 33; Denver, 34; Miami, 35; Arizona, 36; Kansas City, 37; Cleveland, 38; Green Bay, 39; New England, 40; Miami, 41. Round 6: Kansas City, 33; Cincinnati, 34; Kansas City, 35.

Round 7: Cincinnati, 33; Denver, 34; Denver, 35.

*As the result of League discipline, the New York Giants’ original selection in Round 4 (4-23-130) has been relegated to selection 4-34-140.  Because that pick is a regular selection, it does not appear on the above list of compensatory draft selections.­­­
^Compensatory picks may be traded this year. A rule change approved by clubs in 2015 will permit compensatory draft picks to be traded beginning in 2017.
TIME LIMITS: Round 1: 10 minutes per selection. Round 2: Seven minutes per selection. Rounds 3 through 6, including Compensatory Picks: Five minutes per selection. Round 7, including Compensatory Picks:Four minutes per selection.
TELEVISION & RADIO: The 2017 NFL Draft will be televised nationally by NFL Network and ESPN/ESPN 2 and can be heard nationwide on Westwood One Radio, SiriusXM NFL Radio and TuneIn Radio.
INTERNET: Starting at 8:00 PM ET on Thursday, April 27, NFL Now Live Presented by Courtyard provides comprehensive online coverage of the first round of the NFL Draft. Host Matt “Money” Smith anchors the coverage from NFL Network’s studios, alongside NFL Media draft analysts Bucky Brooks and Lance Zierlein. Brooks provides instant draft grades and analysis immediately following each selection, while Zierlein continually ranks the best players still available. Throughout NFL Now’s coverage, NFL Network analysts such as LaDainian Tomlinson, Kurt Warner, Willie McGinest and David Carr join to provide their analysis of the selections, while Marc Istook monitors social trends and fan reaction in real time. From Philadelphia, Dave Dameshek interviews first-round selections, current NFL players and legends, and Colleen Wolfe provides the sights and sounds from the NFL Draft Experience. Additionally, NFL Fantasy experts Michael Fabiano and Marcas Grant offer instant fantasy advice.

NFL Now Live continues Friday, April 28 at 7:00 PM ET and Saturday, April 29 at Noon ET, and is the only place to view the real-time announcement of every pick of the entire 2017 NFL Draft.

NFL Now Live can be accessed at NFL.com/Now and through the official mobile app of the NFL, NFL Mobile from Verizon, as well as the NFL app on connected TV devices such as Xbox One, and on desktop and tablet devices such as the NFL app on Windows 10.
MOBILE: Exclusively for Verizon customers, NFL Mobile offers a live stream of the NFL Network’s 2017 NFL Draft coverage, where fans can watch in it’s entirely the excitement of every pick, from every round live from Philadelphia. Other features available through NFL Mobile are a live draft tracker, and all of the news and on-demand video featuring draft and team analysis. For more information, visit your app store or NFL.com/Mobile. Data usage applies for app download and use. Available on iOS, Android and Windows.

Live streaming of NFL Network is available via Watch NFL Network on tablet (NFL Mobile, Watch NFL Network and NFL on Windows 10 apps), PC (NFL.com/watch), Xbox One and Xbox 360 (NFL on Xbox app) and other connected TV devices (NFL app on Apple TV, PlayStation 4, Android TV and Amazon Fire TV). Watch NFL Network access is available for NFL Network subscribers of participating TV providers. For more information, go to NFL.com/nflnetwork.

2017 FIRST ROUND DRAFT ORDER

# Team
1. Cleveland Browns
2. San Francisco 49ers
3. Chicago Bears
4. Jacksonville Jaguars
5. Tennessee Titans (from Los Angeles Rams)
6. New York Jets
7. Los Angeles Chargers
8. Carolina Panthers
9. Cincinnati Bengals
10. Buffalo Bills
11. New Orleans Saints
12. Cleveland Browns (from Philadelphia Eagles­­)
13. Arizona Cardinals
14. Philadelphia Eagles (from Minnesota Vikings)
15. Indianapolis Colts
16. Baltimore Ravens
17. Washington Redskins
18. Tennessee Titans
19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
20. Denver Broncos
21. Detroit Lions
22. Miami Dolphins
23 New York Giants
24. Oakland Raiders
25. Houston Texans
26. Seattle Seahawks
27. Kansas City Chiefs
28. Dallas Cowboys
29. Green Bay Packers
30. Pittsburgh Steelers
31. Atlanta Falcons
32. New Orleans Saints (from New England Patriots)

 

# # # NFL Communications

Madame Tussauds Opens in Nashville With Trisha Yearwood Wax Figure Unveiling [Photo Gallery]

Madame Tussauds Opens in Nashville With Trisha Yearwood Wax Figure Unveiling [Photo Gallery]

Posted on April 14, 2017

Trisha Yearwood met her match Thursday night (April 13) when her look-a-like wax figure was unveiled during Madame Tussauds Nashville grand opening ceremony.

Industry folks gathered at the new location, in Opry Mills Mall, to get a first look at the never-before-seen attraction the day before it opened to the public. In a surprise turn, Trisha took the stage to unveil her new wax figure.

“This is an outfit that I wore at an award show about for years ago. This is donated. It was an outfit I really loved,” Trisha said as she examined her wax twin. “When you’re getting ready for an award show you look at a bunch of different outfits. I loved everything about this. It was fun. So I thought, I’ll just wear this. When you get the call that Madame Tussauds wants to do a wax figure, that’s the ultimate compliment. So I was honored.”

When asked what the first thing that struck her about the wax figure was, Trisha joked, “She’s quieter than me.”

Trisha’s wax figure will reside in Madame Tussauds Nashville, which is the first U.S. location to focus solely on music artists. While you would think this particular venue would feature only country music figures, the attraction features all genres of music from Jazz and Rock to Country and Pop and beyond.

Hillary Williams, daughter of Hank Williams Jr., was on hand to take a tour of the attraction. Unaware that her grandfather would be featured with his own wax figure, Hillary had a special moment when she came face to face with Hank Williams Sr’s doppelganger.

Madame Tussauds Nashville houses nearly 50 artists representing all genres of music, including Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, Loretta Lynn, Johnny Cash, Tammy Wynette, Kenny Rogers, Katy Perry, Justin Timberlake, Miley Cyrus, Luke Bryan, Darius Rucker, Waylon Jennings, Minnie Pearl, Patsy Cline, Kid Rock, Jimi Hendrix, Billie Holiday, Taylor Swift, Rhianna, George Strait, Little Jimmy Dickens, Keith Urban, Carrie Underwood, Reba, Alan Jackson, Eric Church, Bruno Mars, Beyonce, Diana Ross, Stevie Wonder, Ella Fitzgerald, Muddy Waters and more.

Visitors have the opportunity to get up close and personal and interact with their favorite musical icon. They will experience several interactive activities as they walk through attraction, including playing trivia games, getting their photo placed on the Jazz Wall of Fame, dressing up in costumes to experience the rock star lifestyle, recording their own song and standing on the Opry stage as an adoring crowd cheers you on.

The attraction is open to the public today (April 14) and you can purchase your tickets online or at the attraction. Prices range from $19 -$43 dollars, depending on your package selection. Hours are 10am – 9pm from Monday-Saturday and 11am-7pm on Sundays.

NCD has a sneak peek at a handful of the figures you will see at Madame Tussauds Nashville Attraction. Enjoy!

Photos by Lisa Konicki

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