Brett Young appeared on NBC’s Today Show to not only talk about his music with hosts Al Roker, Sheinelle Jones and Dylan Dreyer – but he also shared that his number-one hit “Lady” inspired a kids book.
Love You Little Lady is the title of the book and Brett joked that “it will be one of the more interesting things I’ve written.”
During his appearance on the show, Brett also performed his new single “Not Yet” – which along with “Lady” is one of the tracks on Brett’s new collection of songs, Weekends Look A Little Different These Days.
Ryan Hurd is just one of the many thousand artists and fans missing CMA Music Fest this year – but he has a plan.
Ryan shared “Bringing you our own CMA Fest this year. This is the show we had planned and hopefully it holds you over. First things first, next things next…thanks for hanging in there with us all year and making Chasing the hit that it’s shaping up to be!”
Jimmie Allen used a comical montage of movie and TV clips to announce that he’s going to be a dad to a 3rd child!
Jimmie and his wife, Alexis, are already parents to their year-and-a-half-old daughter Nomi Bettie, and 7-year-old song Aadyn, who is Jimmie’s son from a previous relationship.
Alexis shared a series of photos on her social media announcing the news as well…
Jimmy also shared a picture from The Kennedy Center Honors event that features, an expecting Alexis, himself and actress Phylicia Rashad. Jimmie was at the event performing songs from…and for Garth Brooks. Phylicia was there to support her sister Debbie Allen who was one of the other honorees for the event.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — After a 22-year career that includes 274 University of Tennessee football games, 14 bowl games and three SEC Championship games, Vol Radio Network football color analyst Tim Priest has decided to step away from the broadcast booth in order to spend more time watching his grandchildren’s athletic exploits.
“For the last 22 years, I have had the privilege and honor of being a part of the team bringing the radio broadcast of Tennessee football to the Vol Nation,” Priest said. “I have had the privilege of working alongside the SEC’s best play by play broadcaster, Bob Kesling and the folks at the Vol Network who are the very best in the college sports network business.
“While my fall weekends’ attention has been Tennessee football going back to 1967, Betsy and I have four grandchildren who are plus athletes participating in various sports year around, including fall weekends. I wish to support Kate, Annie, Tommy, and Laura Leigh in their athletic endeavors, including on some fall weekends.”
Priest began his career with the Vol Network in 1993 filling in a game for his predecessor – long time Tennessee color analyst Bill Anderson. When John Ward and Anderson retired following the 1998 season, the torch was passed to Kesling and Priest. His retirement marks the conclusion of a 46-year part-time radio career involving University of Tennessee football. Prior to the Vol Network he was an original member of the popular “Football Finals” radio program that originated on Knoxville’s WIVK radio station along with VFLs Bobby Scott and Joe Thompson.
“Finally, I am most appreciative to the University of Tennessee and the Vol Network for allowing me to be a part of the radio broadcast team going back to 1999. I look forward to supporting my alma mater and to watching the resurgence of Tennessee football under the direction of Josh Heupel and his staff.”
A standout UT defensive back from 1968-70, Priest was named All-SEC in 1970 and is still the Vols’ career interceptions leader with 18. He had a school-record (tie) three interceptions versus Alabama in 1970. An Academic All-American, he was a starter on the Vols’ 1969 SEC Championship squad and captain of the fourth-ranked, 11-1 1970 team. He is a member of the Greater Knoxville Sports Hall of Fame and the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame.
“I have known Tim since 1972 when he was a graduate assistant coach on the Tennessee freshman team and I was a walk-on fullback. I was thrilled when he agreed to do the games back in 1999,” said Bob Kesling, UT’s Director of Broadcasting.
“Tim brought a great perspective to the game with the passion of a player and the insight of a coach. Nobody ever wanted Tennessee to win more than Tim, yet he was able to break down the game and explain why the Vols won or lost as well as anybody in broadcasting. He taught me a lot about the game over the years.”
Priest’s designated backup and pre-game teammate the last few years, former Vol and NFL quarterback Pat Ryan has been tabbed as the new color analyst for Tennessee football games on the Vol Network for the 2021 season. Ryan has extensive radio and television experience in the state. Over the last six years he has served as a key member of the Vol Network’s popular pre-game “Kickoff Call-In Show” crew. For the last 11 years he has been a part of the Vol Network’s statewide weekly “Big Orange Hotline” radio show during football season.
“I’m excited and honored to be following in the footsteps of former Vols Bob Foxx, Bill Anderson and Tim Priest in the color analyst role on the Vol Network,” Ryan said. “We look forward to having a lot of fun in the radio booth calling Tennessee football games.”
Ryan was the popular radio color analyst for the NFL’s Tennessee Titans broadcasts for six seasons (1999-2004) which included calling Super Bowl XXXIV. The Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, native played at Tennessee from 1974-77. A backup to the legendary Condredge Holloway as a sophomore, he was tabbed the Vols’ strong-armed starter prior to the 1975 season but suffered a broken collarbone in the final scrimmage prior to the season opener and was lost for the season. Drafted in 1978, Ryan went on to a 13-year NFL career with the New York Jets and the Philadelphia Eagles. He played 141 games for the Jets, leading the team in passing in 1984 and guiding them to a playoff win in 1986. Writer Jeff Pearlman in a 2010 Sports Illustrated article suggested that Ryan “is the best backup quarterback to ever play the game.”
“Pat is the perfect choice to replace Tim,” Kesling said. “He knows the game and will bring great insight to the Vol Network broadcasts. Pat and I have worked together for many years. He brings a great love of Tennessee and a very impressive playing and broadcasting resume with him. He has a personality that so many of our fans enjoy.”
Tennessee basketball junior guard Santiago Vescovi has been selected as one of 16 players vying for a spot on Uruguay’s 12-man Olympic qualifying roster.
Uruguay’s current 16-man team begins practice on June 14 and will then cut its roster from 16 to 12 prior to contending for a spot in the Tokyo Olympics field through competing in a FIBA Qualifying Tournament, which is scheduled for June 29 through July 4 in Victoria, Canada.
The members of Uruguay’s final 12-man roster are set to begin competition in group stage games against Turkey and Czech Republic on June 29 and July 1, respectively, before advancing to a bracket stage that will also include Greece, China and Canada. The winner of the bracket stage will earn a spot in the Tokyo Olympics, which are scheduled to run from July 25 through August 7.
Overall, 12 countries qualify for the Tokyo Olympics. The 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup produced seven of those qualifying teams, and Japan received an automatic bid as the event’s hosts. The remaining four spots in the field are reserved for the winners of the four different FIBA Olympic Qualifying tournaments.
After joining the Tennessee program midway through the 2019-20 season, Vescovi has been a key contributor for the Volunteers for one and a half seasons. The Montevideo, Uruguay, native has started 42 of his 46 games as a Vol and owns a career average of 9.5 points per game. Last season, Vescovi led Tennessee in minutes and assists per game, while his 1.6 assist-to-turnover ratio also led the team and was second among all SEC players.
Congrats to Luke Combs – his song “Forever After All” is spending its second week at the top of the country music airplay chart.
Along with being the 11th number-1 in his career, Luke will remember this song for another special reason, “‘Forever After All’ is the first song that I wrote in my house in Tennessee.”
Luke shares “Forever After All” has a connection to other songs of his, “I wrote it with Rob Williford and Drew Parker…and we knew how much we loved it and how much we thought people would like it. It’s just kind of a continuance of that love story that you’ve heard in ‘Beautiful Crazy’ and ‘Better Together’.”
The music video for the number-1 hit is also a very personal project for Luke as it features footage of his wedding to his wife Nicole.
This Saturday June 12, 2021, Superstar country duo Florida Georgia Line hits big screens nationwide with an exclusive brand-new, full concert length show.
Featuring special guest performances from Nelly and Chase Rice, the never-before-seen show will feature the band’s biggest hits as well as new fan favorite songs from the recently-released Life Rolls On album, including chart-topping single “Long Live” and “I Love My Country.”
Fans can roll up to a drive-in theater, or head to inside showing as well…Find out more info, and a theater near you here
Jameson Rodgers appeared at a show in Peoria, IL this past week — only his second show back after a year of missing the stage due to the shutdown and quarantine — and it during his singing of his number-one song “Some Girls” where the emotion of it all caught up with him.
Sharing a video of the moment, Jameson says, “Peoria, IL!!!! You about made a grown man cry on stage last night. Been waiting for that moment for a long time. I’ll never forget it.”
Check out if Jameson will be coming your way…
If you are planning to see him in concert in 2021, you’re sure to hear this one — it’s Jameson Rodgers’ song with Luke Combs – “Cold Beer Calling My Name.”
