Vince Gill helped welcome attendees back to the Grand Ole Opry on Oct. 3 as part of a showcase that also featured Dierks Bentley, Terri Clark and Lorrie Morgan.
During his set, Vince paid tribute to singer/songwriter Mac Davis with a beautiful rendition of “In the Ghetto.” Mac, who passed away on Sept. 28 at age 78, penned “In the Ghetto,” which Elvis Presley scored a hit with in 1969. During Mac’s five-decade career, his songs were recorded by Elvis Presley, Kenny Rogers, Dolly Parton, Bruno Mars, Glen Campbell, Tammy Wynette, Avicii, Andy Williams, Conway Twitty, Tom Jones, Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard and more.
The Opry’s show on Oct. 3 was its first with an audience since March 19.
Watch Vince’s performance of “In the Ghetto” below.
Runaway June released a new video for their current single, “We Were Rich.”
The revamped trio—comprised of Natalie Stovall and founding members Naomi Cooke and Jennifer Wayne—filmed the new clip in Natalie’s hometown of Columbia, Tenn., (about 45 miles south of Nashville).
Penned by Ross Copperman, Nicolle Galyon and Ashley Gorley, “We Were Rich” is featured on Runaway June’s 2019 debut album, Blue Roses, however, the new version of the song—which serves as the single—features vocals and fiddle work from Natalie, who replaced Hannah Mulholland earlier this year.
“The first time I saw our music video, I just started sobbing like a baby,” says Natalie. “I didn’t expect to get so emotional! It opens on the house I grew up in, features my parents and sweeps through intensely nostalgic moments, people and places from my childhood and hometown. I couldn’t think of a more perfect visual love letter to the town that made me who I am! And the fact that this is my first music video with Runaway June just makes it even more special.”
Runaway June will release a new holiday EP, When I Think About Christmas, on Oct. 16. The five-song EP features three holiday standards, “Sleigh Ride,” “O Holy Night” and “Let It Snow,” as well as two original tunes, “Christmas on the Radio” and the title track.
In our weekly football column, we throw six flags over Tennessee.
Our three Green Flags mean you’re good to go — you’re playing at a winning level.
Our three Red Flags mean, stop doing that – it will get you beat.
Green Flags.
Converting first downs and touchdowns. Tennessee couldn’t have been more efficient against Missouri than if the Vols were playing an FCS opponent. The Vols were 6×13 on third-downs – a far cry from the abysmal 1×11 against South Carolina. And once on third-and-10, UT gained 9 yards to set up a fourth-down conversion — on the game’s first series, no less. The Vols were also 4×4 on fourth downs – mainly on quarterback sneaks. And just as importantly, UT was 5×5 in the red zone in scoring touchdowns in the 35-12 victory. Make those field goals and its 15-12.
The offensive line. The addition of Georgia transfer Cade Mays helped. At times, Tennessee was dominant up front as the Vols top two running backs combined for 195 rushing yards and scored three touchdowns. And UT didn’t have a negative run play. We stop short of saying the line was completely dominant because UT had just seven runs of more than 5 yards and had 19 non-scoring runs of 3 or fewer yards. The Jumbo package was successful as UT used multiple offensive linemen at tight end or at H-back to push the pile. Freshman Cooper Mays got 18 snaps in the formation, Riley Locklear 11. Running back Eric Grey said it’s like “running behind a Mac truck.’’ Left guard Trey Smith said it’s a `lot of beef.’’ The Jumbo totals over 2,000 pounds. That is literally a ton of beef.
Quarterback Jarrett Guarantano. He was efficient against Missouri: 14 of 23 for 190 yards and one touchdown. He was more accurate than he was in the opener and his decision making has been sound. He also has done a nice job converting QB sneaks, saying he and offensive coordinator Jim Chaney looked at about 50 sneaks in the offseason. Asked if Guarantano has the freedom to check to a sneak at the line, Pruitt said: “Absolutely not,’’ perhaps referring to the Alabama debacle of last season. Guarantano will have to be spot-on for the Vols to upset two-touchdown Georgia on Saturday (3:30, CBS).
Red Flags:
Special Teams. Brent Cimaglia might lose his nickname of Auto-maglia if he doesn’t become more accurate. He missed a 39-yard field-goal attempt against Missouri and is now 1×3 this season. And after UT went up 21-6 with 44 seconds left in the first half, Paxton Brooks gave Missouri field position at the 35 with a kickoff that went out of bounds. UT’s punting has also been average.
Secondary mistakes. Missouri aided UT’s pass-defense numbers by dropping six passes. One could have resulted in an 84-yard touchdown. UT did a poor job covering South Carolina’s Shi Smith (1o catches) in the opener. A plethora of missed practices due to the virus or injuries has impacted the cohesiveness of the secondary. Not having Shawn Shamburger at the Star (nickel) has also had an impact. He will play against Georgia, Jeremy Pruitt said. UT can’t afford to let Georgia’s receivers run free.
Lack of a pass rush. It was solid against South Carolina: 4 sacks, 4 quarterback pressures. It wasn’t as efficient against Missouri: 1 sack (by Deandre Johnson). Johnson has 3.5 sacks and is on pace to exceed Darrell Taylor’s 8.5 sacks in 13 games last season. But UT must get more pressure on Georgia quarterback Steton Bennett or he could pick apart the secondary. He has thrown for 240 yards in each of his first two games and has proven to be accurate (17×28 against Auburn).
Morgan’s dismissal from the show comes after multiple videos surfaced of him ignoring social distancing protocols while in Tuscaloosa, Ala., over the weekend for the University of Alabama vs. Texas A&M football game. Morgan appeared in numerous TikTok videos that showed the 27-year-old partying at a bar, consuming alcohol, kissing women, performing at a house party and more—obviously, without a mask.
“It’s a tough video for me to make, but a necessary one,” said Morgan in the video, which was recorded in his hotel room in New York. “My actions this past weekend were pretty short-sighted, and they have obviously affected my long-term goals and my dreams. I respect the show’s decision because I know I put them in jeopardy, and I take ownership for this. I’d like to apologize to SNL, to my fans, to my team for bringing me these opportunities, and I let them down. And on a more personal note, I think I have some growing up to do. I think I’ve lost myself a little bit. ‘ve tried to find joy in the wrong places and, I don’t know, it’s left me with less joy, so I’m going to try to work on that. I’m going to take a step back from the spotlight for a little while and go work on myself. I wish I could have made country music and my fans proud this Saturday, but I respect the decision once again.”
Morgan noted that he has not tested positive for COVID and will take some time to “work on myself,” while revealing that SNL creator Lorne Michaels told him that the show would “find another time to make this up.”
In the past five years, a handful of country stars have performed on SNL, including Blake Shelton (January 2015), Zac Brown Band (March 2015), Chris Stapleton (January 2016, January 2018), Maren Morris (December 2016), Margo Price (April 2016), Sturgill Simpson (January 2017, January 2018), Kacey Musgraves (May 2018), Thomas Rhett (March 2019) and Luke Combs (February 2020).
Tennessee Head Coach Jeremy Pruitt walks down the sideline during a game between Tennessee and Missouri at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn. on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2020.
No. 14/12 Tennessee has begun its final preparations for its top 15 showdown between the hedges against No. 3/3 Georgia on Saturday afternoon.
Vols’ head coach Jeremy Pruitt was impressed with the team’s effort and intensity at practice this week as the Vols’ look to notch a top 10 win on Saturday in Athens.
Saturday’s contest will be broadcast nationally by CBS at 3:30 p.m. ET. Fans can also listen to the game on the Vol Network (FM-107.7 & FM-99.1 in Knoxville).
Full Video Transcript Below
Opening statement…
“Had another good day at practice. Great weather out there. I mean how can you not want to go out there and work hard at practice with the way the weather is right now. I thought our guys had a lot of energy. (We’re) just really focusing on the details this week, still doing a lot of good on good. We’ve got a lot of guys that we’re still bringing along, but I thought the effort and intensity was good out there. We’ve got to put two more good days together to get ready for Saturday.”
On how the weather on Saturday could affect the game…
“We just worry about the things that we can control and take advantage of. Today was a great day to go out there and get better and I think our team did that. If it rains Saturday, it’ll be wet on both sides. We’ll just go play ball.”
On where freshman DB Key Lawrence is in his development…
“Keshawn is a guy that was affected really by the fact that we had a lot of people out during fall camp. We started him off at safety and there was a run there probably for two weeks that we didn’t have any corners. So, we moved him to corner, and he’s done a really good job at it and we don’t want to move him back again. So, he’s doing a nice job. He continues to work hard at practice, brings a great attitude every single day. He’s very coachable, got really good ball skills, plays with toughness, so we’re excited about him and as long as he keeps working like that, he’ll obviously get an opportunity to play a bigger role on our team as the season goes.”
On where he’s seen LBs Jeremy Banks and Quavaris Crouch improve so far…
“It’s interesting with both of these guys not having spring ball. For linebacker, you’ve got to be the signal caller, so being in there, the communication part between the defensive line, the secondary, setting the front, setting the blitzes, making sure we’re in the right call from the secondary standpoint. We put a lot on them. If you just go, ‘go get the ball’, they both do a really nice job at that. They’re going to continue to progress and improve every week because, I mean they live over here. There’s probably not a day that hadn’t went by over the last three months that I don’t see them sitting in a room together with Henry (To’o To’o) and the other linebackers, and them just in there coaching each other up. When you put as much time and effort into it as they have, they’re going to continue to get better.”
On freshman Dee Beckwith’s progression…
“He’s participating on the scout team now. That’s the next step. I saw him make a really good run out there today. As we go, that’s the next step with him. Sunday night, we are going to have a big scrimmage for the guys who aren’t playing a huge role on our team right now. There’s a lot of these guys that are plenty capable and based off circumstances, whether they were out for fall camp, they were injured or maybe they were just in quarantine and we had such small numbers that we didn’t get a chance at that time to practice threes and fours, and maybe it didn’t give them the opportunity. A lot of these guys are ready, and we need to get them out there and play some ball and we are going to do that on Sunday night when we get back.”
On defensive linemen Aubrey Solomon and Darel Middleton’s physical shape…
“They didn’t practice for a very long time. They’re both back, they’re working hard, and they have good attitudes. They’re kind of getting back into football shape and the movements that go with it. Can’t just sit there and not play this game and think it doesn’t affect you. Getting these guys back we will hopefully see improvement every week.”
On UGA freshman TE Darnell Washington and how to prepare for him…
“There’s no way to imitate that in practice, we don’t have anybody that big. We’re worried about us. In the last two weeks and the two weeks leading up to the first game we’ve got this thing crunched in here trying to work hard and get better. We have so many things that we need to improve on and that has really been our focus. We obviously know the talent there with Darnell and he’s actually playing really well for a freshman. He’s blocking well in the c-area, he’s made some really nice catches. He’s just a big man.”
On special teams and the challenges Georgia presents…
“They have good specialists. Really good in the return game. They blocked a punt against Arkansas, they’ve returned some kickoffs out there that were a player away from being a touchdown. They’ve got good speed on their team with size. If you’ve got size and speed, it gives you an opportunity to have good special teams and they do a nice job coaching them up. There’s not a weakness in their special teams. They are really sound and impressive over the first two games.”
Tennessee head football coach Jeremy Pruitt spoke to the media Wednesday night after practice via Zoom video to look ahead to Saturday’s game at #3 Georgia.
Police in Franklin, Tenn., (20 miles south of Nashville) are investigating the assault of Lorenzo Molina Ruiz, a trumpet player for The Mavericks, and his friend, Orlando Morales.
The assault occurred in the early morning hours on Oct. 4 at Tony’s Eat & Drink, a bar in Franklin, Tenn.
According to Lorenzo, he and Orlando were speaking Spanish while waiting to use the restroom when they were attacked. Lorenzo has started a GoFundMe, which has already raised more than $22,000.
Lorenzo joined The Mavericks in August 2017 as a sidemen to the band’s core lineup of Raul Malo, Paul Deakin, Eddie Perez and Jerry Dale McFadden.
Franklin Police are asking for the public’s help to identify the two men in these photos, which were taken during the brutal beating of a man in a N. Carothers bar, Sunday morning. At 3:00 am on October 4, Franklin Police were summoned to the Vanderbilt Emergency Room where a victim who advised he had been assaulted in Franklin was being treated. The responding officer determined the location of the assault to be Tony’s Eat & Drink, and an investigation is underway. Officers were not summoned to Tony’s for this disturbance, Sunday morning, and the first the Department learned that it had occurred was after being contacted by Vanderbilt. No one has been charged, but this case clearly has our attention and we are committed to holding anyone who perpetrates a violent assault like this accountable. The victim’s injuries are serious, but not believed to be life-threatening. Anyone with information or cell phone video of the assault or suspect is urged to contact Franklin Police.
Mavericks’ frontman Raul Malo posted a statement via Facebook: “It saddens us to no end to learn of the assault on our band mate Lorenzo Molina, and his friend & fellow musician Orlando Morales, reportedly for speaking Spanish amongst themselves in a public establishment. For this assault to occur as we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with our own performance (featuring Lorenzo) tonight on the Hispanic Heritage Awards, shows that although we’ve come a long way, we still have a long way to go. America is better than this. – Raul Malo on behalf of The Mavericks”
The Highwomen—Brandi Carlile, Amanda Shires, Maren Morris and Natalie Hemby—made a virtual apperance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Oct. 6 to perform their new single, “Crowded Table.”
Penned by Natalie, Brandi and Lori McKenna, “Crowded Table” is featured on the foursome’s 2019 self-titled debut album, which reached No. 1 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart.
“‘Crowded Table’ has taught me a lot,” says Brandi. “It’s taught me that we can go out in the world and be who we need to be to help the world do the best that we can while we are here. But at the end of the day, there’s too many things keeping up from getting along with other people—keeping us from getting along with our families over the dinner table. At the end of the day, we have to find a way to come to the table with each other and break bread. Hearing the audience sing that song back to me has become probably one of the most healing parts of my night.”
Watch the Highwomen perform “Crowded Table” below.
Carrie Underwood released her first-ever Christmas album, My Gift, on Sept. 25. The album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart.
The 11-song album features a combination of beloved traditional favorites, such as “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” “Silent Night” and “Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee,” as well as original material, including “Sweet Baby Jesus” and “Let There Be Peace.”
Composed by Henry van Dyke and Ludwig van Beethoven in the early 1900s, “Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee” is a holiday staple that has been recorded by a number artists over the years, including Lauryn Hill, Amy Grant, Pentatonix and more.
Listen to Carrie sing “Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee” below.
The Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) announced its Song of the Year as part of its annual Nashville Songwriter Awards.
Song of the Year: “More Hearts Than Mine” – Ingrid Andress, Sam Ellis, Derrick Southerland
Penned by Ingrid, Sam and Derrick, “More Hearts Than Mine” was the lead single from Ingrid’s 2020 debut album, Lady Like. “More Hearts Than Mine” reached No. 1 on the Mediabase chart in April 2020.
“As someone who moved to Nashville to write songs, this award means more to me than anyone will ever know. thank u @NSAIofficial,” said Ingrid via Twitter.
Previously announced 2020 NSAI winners include:
Songwriter/Artist of the Year: Luke Combs
Songwriter of the Year: Ashley Gorley
The Nashville Songwriter Awards are presented by the world’s largest not-for-profit songwriters trade organization that was established in 1967.
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