The Grand Ole Opry will tally its 4,933rd consecutive Saturday night broadcast on July 18 with a showcase featuring a pair of Opry members from Oklahoma: Reba McEntire and Vince Gill.
The one-hour show will air live on Circle Television at 7 p.m. CT, as well as stream live on Circle’s YouTube.
“The Grand Ole Opry has always been very special to me and my family,” says Reba. “It’s part of my history, my heritage and my future, and I’m so excited to get to share the stage with Vince again. Just like Roy Acuff, Minnie Pearl, Brother Oswald, Porter Wagoner and Loretta Lynn, Vince is an Opry legend. I’m proud to be an Opry member and I’ll always be proud to stand on the stage with Vince. Things may be a little different right now, but one thing stays the same—the Opry continues to bring great country music into the homes of the American people.”
On July 11, Jimmie Allen, the Gatlin Brothers and Margo Price will step onto the Grand Ole Opry stage at 7 p.m. CT.
The Grand Ole Opry has aired without an audience present since March 19 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, a number of stars have helped keep the Opry’s Saturday night shows rolling along, including Kelsea Ballerini, Darius Rucker, Clint Black, Garth Brooks, Luke Combs,, Dustin Lynch, Craig Morgan, Brad Paisley, Blake Shelton, Ricky Skaggs, Keith Urban, Trisha Yearwood and more.
photos: Vince Gill by Tammie Arroyo, AFF-USA.com; Reba McEntire by Curtis Hilbun, AFF-USA.com
Darius Rucker isn’t letting the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic stop him from raising money for an organization near and dear to his heart: St Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
The “Wagon Wheel” singer is turning his 11th Darius & Friends benefit concert into a virtual affair. This year’s show, which features Darius, Clint Black and Tracy Lawrence, will take place on the Grand Ole Opry stage on July 30 at 7 p.m. CT. Fans will be able to view the show via a pay-per-view live stream. The annual concert has raised more than $2 million for St. Jude over the years.
“Even though we can’t all get together for a normal concert right now, it’s important that we continue to support St. Jude and the amazing work that they do,” says Darius. “I hope we can bring a fun night of music to everyone watching from home while also raising money for this important cause.”
Tickets to the pay-per-view event start at $15 with VIP options offering limited-edition and signed posters priced at $50 and $100, respectively. Tickets go on sale on July 10 at 10 a.m. CT.
Tennessee basketball season tickets for the highly anticipated 2020-21 season are now on sale.
In his sixth year leading the Volunteers, head coach Rick Barnes directs a talented roster that includes a healthy mix of experienced veterans along with one of the most highly touted collection of newcomers in program history.
By visiting AllVols.com, Tennessee fans can select from a variety of season-ticket options, starting as low as $150. The popular Vol Pass ticket option also returns this season at a rate of $150.
New this year is a benefit for fans who make new ticket purchases and opt to pay via eCheck. By paying via eCheck, purchasers will receive two complimentary tickets to one 2020-21 weekday home game (excluding Kentucky).
For each of the last two seasons, the Vols have ranked fourth nationally in average home attendance. Tennessee averaged 18,990 fans per game last year, with more than 15,500 season tickets sold—a number that exceeded the average home attendance of all but 11 Division I programs.
For the first time since the 2014-15 season, the Vols open the regular season on the road, completing a home-and-home series with Big 10 foe Wisconsin in Madison on Nov. 11.
Tennessee’s home opener takes place Saturday, Nov. 14, against Presbyterian. The Vols then travel to South Carolina for three games at the Charleston Classic the weekend before Thanksgiving. The bracket for that tournament has yet to be announced.
The Big Orange then return home for an in-state matchup against Tennessee Tech on Nov. 27. Tennessee hosts George Washington on Dec. 2 and welcomes Cincinnati to Thompson-Boling Arena on Dec. 12.
Tennessee heads west to Nashville on Saturday, Dec. 19 for a neutral-site clash against Memphis at Bridgestone Arena before returning to Rocky Top for holiday-break home games against USC Upstate and Norfolk State on Dec. 22 and Dec. 29 respectively.
An additional non-conference neutral-site game is expected to be made official at a later date, and the Vols also are expected to host a game as part of the annual SEC/Big 12 Challenge on Jan. 30.
Southeastern Conference play begins on Saturday, Jan. 2, and includes nine home games and nine road contests. The SEC Tournament returns to Bridgestone Arena in Nashville on March 10-14.
Tennessee welcomes the nation’s fifth-ranked signing class, which includes three top-75 prospects in five-star guards in Keon Johnson and McDonald’s All-American Jaden Springer and versatile four-star forward Corey Walker Jr. That trio of freshmen is joined by incoming grad transfer E.J. Anosike, who was a 1,000-point scorer and one of the top rebounders in Division I during his three seasons at Sacred Heart.
Tennessee’s returners are led by rising senior forwards John Fulkerson and Yves Pons. An All-SEC performer this past season, Fulkerson led the Vols in scoring (13.7 ppg) and rebounding (5.9 rpg)—and he capped his breakout year with a 27-point performance in UT’s upset win at sixth-ranked Kentucky in March. Pons—who is still considering officially making himself eligible for the 2020 NBA Draft—tied the school record for blocks in a season with 73 rejections and was named SEC Defensive Player of the Year. He also averaged 10.8 points and 5.4 rebounds.
After sitting out last season, Oregon transfer Victor Bailey Jr. (7.4 ppg, .398 3FG in 2018-19) adds tremendous quickness and offensive punch while standing as arguably the team’s most ferocious returning perimeter defender.
Barnes’ sixth season at the helm also will be bolstered by two rising sophomore guards. Josiah-Jordan James, a 2019 McDonald’s All-American, was Tennessee’s best 3-point shooter this past season (.367) while averaging a dynamic 7.4 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists. And Santiago Vescovi—maybe the most remarkable storyline to UT’s 2019-20 season—enrolled in January via the NBA Global Academy and contributed 10.7 points and 3.7 assists per game.
When the stars align . . . sometimes the music stars align.
Keith Urban shared just such an instance during a recent sit-down with Kix Brooks of American Country Countdown.
As Kix was reminiscing about his fun-loving days on the road as part of Hall of Fame duo Brooks & Dunn, he jokingly noted that he and Ronnie Dunn “screwed up a lot of great house bands out at the clubs” by randomly popping onstage. When Kix inquired if Keith ever found himself in a similar situation while traveling with wife Nicole Kidman, Keith shared a random run-in he had with Jimmy Buffett on the Caribbean island of St. Barts that led to an onstage jam.
“The last time I think I sat in was a few years ago we were down . . . at St. Barts,” says Keith. “And Jimmy Buffett was there, and I ended up sitting in with him for a couple of songs [laughing], as you do. There was a little club that he was going to—it’s a bit of a long story—but he and his wife had their boat there, and they were just on the island for a couple of days, and we ran into them somehow ’cause we were just visiting. And, he was like, ‘Hey, we’re gonna go see this band play. You wanna come with us?’ So, we went with them and then, they called Jimmy up to do a song. So, he got up and did a couple of songs, and the next minute, he gets me up to do a few songs. It was cool.”
Keith Urban and Jimmy Buffett sharing the stage for an impromptu performance on the beautiful island of St. Barts? Yeah, Keith, that’s definitely cool.
Roadhouse poet and renegade guitarist Ray Wylie Hubbard, 73, will release a new album, Co-Starring, on July 10.
The 10-song project features contributions from a number of “‘co-stars,” including Ronnie Dunn, Ashley McBryde, Pam Tillis, Ringo Starr, Joe Walsh, Chris Robinson, Don Was, Larkin Poe, Peter Rowan, Aaron Lee Tasjan, The Cadillac Three and more.
Ray Wylie had a hand in writing every song on Co-Starring, which will be his 17th album—and his first released via a major label, Big Machine Records.
“I have believed in the rule that one should not sing their own praises, but with my new record on Big Machine Records, well I’m going to have to break that rule,” says Ray Wylie. “Co-Starring has got grit, groove, tone and taste and is so righteously cool that small demons will drool, and little angels will want to line dance.”
Ray Wylie’s motley mix of co-stars is representative of the genre-busting medley of music—featuring elements of country, folk, rock, blues and more—he’s been making since releasing his first album in the 1970s.
Co-Starring Track List & Songwriters
1.“Bad Trick” feat. Ringo Starr, Don Was, Joe Walsh, Chris Robinson (RayWylieHubbard, Judy Hubbard)
2. “Rock Gods” feat. Aaron Lee Tasjan (RayWylieHubbard)
3. “Fast Left Hand” feat. The Cadillac Three (RayWylieHubbard)
4. “Mississippi John Hurt” feat. Pam Tillis (RayWylieHubbard)
5. “Drink Till I See Double” feat. Paula Nelson and Elizabeth Cook (RayWylieHubbard, Ronnie Dunn)
6. “R.O.C.K.” feat. Tyler Bryant & The Shakedown (RayWylieHubbard, Tyler Bryant, Caleb Crosby)
7. “Outlaw Blood” feat. Ashley McBryde (RayWylieHubbard)
8. “Rattlesnake Shakin’ Woman” feat. Larkin Poe (RayWylieHubbard)
9. “Hummingbird” feat. Peter Rowan (RayWylieHubbard)
10. “The Messenger” feat. Ronnie Dunn and Pam Tillis (RayWylieHubbard)
Country music trio Lady A—formerly known as Lady Antebellum—has filed a lawsuit against blues singer Anita White, who has been performing under the name Lady A for a number of years.
According to the lawsuit filed in a Nashville court, Lady A’s Hillary Scott, Dave Haywood and Charles Kelley are seeking a ruling that their use of the trademark “Lady A” does not infringe on White’s alleged trademark rights of the same name. The band is not seeking monetary damages or attempting to prohibit White from performing under the name Lady A.
According to the lawsuit, the band applied for trademarks for the name “Lady A” in 2010 and no oppositions were filed. The band released a statement on July 8—which you can read below in its entirety—claiming that White “and her team have demanded a $10 million payment, so reluctantly we have come to the conclusion that we need to ask a court to affirm our right to continue to use the name Lady A, a trademark we have held for many years.”
Here’s a bit of background on Lady A vs. Lady A.
On June 11, Lady Antebellum changed its name to Lady A in an effort to recognize “those suffering from spoken and unspoken injustices.” The word “antebellum” comes from the Latin words “ante” (“before”) and “bellum” (“war”), which is a romanticized adjective commonly used to describe the period before the American Civil War.
On June 12, White spoke to Rolling Stone, noting that the band didn’t reach out to her before changing its name—a name she says she has been using for “over 20 years.”
On June 15, the band shared a photo on Instagram that featured White, two of her colleagues and the trio on a Zoom call with the caption: “Today, we connected privately with the artist Lady A. Transparent, honest, and authentic conversations were had. We are excited to share we are moving forward with positive solutions and common ground. The hurt is turning into hope. More to come.”
The “more” has turned into a lawsuit. The band released a statement on July 8, which you can read below.
“Today we are sad to share that our sincere hope to join together with Anita White in unity and common purpose has ended. She and her team have demanded a $10 million payment, so reluctantly we have come to the conclusion that we need to ask a court to affirm our right to continue to use the name Lady A, a trademark we have held for many years. It was a stirring in our hearts and reflection on our own blindspots that led us to announce a few weeks ago that we were dropping the word ‘Antebellum’ from our name and moving forward using only the name so many of our fans already knew us by. When we learned that Ms. White had also been performing under the name Lady A, we had heartfelt discussions with her about how we can all come together and make something special and beautiful out of this moment. We never even entertained the idea that she shouldn’t also be able to use the name Lady A, and never will – today’s action doesn’t change that. Instead, we shared our stories, listened to each other, prayed and spent hours on the phone and text writing a song about this experience together. We felt we had been brought together for a reason and saw this as living out the calling that brought us to make this change in the first place. We’re disappointed that we won’t be able to work together with Anita for that greater purpose. We’re still committed to educating ourselves, our children and doing our part to fight for the racial justice so desperately needed in our country and around the world. We’ve only taken the first small steps and will prioritize racial equality as a key pillar of the work of LadyAID, specifically leaning into supporting and empowering our youth. We hope Anita and the advisers she is now listening to will change their minds about their approach. We can do so much more together than in this dispute.”
Jimmie Allen announced the track list for his new collaborative EP, Bettie James, which drops on July 10.
The seven-song EP features a bevy of guest artists, including Brad Paisley, Charley Pride, Darius Rucker, Mickey Guyton, Nelly, Noah Cyrus, The Oak Ridge Boys, Rita Wilson, Tauren Wells and Tim McGraw. The new EP takes its moniker from Jimmie’s late father (James Allen) and late grandmother (Bettie Snead).
“I am a fan of every artist on this project and humbled to have each one of them be a part of it,” says Jimmie. “Each artist has touched the life of my dad, my grandmother and me through their music. I’m proud of this body of music and thankful to every writer that helped me create Bettie James.”
Jimmie co-produced the new project with Ash Bowers. The EP’s lead single, “This Is Us,” featuring Noah Cyrus, was released in March.
In 2018, Jimmie released his debut album, Mercury Lane, which features No. 1 hits “Best Shot” and “Make Me Want To.”
Bettie James Track List
1. “Good Times Roll” – Jimmie Allen & Nelly
2. “Drunk and I Miss You” – Jimmie Allen & Mickey Guyton
3. “Days Made For These” – Jimmie Allen & Tim McGraw
4. “Freedom Was A Highway” – Jimmie Allen & Brad Paisley
5. “Why Things Happen” – Jimmie Allen, Charley Pride & Darius Rucker
6. “When This Is Over” (feat. The Oak Ridge Boys) – Jimmie Allen, Tauren Wells & Rita Wilson
7. “This Is Us” – Jimmie Allen & Noah Cyrus
Using criteria that included awards from the Academy of Country Music (ACM), Country Music Association (CMA), Recording Academy (Grammy) and more, Billboard deduced that George Jones’ “He Stopped Loving Her Today” is the most honored country song of all time.
Of course, this is an unofficial recognition . . . but it’s still pretty cool.
“He Stopped Loving Her Today,” which was penned by Bobby Braddock and Curly Putman, is celebrating its 40th anniversary of topping the Billboard Hot Country Chart on July 5, 1980.
“He Stopped Loving Her Today” has earned many of country music’s most coveted honors, including:
ACM Single Record of the Year, 1980
ACM Song of the Year, 1980
CMA Single of the Year, 1980
CMA Song of the Year, 1980
CMA Song of the Year, 1981
Grammy Award for Best Country Vocal Performance, 1981
Grammy Hall of Fame, 2007
Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry, 2008
Marshall Steward was recently promoted to the Senior Staff position of Assistant Athletics Director for Academic Services & Assistant Provost, Tennessee Director of Athletics Phillip Fulmer and Provost John Zomchick announced Wednesday.
Steward had already been serving on the Tennessee Athletics Expanded Senior Staff as Executive Director of Academic Services at the Thornton Athletics Student Life Center, where he oversees the staff’s day-to-day academic support operations.
In his enhanced role, Steward maintains his oversight responsibilities at the Thornton Center while also working alongside key administrators in leading diversity and inclusion initiatives within the athletics department.
As part of his Assistant Provost duties, Steward has a voice on the university’s academic affairs team.
“Marshall has proven time and again to be a positive influence in the academic careers of our student-athletes,” Zomchick said. “During his time in the Thornton Center, he has helped to ensure that the commitment to all-out effort on the sports fields extends to the classroom. He is, in short, an outstanding role model for our student-athletes and a tremendous asset in our student support programs.”
Steward has held leadership positions within the National Association of Academic Advisors for Athletics (N4A), including serving as the Chair of the Ethnic Concerns Committee.
And at the institutional level, he was Tennessee Athletics’ representative on the Chancellor’s Council for Diversity and Interculturalism in 2019. Appointed by the Chancellor, the council advises campus administration on creating and sustaining a welcoming, supportive and inclusive campus climate to all groups. Goals for the council include attracting and retaining faculty and staff from under-represented populations; attracting, retaining, and graduating students from historically under-represented populations and international students; and ensuring that undergraduate curricular requirements include significant intercultural perspectives.
Steward also acted as a committee Chair for UT’s Commission for Blacks, a separate body appointed by the Chancellor to advise on planning, implementation and evaluation of university programs, policies and services as they relate to Black students, faculty and staff.
“We’re all excited for Marshall to step into a larger leadership position,” Fulmer said. “He’s a very well-rounded administrator who has earned the respect of our entire campus. And he’s a difference-maker when it comes to positively impacting the experience of our student-athletes. Marshall is very deserving of this opportunity, and this enhanced role is something we’ve been working on for quite some time.
“While Marshall will help guide our diversity and inclusion efforts, it’s important to note that it falls on everyone in our department to actively engage as advocates and cultivate a healthy and inclusive culture where minorities are well represented and everyone is valued. It isn’t one individual’s job alone.”
Steward is a member of the NCAA’s Dr. Charles Whitcomb Leadership Institute, a nationally recognized professional development program designed to assist ethnic minorities in strategically mapping out their careers in athletics administration.
He was first hired at Tennessee as an academic counselor in 2012 and was steadily elevated to assistant and associate director while working closely with UT’s football, track & field, soccer and men’s golf programs.
“I came to Tennessee to learn from the best in the business and to positively impact the student-athlete experience at a premier institution in an elite conference,” Steward said. “Eight years later, my family and I are still here because of the people. Thank you, AD Fulmer, Provost Zomchick and (Senior Associate Athletics Director & Associate Provost Dr. Joe Scogin) for your vision and commitment to making UT better than you found it.
“Serving as a senior leader within one of the nation’s most storied athletic departments at such a pivotal time in society and intercollegiate athletics is a tremendous honor and incredible responsibility. I look forward getting to work.”
Prior to his arrival at Tennessee, Steward served as the Director of Athletic Academic Services at Western Michigan University, where he began as an academic advisor in 2009.
A native of Mt. Vernon, Indiana, Steward holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Sport Management from Indiana State University. He was a member of the ISU football team as undergraduate and then served as a graduate assistant for tutorial services in his alma mater’s Student Academic Services Center.
He is currently pursuing his PhD in the University of Tennessee’s Higher Education Administration program.
An active mentor with Big Brothers/Big Sisters of East Tennessee, Steward and his wife, Kramer, reside in Knoxville with their sons, Kyron and Kaylor, and their two foster children.
Funeral arrangements have been announced for Charlie Daniels, who passed away on July 6 at age 83.
According to WSMV News 4, Charlie’s funeral service will be held on July 10 at 11 a.m. CT at World Outreach Church (1921 State Highway 99, Murfreesboro, Tenn.). Travis Tritt, Vince Gill, Gretchen Wilson and Trace Adkins will perform during the service.
An open visitation will be held on July 9 at Sellars Funeral Home (2229 N. Mount Juliet Rd., Mount Juliet, Tenn.) from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. CT. Local law enforcement Honor Guards will be present throughout the visitation.
A celebration service will be held on July 8 outside Sellars Funeral Home at 6:30 p.m. CT featuring Trace Adkins, Tracey Lawrence, Darryl Worley and more. The event is open to the public and will feature honors from the military and an aircraft flyover.
Due to COVID-19, attendees are encouraged to wear masks at the visitation and funeral service.
Over the course of his 60-plus-year career, Charlie received numerous accolades, including induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame (2016) and the Musicians Hall of Fame (2009), as well as becoming a member of the Grand Ole Opry (2008).
As the fiddle-playing frontman of the Charlie Daniels Band, Charlie scored a number of Top 20 singles, including “Drinkin’ My Baby Goodbye,” “Boogie Woogie Fiddle Country Blues,” “In America,” and “The Devil Went Down to Georgia,” which topped the charts in 1979.
Charlie leaves behind his wife of 55 years, Hazel, and their son, Charlie Daniels, Jr.
