Willie Nelson and wife Annie Nelson are teaming with Paul Simon and Edie Brickell to organize A Night for Austin, a fundraising event on June 10 at 8 p.m. CT to benefit the Austin Community Foundation.
The two-hour, commercial-free, telethon-style fundraiser will benefit the Austin Community Foundation in Austin, Texas, which, like much of the country, has suffered from the COVID-19 closures. Austin is known as the Live Music Capital of the World for his plethora of live shows on any given night.
The fundraiser will feature performances from Paul Simon, Willie Nelson, James Taylor, Vince Gill, Bonnie Raitt, Ryan Bingham, and more, with appearances by Ethan Hawke, Renée Zellweger, Woody Harrelson, Owen Wilson and more.
All proceeds will be managed by the Austin Community Foundation to be distributed directly to MusiCares Austin, HAMM, Central Texas Food Bank, Six Square, Southern Smoke Foundation, Red River Cultural District, and People Fund.
The event will be live-streamed at 8 p.m. CT on anightforaustin.com and on Twitch TV, as well as televised on CBS Austin.
Full Lineup: Paul Simon, Edie Brickell, Vince Gill, Lyle Lovett, Shawn Colvin, John Hiatt, Jerry Douglas, Bonnie Raitt and Boz Scaggs, Ryan Bingham, Black Pumas, Ray Benson and Asleep at the Wheel, Augie Meyers with Los Texmaniacs, Flaco Jiménez with Los Texmaniacs, Patty Griffin, Alejandro Escovedo, Willie Nelson, Lukus Nelson, Gary Clark Jr., Britt Daniel (Spoon), Jimmie Vaughan and The Tilt-a-Whirl Band, David Ramirez, Charlie Sexton with Doyle Bramhall II, Terry Allen, Norah Jones, James Taylor, Ethan Hawke, Renée Zellweger, Woody Harrelson, and Owen Wilson.
MLB great Todd Helton is one of five individuals with ties to Tennessee Athletics who have been selected as part of the Greater Knoxville Sports Hall of Fame 2020 induction class.
The inductees joining Helton—who was a dual-sport star at UT from 1993-95—are former UT baseball coach Mark Connor (1988-89), former Lady Vols basketball player Gloria (Scott) Deathridge (1971-74), former football player Clark Duncan (1977-78, 80) and former men’s basketball player Steve Hamer (1992-96).
Football VFL and prominent NFL television analyst Charles Davis will serve as the program’s guest speaker.
Three others with UT connections will be honored as GKSHOF award winners for 2020. Current football standout Trey Smith is this year’s recipient of the Pat Summitt “Ignite Greatness” Award. Football VFL and Super Bowl champion Dustin Colquitt (2001-04) has been selected as the Pro Athlete of the Year. And longtime UT faculty member and honorary letterman Buck Jones will receive the GKSHOF Special Recognition Award.
Due to circumstances related to the COVID-19 pandemic, there will be no in-person induction ceremony this year. Instead, the inductees will be honored during a televised one-hour special on CW-affiliate WBXX on Tuesday, July 21 starting at 7 p.m. ET.
Fans interested in supporting the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Tennessee Valley through a virtual sponsorship for the 39th annual induction ceremony can do so HERE. Donations will provide Boys & Girls Clubs in Knox, Blount, Loudon and Anderson counties with much needed resources to continue to serve young people as those communities respond to, and recover from, the COVID-19 pandemic.
Since 1982, the Greater Knoxville Sports Hall of Fame Dinner and Induction Ceremony has celebrated Knoxville sports with some of the area’s finest sports achievers. Each year, 10 local individuals are inducted into the Hall of Fame for their achievements in athletics, coaching, sports administration or officiating.
MARK CONNOR
Connor served as the head baseball coach at Tennessee in 1988 and 1989. He also spent five seasons as the program’s pitching coach from 1974-78, helping lead the program to four winning seasons in that span.
However, Connor is best known for his decorated career as an MLB assistant coach, which included stints with the New York Yankees (1984-87, 1991-92), Arizona Diamondbacks (1998-00), Toronto Blue Jays (2001-02), Texas Rangers (2003-08) and Baltimore Orioles (2011).
During Connor’s time as the pitching coach for the Diamondbacks, Randy Johnson won back-to-back National League Cy Young Awards in 1999 and 2000. Connor also spent a handful of seasons as a pitching coach in the minor leagues, including two years with the Knoxville Smokies in 1994 and 1995.
GLORIA (SCOTT) DEATHRIDGE
Gloria (Scott) Deathridge spent three years on the Tennessee women’s basketball team, playing for coach Margaret Hutson from 1971-74.
During her time with the team, UT compiled a 54-12 record, capped by a 25-2 mark in 1974 and a third-place finish that season at the AIAW Region II Championships in Harrisonburg, Virginia.
A two-time all-state player from Bradley Central High School in Cleveland, Tennessee, Deathridge made the UT squad after a 30-player tryout in Alumni Gym in 1971. She would later earn a spot on the Eastern Region USA All-Star Team that had the opportunity to represent its country vs. the USSR.
After earning a bachelor’s degree in business administration from UT, she enjoyed a career with TVA from 1975-2005, retired and then transitioned into a second career in real estate. She spent eight years serving on the Knox County Board of Education and has been involved with a number of other boards and organizations, including the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame, Leadership Knoxville, UT Chancellor’s Associates and the YMCA Black Achievers Program among others.
CLARK DUNCAN
Duncan signed with the Vols and head coach Johnny Majors after a standout prep career at Unicoi County High School in his hometown of Erwin, Tennessee. A three-year letterman, he was Tennessee’s starting free safety in 1978.
Following his collegiate playing days, Duncan embarked on a highly successful career as a high school coach (football and softball) and administrator at multiple Knoxville-area schools.
STEVE HAMER
Hamer was a four-year starting post player for Tennessee from 1992-96. A native of Grand Junction, Tennessee, he played in 104 games during his time with the Vols, racking up a total of 1,418 career points. He ranks 21st on the school’s all-time scoring list.
To date, Hamer is one of just six 7-footers ever to suit up for the Vols. During his final two seasons in Knoxville, 1994-95 and 1995-96, he led Tennessee in scoring, rebounding and blocked shots.
Following his senior season, Hamer was selected in the second round of the 1996 NBA Draft by the Boston Celtics.
In recent years, the UT graduate has worked as a color analyst on select SEC Network basketball telecasts as well as occasionally filling in on Vol Network radio broadcasts.
TODD HELTON
Helton is one of the greatest players in the history of Tennessee baseball. The Knoxville native was a two-sport athlete during his time at UT, staring on the football and baseball teams. Helton spent three seasons as a backup quarterback for the Vols, appearing in 12 games. While Helton was a talented football player, the baseball diamond is where he truly excelled.
Helton was a standout pitcher and hitter for the Big Orange, helping lead the program to the College World Series in 1995 after a record-breaking season in which he hit .407 with 20 home runs and a school record 92 runs batted in. On the mound, Helton went 8-2 with a 1.66 ERA and set a single-season record with 12 saves. He was a three-time All-American and was named the National Player of the Year by multiple outlets as a junior in 1995. To this day, Helton still holds program records for career home runs (38), RBI (238), walks (147) and saves (23).
Following his record-breaking collegiate career, Helton was selected by the Colorado Rockies with the eighth overall pick in the 1995 Major League Baseball Draft. Helton spent all 17 years of his MLB career with the Rockies, becoming arguably the greatest player in the franchise’s history. He is the Rockies’ career leader in games played (2,247), at bats (7,962), runs (1,401), hits (2,519), total bases (4,292), doubles (592), home runs (369), RBI (1,406), walks (1,335) and intentional walks (185). In 2007, Helton helped lead Colorado to its first World Series appearance in franchise history.
Helton racked up a long list of awards and accolades during his Major League career, including five All-Star appearances, four Silver Slugger Awards, three Gold Gloves and a league batting title (2000). Helton’s No. 17 jersey was retired by the Rockies in 2014.
This Wednesday, which is National Running Day, registration opens for Tennessee Athletics’ inaugural “Smokey’s Sprint” virtual 5K, set for Saturday, July 11.
Running enthusiasts throughout Vol Nation, along with any UT fans looking for a reason to get active, are encouraged to join Smokey and his squad for a Fun Run (a 1-mile run for kids), a 5K or a 10K experience. Participants choose their own route and pace.
Fans are encouraged to get started by registering online at AllVols.com (starting Wednesday) and downloading their race bib before beginning training on their custom route. The registration fee is $40, and registrants will be shipped a Smokey’s Sprint T-shirt and a “Finisher” medal.
Subscribers to the GBO Insider weekly e-newsletter will have early access to the Smokey’s Sprint registration link Tuesday. Fans can become a GBO Insider for free HERE.
Smokey encourages each runner to set a goal and share their progress throughout their training and race by using the hashtag #SmokeysSprint. Challenge friends and family members or run/walk with your very own “Good Boy or Girl.”
Registered participants who use the #SmokeysSprint hashtag on July 11 are eligible for random drawings to receive an pair of team-issue Tennessee Nike sneakers, an ultimate “Give My All for Tennessee” runner’s swag bag (to include branded shirt, running shorts, water bottle and “Give My All for Tennessee” sign), a gift card to a Vol Network partner restaurant and two tickets to a Tennessee football game at Neyland Stadium this Fall.
Smokey’s goal is for at least 1,000 Big Orange fans to join the fun and take part. Smokey’s Sprint is part of Tennessee Athletics’ Big Orange Connect Series—outreach events that take place throughout the year aimed at engaging with the UT fanbase beyond Knoxville.
Smokey’s Sprint Package
Cost: $40
Includes: Downloadable race bib, Smokey’s Sprint T-shirt and a finisher medal
$5 Optional Add-On for your Good Boy: Pet bandanna
Shipping: $5
No Order Charge
Penned by Ingrid and Ryan Lafferty, “The Stranger” will impact country radio on June 6. The tune is one of eight tracks featured on Ingrid’s debut album, Lady Like, which dropped on March 27.
“‘The Stranger’ is about how love is actually really hard when it’s real,” says Ingrid. “I feel like Disney movies trick us into believing that love is this really easy thing, and it’s not, and you have to work at it, and sometimes you forget why you’re in love with somebody.”
Watch Ingrid’s new video for “The Stranger” below.
Brantley Gilbert announced the release of a brand-new single, “Hard Days,” which will impact country radio on June 15.
Penned by Brantley, Jimi Bell, Brock Berryhill, Jay Brunswick and Logan Wall, “Hard Days” follows the release of “Fire’t Up” (No. 44) and “What Happens in a Small Town” (No. 1), both of which were featured on Brantley’s 2019 No. 1 album, Fire & Brimstone.
“Hard Days” may be the first glimpse of new music from Brantley’s next album.
“For me, ‘Hard Days’ is just about taking the good with the bad,” says Brantley. “It’s about finding hope, or just acknowledging hope and being able to appreciate the bad that leads to the good in your life. I hope for you the song offers healing and encouragement in all of the hard times and the hard days in your life.”
Watch Brantley’s new lyric video for “Hard Days” below.
Tim McGraw performed his new single, “I Called Mama,” on Late Night With Seth Meyers on June 3.
Penned by Lance Miller, Marv Green and Jimmy Yeary, “I Called Mama” is about the special connection mothers share with their children, especially when times are tough.
“My mom worked hard,” said Tim, when the song was released in May. “She was a go-getter. She always tried to do her best to provide for us. And there were times where it was almost impossible, but the thing my mom always taught us that I really remember—my sisters and I—always have dreams and always dream bigger than your circumstances. And then always treat people nicely, treat people kind.”
Jamie O’Neal is planning to release a new album, Now and Then, this fall. The upcoming album will feature six news songs, as well as new versions of songs from Jamie’s past catalog, including “There Is No Arizona” and “Somebody’s Hero.”
Jamie topped the charts with back-to-back No. 1 hits “There Is No Arizona” and “When I Think About Angels” in the early 2000s. She also earned the ACM Award for Top New Female Vocalist in 2000. The upcoming album follows Jamie’s 2014 album, Eternal.
Jamie released the album’s lead single, “The World Goes On,” which she penned with Shaye Smith and Ilya Georgiyevich Toshinsky.
“I’m so happy to finally get some new, original music out there for the fans” says Jamie. “[The new single reminds us] even though life seems hopeless at times the sun keeps coming up. Life is filled with ups and downs but tomorrow brings us new chances, renewed faith and strength that we can get through to better days.”
In my ongoing studying of the University of Tennessee football roster, I’ve put together some numbers with “Vince’s View” on what stands out about each of them, in my opinion.
Between breakdowns by position, star ratings, class and more, there’s plenty to reveal. Each group of numbers has my perspective on them..All numbers are based on the projected 89 scholarship players.
UT Players Signed By Pruitt vs. Jones
Butch Jones – 22 (25%)
Jeremy Pruitt – 67 (75%)
Vince’s View: That Pruitt percentage made a big jump from last season. The roster was around 55% Pruitt players entering the season. This is the roster make-up you’d expect for a third-year head coach that’s signed three recruiting classes. After next season, the roster will be almost all Pruitt’s. Then the true evaluations of the head coach will be fair to make with players that he believed in making up the roster. The results will need to follow. Actually, the expectation will be that the results should have already arrived. 9 of the 22 Butch Jones signed players are projected starters initially…QB Jarrett Guarantano, OL Trey Smith, WR Josh Palmer, RB Ty Chandler, WR Brandon Johnson, TE Austin Pope, OLB Deandre Johnson, OLB Kivon Bennett, DB Shawn Shamburger. That means that, like last season, Jeremy Pruitt will still rely on the players he’s inherited, and developed at a much better clip than we saw before. That reliance on the Butch Jones players will diminish as the season goes on. I expected a number of freshmen and sophomores to overtake them when ready.
2020 Tennessee Team Career Totals
Games Played – 1,265
Starts – 381
Players That Have Never Started A Game – 47 (86 players, no special teams) 55%
Players With One Start Or Less – 52 (86 players, no special teams) 60%
Players That Never Played In A Game – 24 (of 89 total players) – 27%
Vince’s View: The games played and the starts are up slightly from the start of last season. The rest of the numbers are actually up considerably this season. I think that’s a reflection of a big group of players that redshirted last season to go with big freshman and sophomore classes that still have players yet to blossom.
2020 Vols 89 Scholarship Breakdown By Star Rating (Highest)
5 stars = 6
4 stars = 48
3 stars = 34
2 stars = 1
Not rated =0
*54 players (61%) are 4/5-stars
Vince’s View: 61% of the roster being 4 or 5 stars is a good number that’s a recipe to be above average and very competitive, but not quite at championship level yet. In the past, when comparing to other SEC rosters, 61% would rank pretty high in the SEC, in that 4th to 7th range. Six 5-stars (four on the o-line) is a top-half of the league total. Alabama, Georgia and LSU have a bunch. Then there’s a drop-off into the next group of teams including UT and several others. The highest star rating is how almost everyone references recruits, right? When’s it’s fans or media wanting to “sell it,” you say 5-star over 4-star or 4-star over 3-star. Just the way it seems to go.
2020 Vols 89 Scholarship Breakdown By Star Rating (Average)
5 stars = 5
4 stars = 36
3 stars = 46
2 stars = 1
Not rated =1
*41 players (46%) are 4/5 stars
Vince’s View: The average is the most realistic but a less sexy reference tool for star ratings of players, recruits or signed players. Just 46% being 4 or 5 stars shows that there are a number of players that had mixed evaluations on them, which was also the case during the Butch Jones era. The good news is the confidence level that fans should have that…a) the right players were signed amongst the mixed rating players and b) those players will be developed to make them look like the higher ratings were correct.
Vince’s View: The QB room probably would have shrunk had there been spring ball. 4 players will need to go, from somewhere on this roster, before August. UT has depth in bodies throughout the defense, so if someone doesn’t see a path to playing time or has a medical, the departures could be handled better there. 40% of the 10 wide receivers are true freshmen, albeit all talented 4-stars. You add transfer Velus Jones Jr. from USC and that makes 50% of the receivers being new.
2020 Vols Scholarship Players By Specific Class
RS Sr – 11
Sr – 14
RS Jr – 7
Jr – 7
RS So – 9
So – 13
RS Fr – 5
Fr – 23
Total = 89
*39 of 89 scholarship players are upperclassmen (43%)
Vince’s View: The true freshmen class is always going to be the biggest. The fact that the second-largest class is seniors is a plus. 43% upperclassmen is a strong percentage that is unusual for UT given all the roster turnovers, coaching transition and attrition of the past.
2020 Vols Scholarship Players By Full Class
Sr – 25
Jr – 14
So – 22
Fr – 28
Total = 89
Vince’s View: Some like to see the full classifications with redshirts for each included, so I’ve listed it this way as well,
Started all 13 games for Tennessee in 2019 (4)
WR Marquez Callaway
C Brandon Kennedy
OLB/DE Darrell Taylor
S Nigel Warrior
Vince’s View: Kennedy was noteworthy considering the injury-plagued career he’s had. He actually was injured, however the timing was good with his recovery coming during bowl prep. That timing allowed him to play in the bowl game and finish off his first career full season. Because of all those previous injuries, Kennedy’s back with a 6th year of eligibility. Taylor played through injuries to run the table of games. Warrior and Callaway stayed healthy with no threats to their starting spots.
Did Not Play in 2019 (5)
TE Jordan Allen
DL Emmet Gooden
DB Baylen Buchanan
TE Jackson Lowe
WR Deangelo Gibbs
Vince’s View: This group is under-discussed when looking ahead to this season. Fans have seen Gooden and Buchanan contribute before, two years ago. Allen is switching positions after never being a factor at OLB. If 4-star TE Lowe will pan out is TBD. Gibbs is the wildcard. He’s bounced positions between WR and DB since he got on campus. He had to sit out the year after transferring from Georgia. There’s an opportunity for him to break through. Any of these players could end-up being like bonus signees that are ready to play right away.
Players With 30+ Career Games Played (15)
WR Josh Palmer – 37
WR Brandon Johnson – 37
RB Ty Chandler – 36
RB Tim Jordan – 36
DB Shawn Shamburger – 35
QB Jarret Guarantano – 34
DB Theo Jackson – 34
RB Carlin Fils-Aime – 33
TE Austin Pope – 33
DL LaTrell Bumphus – 33
OL Trey Smith – 32
LB Deandre Johnson – 31
DB Baylen Buchanan – 31
DL Aubrey Solomon – 30
DL Matthew Butler – 30
*Every position groups, except special teams, has at least 1 player with 30+ games played
*Last season there were only 8 with 30+ games played
Vince’s View: That big jump in game experience from last season shows that many players earned opportunities to get snaps, got experience and stayed.
Players With 20+ Career Starts (5)
OL Trey Smith – 31
QB Jarrett Guarantano – 25
WR Josh Palmer – 25
RB Ty Chandler – 20
CB Bryce Thompson – 20
Vince’s View: This group of experienced starters isn’t as deep as the games played bunch. However, this is an extremely important group of players that will have plenty to say about the success of the 2020 season.
Multi-Year (2+) Players That Have Never Started Excluding Special Teams (14)
R-So CB Brandon Davis (3-star) 1 game played
R-Jr S Cheyenne Labruzza (4-star) 20 games played
R-Jr ILB Solon Page (3-star) 5 games played
R-So ILB JJ Peterson (4-star) 17 games played
R-Jr OLB Kivon Bennett (4-star) 21 games played
R-So DL Kingston Harris (3-star) 4 games played
Jr DL John Mincey (3-star) 14 games played
R-Sr DL Ja’Quain Blakeley (4-star) 27 games played
R-So OL Ollie Lane (3-star) 3 games played
R-So TE Jacob Warren (3-star) 5 games played
R-Jr TE Jordan Allen (4-star) 9 games played
R-Jr TE Princeton Fant (3-star) 10 games played
R-Jr WR Deangelo Gibbs (4-star) 13 games played
R-So WR Cedric Tillman (3-star) 15 games played
Vince’s View: Interestingly, this group is 50/50 Pruitt/Jones signed players. Six were 4-star players and eight were 3-stars. There are certainly some players listed that haven’t reached starting level yet, but have improved…Bennett, Mincey and Blakeley among them. There are also a number of Pruitt signed players that haven’t panned out yet, like Warren, Peterson and Tillman. Peterson is the highest-rated that the Vols are hoping isn’t a recruiting miss. He has the talent and the opportunity to play, if he’s locked-in and he puts it all together.
With the momentum that the Tennessee football program has enjoyed since the turnaround started mid-season in 2019, we’d love to know which of the 4 biggest games on UT’s schedule do you think Tennessee has the BEST chance to win in 2020?
Those games are (as scheduled at the moment):
Sept. 12 at Oklahoma Sooners
Sept. 26 vs. Florida Gators
Oct. 24 vs. Alabama Crimson Tide
Nov. 14 at Georgia Bulldogs
Thanks for voting and sharing below or on this link!
Kelsea Ballerini covered the timeless classic, “You’ve Got a Friend,” on CMT Celebrates Our Heroes: An Artists of the Year Special on June 3.
The two-hour special featured tributes and performances as a number of stars perform from their own homes. The show highlighted stories of unsung heroes who have done exceptional things for their communities during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Penned and recorded by Carole King in 1971, “You’ve Got a Friend” was also recorded by James Taylor in 1971. Taylor scored a No. 1 hit with the tune, earning a Grammy for Best Pop Male Vocal Performance, while King won the Grammy for Song of the Year
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