NASHVILLE, TN — Charley Pride, the first Black superstar in the modern era of country music, was also a skilled baseball player who began his career as a pitcher in the Negro American League. The National Museum of African American Music recognized and celebrated both his famous careers on March 18 with the event “Playing Beyond the Field: Charley Pride: I’m Just Me.” It was a combination film screening and live discussion featuring filmmaker and director Barbara Hall and Bob Kendrick, President of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. This was a free event presented in the Roots Theater, National Museum…
Author: Ron Wynn
NASHVILLE, TN — Two Nashville museums have been added to the historic U.S. Civil Rights Trail. This trail features more than 130 stops nationwide across 14 states and Washington, D.C. — museums, churches, schools, motels and other sites of protest and history. It was launched in 2018. Last week, the trail added two new locations to the 17 it already has in the state. These were the Jefferson Street Sound Museum and the Museum of Christian and Gospel Music. “To be included as a stop along the Civil Rights Trail helps to guarantee the histories, the stories, the music, the…
NASHVILLE, TN — The National Museum of African American Music (NMAAM) is having a series of special events Jan. 19 as part of its joint celebrations of MLK Day and the fifth anniversary. There will be live performances, special conversations, and more, with all these events free. The live performances will include Carter Hammonds’ Lift Every Voice and Sing, as well as The BoykinZ, Chris Blue, and DJ Smoke. The Legendary Conversations segment spotlights “Sister Groups: Legacy & Innovation.” It’s a panel with the McCrary Sisters and The BoykinZ. In addition, there’s another panel, “Civil Rights: Memphis to Nashville,” featuring…
NASHVILLE, TN — Raheem DeVaughn ranks among contemporary soul and R&B’s most popular vocalists. DeVaughn, who returns to City Winery for two shows January 9, is the son of jazz cellist Abdul Wadud. At one time he was working in Tower Records during the day and performing in clubs at night in the Washington D.C. and Maryland area. He’s earned four Grammy nominations. DeVaughn’s first solo album was “The Love Experience” in 2005. His second, “Love Behind The Melody,” featured two hit singles, “Woman” and “Customer,” and reached the number five position on the Billboard Top 200 charts. His third,…
It’s been almost a decade since vocalist Eric Benét has released an LP, but he’s returned with a fury this year. Benét, who’ll be appearing at the City Winery for two shows December 17, was extremely active from the early 90s until 2016. He had the successful LPs “True to Myself,” “A Day in the Life,” “Hurricane” and “Love and Life.” Each one either had hit singles and/or spent lots of time on the charts. He became known for many successful duets and collaborations. Benét also started his own label in 2012, then subsequently released four more albums. But from…
One of this year’s most highly praised and lucrative films is Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners.” It’s set in the Mississippi Delta during the 30s, and stars Michael B. Jordan in dual roles as criminal twin brothers who return to their hometown, where they are confronted by a supernatural evil. It co-stars Hailee Steinfeld, Miles Caton (in his film debut), Jack O’Connell, Wunmi Mosaku, Jayme Lawson, Omar Benson Miller, and Delroy Lindo. There was so much buzz about “Sinners” even before it was completed that it was part of a bidding war between studios. It was announced in January 2024, and Warner…
Dove and Grammy-winning vocalist, songwriter and musician Kortney Jamall Pollard AKA Mali Music is headlining a show October 15 at City Winery. Pollard has been a top gospel performer over the last decade, and one of the finest in terms of incorporating secular elements into his sound without distorting or weakening the spiritual message. Mali Music currently resides in Savannah, Georgia. but grew up in Phoenix, where he learned piano as a child. By 11 he was active in church ministry and even signed a contract with Akon’s label Kon Live Distribution in 2011. But his first two studio albums,…
Two of reggae music’s top artists are coming to Nashville October 6. Grammy and Emmy winner, musician, producer, activist and humanitarian Ziggy Marley along with the famed bandleader Burning Spear, will be appearing at the Ryman Auditorium as the “Do The Reggae” Tour comes to Music City. Ziggy is the eldest son of Bob and Rita Marley. He first sat in on recording sessions with his father’s band, Bob Marley and the Wailers, when he was ten years old. From that beginning he was eventually joined by his brother Stephen and sisters Sharon and Cedella in becoming the Melody Makers.…
NASHVILLE, TN — Jon Batiste is both a prolific and extremely popular art-ist, as well as an extremely versatile one. Batiste, who’ll be appearing October 1 at the Opry House along with Diana Silvers and special guest Andra Day, took a surprising direction with his eighth studio LP “Beethoven Blues (Batiste Piano Series, Vol. 1).” It was released last November on Verve Records/Interscope and was the first in a series of projected solo piano recordings. It spotlighted Batiste’s interpolations of some of Beethoven’s most iconic works, reimagined through an expansive lens. It was the follow-up to 2023’s “World Mu- sic…
The McCrary Sisters are unquestionably one of the nation’s premier vocal groups, both a greatly respected local institution and a nationally acclaimed ensemble. The daughters of the late Rev. Samuel McCrary, a founding member of the seminal gospel group The Fairfield Four, Alfreda, Regina, Ann and their late sister Deborah grew up surrounded by music legends, both spiritual and secular. “But although gospel was our first love and is still our favorite music, our father always allowed us to listen to other music so long as the lyrics were clean,” Regina McCrary told the Tribune last week. “We’ve been fortunate…