For anyone who’s ever thought that extremely talented people also often had problems coping with the challenges of daily life, Questlove’s new documentary on Sly Stone directly examines that contention. It’s at the heart of Sly Lives!, his latest production, which debuted last Thursday on Hulu. He also told NPR’s Terry Gross he’s experienced the same phenomenon himself, particularly in the wake of all the acclaim given to his previous documentary Summer of Soul in 2021. “Even though my experience with Summer of Soul was one of the most magical, transformative moments of my life … there’s a fear of…
Author: Ron Wynn
Though there are a handful of Black players in the NHL and there have been occasional Black figure skating champions like Debi Thomas, it is still not exactly that commonplace to see a lot of Black ice skaters. That’s precisely why a new series focusing on that subject is now airing on Disney +. “Harlem Ice” is directed by Samantha Knowles, who previously spearheaded projects like “Black and Missing” and “How We Get Free.” It’s a five-part series that follows the girls of Figure Skating in Harlem, a figure skating program designed for young women of color. It captures the…
Documentary filmmaker Dawn Porter has done some powerful films already, but her latest one will examine a figure seldom profiled or spotlighted. She’s also moving into new territory. Porter announced last week that she would make her narrative feature debut with “Nobody: The Bert Williams Story,” a biopic of the vaudeville performer of the same name. The story was first reported by the website Deadline, and it follows on the heels of Porter’s NAACP Award nomination for Outstanding Directing in a Documentary for “Luther: Never Too Much,” her documentary on the life and career of singer Luther Vandross. Highlighting the…
Given the misleading, inaccurate, and frankly racist rhetoric coming out of Washington lately regarding the principles of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, it’s no surprise that the National Football League’s Rooney Rule has come under scrutiny. The rule is only one part of a series of measures that the league has enacted to try and make certain opportunities for Blacks are not restricted to the playing field. According to the league’s official language, “The Rooney Rule encourages hiring best practices to foster and provide opportunity to diverse leadership throughout the NFL. It is one part of the NFL’s effort to develop…
Music City native Charles “Wigg” Walker is a certified soul music legend, a vocal great who once toured with such giants as James Brown, Jackie Wilson, Sam Cooke, and Etta James. His singing career dates back to childhood when he got started doing gospel at church and soul at school. Another mighty music figure, Ted Jarrett, gave him his first opportunity to record in 1959 for Jarrett’s Champion label, though the tune “Slave To Love” was mistakenly credited to a non-existent group (Charles Walker and the Daffodils). The actual vocalists along with Walker were Larry Birdsong and his label comrades,…
Nashville music fans are quite familiar with Jason Eskridge. He has a long and distinguished resume as a performer and promoter of R&B and soul music in Nashville. His monthly “Sunday Night Soul” presentations at the Five Spot are now in their 11th year, and they continue to bring top artists not only from across the state but nationwide. However, he now has a new, non-musical venture. He’s opening a new sandwich shop in East Nashville. It’s Music City Sandwich, which will be located at 400B Gallatin Pike. While Eskridge says he’s not abandoning music, he’s really excited about the…
The grand master of funk is now in the Songwriters Hall of Fame. George Clinton, creator, and longtime leader of the Parliament/Funkadelic empire, is among the 2025 inductees to the Songwriters Hall of Fame. He’s being joined by The Doobie Brothers, George Clinton, and The Beach Boys’ Mike Love, as well as Ashley Gorley and Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins. The new members were announced last Wednesday live on CBS’s “This Morning.” Clinton, who actually began as a songwriter with Motown, is among the pioneers of funk. His songs have provided the genre with international popularity. His role in working with Parliament-Funkadelic…
Tickets are now on sale for what is always one of the year’s biggest music festivals, and the 2025 edition of Bonnaroo will be no exception. Some of the names for the festival that will include rap, pop, and country superstars were announced last week. The headliners who have been confirmed for Bonnaroo 2025 thus far include Luke Combs, Tyler, the Creator, Olivia Rodrigo, and Hozier. According to Billboard, the festival will take place in Manchester, Tennessee, from June 12–15, and promises a solid blend of genres and idioms. Besides those initially named, others who are scheduled to appear include…
Black general managers aren’t quite the rare thing in 2025 that they were even 20 years ago, but they are still a minority in terms of the overall NFL. So two years ago, when the Tennessee Titans made Ran Carthon the team’s first Black GM, it was a significant move. But now, after his firing barely two seasons later, the question looms: was Ran Carthon made the scapegoat unfairly? First and foremost, no one, and especially Carthon, is alleging racial animus or mistreatment. Controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk made it clear in her remarks about the firing how much she…
When Nashville SC missed the playoffs last season, it signaled the arrival of a new mood among Music City soccer fans. For the first couple of years, the spectacle and excitement of world-class soccer (or football to the rest of the globe) was enough to satisfy them. Nashville SC never advanced past the opening round of the playoffs, but the fans were happy the team at least made it that far, and there was little controversy or trouble. But last season, things drastically changed. Longtime coach Gary Smith was fired, and the team missed the MLS playoffs. Even more disturbing…