By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — There aren’t many travel films like “Lost Soulz,” which will be screened at the Belcourt Monday night. It spotlights the exploits of an aspiring rapper who joins a group of Gen X musicians after he makes a triumphant appearance at their house party. Rapper Sol is a New Yorker with a colorful but also troubled past. He joins Malachi Mabson, Alex Brackney and others to embark on a once-in-a-lifetime trip. “Lost Soulz” is is Katherine Propper’s directorial debut, and the film has been being critically acclaimed, as well as its powerful soundtrack. But not…
Author: Ron Wynn
By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN —Rod McGaha has excelled in Music City on two fronts. He’s both an outstanding trumpeter and a top photographer. This weekend he’ll take on another role, that of music historian as he’ll be featured in a Jazz On The Move presentation “The Life And Music of Clark Terry.” McGaha was once a student of Terry, whose stature as both a player and mentor/educator was extensive throughout his career. Terry was a brilliant soloist, but also one of the greatest section players in jazz history. He was among the rare players to be a featured member…
Two Nashville HBCUs are offering an alternative direction for sports, and by extension providing a pathway for others to follow. Tennessee State University and Fisk University are making inroads in sports where HBCU teams haven’t previously competed. By doing so they’re not only showing there’s opportunities in those areas for individual athletes, but demonstrating they can attract top coaching talents and generate national publicity and attention in the process. Tennessee State last week announced the hiring of Duante Abercrombie as the first head coach of their new hockey team, the first head coach of any hockey program at an HBCU. …
By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — Anyone who’s worked in Nashville media for any stretch of time is familiar with Lance Cowan. He’s been a longtime public relations representative for numerous musicians. After working for such organizations as Network Ink and later Antones/dos Records, he branched out on his own where his first client was the legendary blues musician Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown. Since that time he’s worked for many others, among them Sam Bush, Joe Ely, Butch Hancock and Jimmie Dale Gilmore. But Cowan’s now moved into a different arena. As a guitarist since the age of 12, he’s enjoyed…
By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — These are busy times for veteran actor Ernie Hudson. Not only is he currently appearing in the latest season of “Quantum Leap” on NBC and the current “Ghostbusters” film, but he’s now signed on to star in the new horror film “Oswald Down the Rabbit Hole.” Hudson will play Oswald Jebediah Coleman, a brilliant animator who is cast away to a bone-chilling magical prison. A release describes the plot: “After over 100 years of being trapped there, Oswald’s come-to-life cartoon rabbit is menacing, gruesome and out for blood.” The film follows the main character,…
No single case better epitomized the flaws and divides in the judicial system and the nation as a whole than the O.J. Simpson case. His death last week at 76 of prostrate cancer revived a host of discussions and analysis over his 1994 murder trial. The not guilty verdict in the criminal phase and subsequent guilty verdict in the civil phase was the subject of reviews last week in a host of columns, articles, commentaries and discussions. For one, there remain a handful of folks, though far fewer today, who refuse to believe Simpson killed Nicole Brown and Ron Goodman.…
By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — Fisk University again made athletic history last week, this time on an individual basis. Gymnast Morgan Price became the first HBCU athlete to win a national college gymnastics championship. Price became a Fisk team member in 2022, when Fisk became the first HBCU team to have a gymnastics squad. Price won her title in the USA Gymnastics women’s collegiate all-around competition. Her total score was 39.225 compiled over four events. These were the floor exercise (9.850), the uneven bars (9.850), the balance beam (9.725), and the vault (9.800). Price attended Coppell High School and…
By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — Shemar Moore’s CBS show “S.W.A.T.” seems one of those programs oblivious to cancellation. The program was initially canceled at the end of last season, but then the network changed its mind and decided to give it a final seventh year of 13 shows. But a funny thing happened along the way. Those shows have gotten ratings so good CBS has once again decided to bring the show back. They announced at the end of last week that SWAT would indeed get an eighth season. It’s already lasted far longer than its predecessor, which aired…
By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — The cast of Spike Lee’s upcoming Apple Studios and A24 film “High and Low” has added another cast member. It was announced last week that Ice Spice would be making her major film debut in the production which co-stars heavyweight actors Denzel Washington and Jeffrey Wright. Variety was the first publication to carry the story about Lee’s latest film. The film began production last week as well. Spice, whose real name is Isis Gaston, played a major part in the “Barbie” movie, contributing to the film soundtrack for the song “Barbie World” with Nicki…
The post-Pat Summitt era at Tennessee has finally begun. Some 12 years and two coaches later, UT athletics director Danny White acknowledged it was time to begin a new era for the Lady Vols. After firing Kellie Harper, a great former Lady Vol player who couldn’t get the team to an Elite Eight or Final Four in her five year coaching tenure, over the weekend, Marshall Women’s basketball head coach Kim Caldwell was named new Lady Vols head coach Sunday. Caldwell was the Spalding Maggie Dixon Division 1 Rookie Coach of the Year this past season. Her first and only…