By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — The Nashville Symphony Orchestra has joined forces with composer and trumpeter Hannibal Lokumbe for the world premiere of his composition “The Jonah People – A Legacy of Struggle and Triumph.” The multi-media production will be presented April 13-16 at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center. The even not only features the Symphony, but also a 100-voice choir consisting of vocalists from various HBCUs in both Tennessee and Kentucky. There are also operatic and dramatic components, with more than 30 actors utilized and it marks Lokumbe’s first opera. Yet another added segment involves an African drumming and…
Author: Ron Wynn
By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — After a disappointing season punctuated by a dismal second half, the Tennessee Titans entered the off season with several key questions to be answered. As the 2023 NFL draft on April 27th approaches, the Titans have released some veterans and signed some others. But three big questions remained unanswered as of press time. The first concerns the status of veteran QB Ryan Tannehill. He is in the final year of his contract, and rumors abound that the Titans plan to cut him and draft a QB. They have already moved on from Josh Dobbs.…
Bryant Gumbel has long been a trailblazer and someone unafraid of controversy. Long before such folks as Stephen A. Smith or Charles Barkley were ruffling feathers on air, Gumbel was taking on politicians and celebrities as the first, and to date still only, Black principal host of “Today.” His career has spanned more than five decades, and he has achieved excellence in both the news and sports arenas. Since the mid-90s Gumbel’s principal broadcasting home has been HBO, where he has served as the host of “Real Sports.” The show has won 33 Emmys and is among the most honored…
By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — Award-winning vocalist, songwriter and instrumentalist Lizzo announced Monday an extension of her First Look deal with Amazon Studios. The original deal was signed in 2020, and it gave Amazon Studios priority on any film and television projects developed by Lizzo and her company. She also at the time put out a casting call for various “big girls” for assorted projects. In Monday’s announcement, Lizzo put out a new casting call. This is part of her ongoing campaign to provide more opportunities for women hustiri ly denied any outlets into film, television or music due…
By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — Unless you lived on the West Coast, you might have lost track of Chris Tucker the past seven years. That’s because until the new film “Air” opened recently, Tucker had largely confined his activities to doing occasional comedy tours and spearheading the various activities of his charitable foundation. But the opportunity to be in a film about the development of the Air Jordan shoe line, as well as portray someone he has known for years, brought Tucker back to the big screen. He plays Howard White, one of Nike’s few Black executives at the…
By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — The award winning sitcom “Abbott Elementary” is getting a casting boost via the addition of a major film and TV star for a guest role. Taraji P. Henson, an Oscar and Emmy nominated actress know for roles in the film “Hidden Figures” and the television show “Empire” among many other projects, will appear on the show April 12. She is playing the mother of the show’s creator Quinta Brunson. Brunson is also part of the cast and an executive producer. Henson made the announcement from the stage during an appearance at Paleyfest last week.…
This year’s NCAA men’s basketball Tournament reveals just how dramatically things have changed in the sport. For starters, this is the first year ever that all four number one seeds were beaten prior to the Final Four. Purdue fell in its first game, and defending champion Kansas was ousted by Arkansas. Alabama and Houston both lost in the Sweet 16 round. But more impressive has been the play of mid-major teams, most notably Florida Atlantic. They not only made their first Final Four by beating Tennessee and Kansas State, they now have 35 victories, and have dazzled the nation despite…
NASHVILLE, TN — Amir “Questlove” Thompson has chosen a most unusual project to make his feature film directorial debut. Multiple entertainment sites announced Monday that Thompson has signed a deal with Disney to direct a remake of the 1970 film “The Aristocats.” This new version will combine live action characters with CGI footage. Additional details regarding locations, casting, release date, etc, will come later. This represents Questlove’s desire to make a mark in non music oriented cinematic territory. His previous release, “Summer of Soul,” was an Oscar winning documentary on the Harlem Music Festival. Thompson also previously penned an acclaimed…
By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — Although she has won almost every honor imaginable in her spectacular career, until last week there was one award the legendary Gladys Knight had not received. But that is no longer the case. She is now among the select group of artists to be given a National Medal Of Arts Award. Knight joined Bruce Springsteen and others last week in a White House ceremony, receiving the honor from President Biden. This follows her receiving last year the Kennedy Center Honors, and these two prestigious awards only provide more luster to one of the greatest…
Pro sports is always more about business than anything else, despite all the rhetoric you hear about the importance of winning and championships. Sure, teams want to win, and both players and owners delight in titles, but the bottom line is always about money. That is especially true in the National Football League. Despite being the nation’s most successful and lucrative pro sports league, it is also one that does not guarantee player contracts. While no one can credibly claim pro football players are underpaid, the NFL operates a curious system that combines a salary cap with a structure that…