By Ron Wynn NASHVILLLE, TN — Former President Barack Obama and superstar comedian Dave Chappelle were among those offering tributes to this year’s inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Saturday at the induction ceremonies in Cleveland. President Obama and Chappelle praised Jay-Z, while Taylor Swift honored Carole King and Paul McCartney paid tribute to the Foo Fighters. Tina Turner and The Go-Gos were also honored at the event. Obama, speaking via video, called 23-time Grammy winner JAY-Z “the embodiment of the American Dream” for his rise from a poor New York neighborhood to a billionaire songwriter, record…
Author: Ron Wynn
Even many longtime Atlanta Braves’ fans will have a tough time rooting against the Houston Astros when the World Series begins this week. That’s because the Astros’ have as their manager one of the most beloved figures in Major League Baseball. That’s 72-year-old Dusty Baker, who’s already achieved a host of firsts in his long career. These include being the first manager to lead five different teams to division titles. When the Astros defeated the Red Sox 5-0 in Game 6 of the American League Championship Series, Baker also became the first Black manager to win pennants in both leagues.…
NASHVILLE, TN — The Tennessee Titans now hit the road for two straight games in excellent shape, having won consecutive home games and beaten both the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs. They also have to be thrilled with the performance of their defense in Sunday’s game against Kansas City. They had four sacks of Patrick Mahomes, as well as five other hits on him. Mahomes left the game late in the fourth quarter after a play in which Mahomes’ head was accidentally hit by Jeffrey Simmons thigh as he was going down. Mahomes passed concussion protocol, but was not…
By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — Longtime alto saxophone-standout Bobby Watson appears with his quartet Saturday at the new Jazz Cave located inside the Nashville Jazz Workshop, 1012 Buchanan Street. Watson’s band includes bassist Curtis Lundy, pianist Marc Payne and drummer Terreon Gully. Watson and Lundy appeared two years ago in Nashville at Rudy’s. COVID-19 protocols are in effect. All persons inside the venue must be fully vaccinated and show their vaccination card, ID, and ticket at the door. The Workshop asks that everyone wear a mask while inside. Masks will be provided for all those who don’t have them.…
By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — Among the new limited series that ABC plans is one designed to highlight the achievement of Black women in the Civil Rights Movement. The network announced this week that “Women of the Movement” would premiere Jan 6. The network also released a new preview teaser for the show. It stars Tony Award winner Adrienne Warren as Mamie Till-Mobley. The six-episode series will air in three parts for three consecutive weeks. It is based on the true story of Till-Mobley, “who in 1955 risked her life to find justice after her son Emmett was brutally…
Dawn Staley has been a trailblazer for women athletes and coaches throughout her career. She was an All-American and All-Pro player in her college and WNBA days, and has since become one of the nation’s finest women’s college basketball coaches. But last week she achieved a new status, that of precent-shattering figure. Staley signed a seven-year, $22.4 million contract extension. The new deal makes her the nation’s highest paid Black woman coach and one of the top period. It comes on the heels of Staley leading the U.S. women’s team to the gold medal in the Olympics and taking the…
NASHVILLE, TN — The Tennessee Titans continue battling injuries as they prepare to meet the defending AFC champion Kansas City Chiefs Sunday at home. They’re coming off a major upset Monday night as they overcame a fourth quarter deficit and rallied for a 34-31 victory over the Buffalo Bills. The Titans won despite losing offensive tackle Taylor Lewan and wide receiver Julio Jones to injury once again, and also trying to find anyone in the secondary besides safety Kevin Byard, who had another interception, able to consistently make plays. However they were fueled again by running back Derrick Henry, who’s…
By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — Danielle Pinnock has been quite busy lately with roles in multiple shows. She’s been featured on CBS’s “Young Sheldon,” HBO’s “A Black Lady Sketch Show” and EPIX’s “Get Shorty.” She’s also had memorable guest appearances on ABC’s “Scandal” and NBC’s “This Is Us.” Now she’s got a new role, starring as Alberta in the CBS comedy series “Ghosts,” which debuted last week. Pinnock stars as a Prohibition-era lounge singer-turned-ghost to life. She’s trying to navigate life as she’s trapped in a modern-day country estate that was recently inherited by two tenants who certainly didn’t…
By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — It’s been a magical year for country vocalist Mickey Guyton, one among a group of Black women in the genre enjoying wider recognition and acceptance. Last Wednesday Guyton got another honor as Country Music Television (CMT) gave her one of their biggest awards. Guyton was cited as “Breakout Artist of the Year.” The event was the 2021 CMT Artists of The Year ceremony. It recognized three singles from last year featuring Guyton. These were “What Are You Gonna Tell Her,” “Black Like Me,” and “Heaven Down Here.” They were released between March and July.…
By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — Vocalist Jonathan McReynolds exemplifies the modern gospel artist in many ways. His music has the inspirational zeal and spiritual lyrical direction of traditional gospel, but enough contemporary elements and sensibility to reach fans of both spiritual and secular music. McReynolds has enjoyed multiple number one Billboard Gospel LPs, won eight Stellar Awards, earned five Grammy nominations and now will host the 2021 Gospel Music Association’s Dove Awards (he’s also a multiple winner in that field). It’s the 52nd annual event, and the in-person ceremony happened Wednesday night at Allen Arena. But the show airs…