By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — There were some good things on display in the opener for Tennessee State, a game marking the debut of former All-Pro and Titans star Eddie George as the Tigers’ head coach. But unfortunately there weren’t enough of them to prevent TSU from taking a 16-10 loss at the hands of Grambling in the 2021 Black College Hall of Fame Classic, held in Canton, Ohio. It was the renewal of a formerly fierce HBCU rivalry that hadn’t been resumed before Sunday since 2002. The game was nationally televised on the NFL Network. The first major…
Author: Ron Wynn
By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — Even when she was topping the charts, vocalist Anita Baker was battling with various record labels over who had control of her music. Last Friday that fight finally came to an end as Baker announced she now had control of all her masters. “All My Children Are Coming Home,” Baker wrote beside a photograph of some of her various albums released over the years. “Impossible Things Happen … Every. Single. Day. Gratefully.” Another artist who’s battled labels over the same issue promptly praised Baker’s efforts and success. Taylor Swift on Saturday quote-tweeted the “Sweet…
By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — LeVar Burton may not have gotten the “Jeopardy” hosting slot, but the series that he’s championed is about to get its own cinematic spotlight. “Reading Rainbow,” which he hosted for 23 years, will be the topic of XTR’s new documentary “Butterfly in the Sky.” The documentary will examine the journeys of filmmakers, hosts , educators and broadcasters who wholeheartedly believed television could inspire the passion and love for reading. “Butterly in the Sky” will be directed by the Jasper Mall duo Bradford Thomason and Brett Whitcomb. It is produced by Sidestilt Films alongside Bryan…
By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — A trio of new coaches are taking over at Tennessee State University, Vanderbilt and the University of Tennessee. In all three cases, the teams are coming off disappointing (in Vanderbilt’s case disastrous) years that resulted in their former head coaches being terminated. It would be overly optimistic (at best) to expect big results from any of these programs in their first season, but it’s certain that all three are going to get intense scrutiny and coverage. Tennessee State has already been profiled everywhere from ESPN to the Sporting News, HBCU Digest to Bleacher Report…
By Ron Wynn No one’s particularly worried over the outcome of preseason games, so the Titans losing 27-24 in their final contest before the regular season begins isn’t a concern. While losing a fourth quarter lead is never anything to celebrate, the Titans accomplished much of what they wanted while winning two of the three preseason games. It certainly provided them with much of what they need in making the final roster cuts that came Tuesday. The biggest question remaining personnel wise was who would be the number two QB behind Ryan Tannehill, who not only didn’t play a snap…
It seems hard to believe, and even more difficult to accept, but the Williams’ sisters careers are nearing their end. While neither Venus nor Serena has made any public statements announcing or even hinting at retirement, the signs are there. Last Wednesday both pulled out of the U.S. Open, making it the first time in 18 years neither sister will participate in that event. Serena Williams cited a torn hamstring, while Venus said her withdrawal came due to a leg injury. Their decision followed the departure of male stars Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. It’s the first time since 1997…
By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — One of reggae’s finest producers and most flamboyant performers passed away Sunday. Lee “Scratch” Perry died at a hospital in Lucea. The Jamaica Observer initially reported his passing. Perry was 85. His impact as a vocalist and performer not only was massive in the worlds of reggae and dub, but extended into rock and rap. His passing was noted by a number of international politicians and musicians, as well as Jamaica’s current Prime Minister Andrew Holness. “My deep condolences to the family, friends, and fans of legendary record producer and singer, Rainford Hugh Perry…
By Ron Wynn Amazon Prime Video is continuing to make its presence known in streaming circles and has now landed one of country music’s two biggest award shows. They announced Monday that Prime Video will stream the Academy of Country Music Awards (ACM) live in 2022. The awards, produced by MRC’s Dick Clark Productions, are moving from their longtime home at CBS, which has aired the ACM Awards every year since 1998. “We’re excited to continue to expand our content offerings for Prime Video customers by being the exclusive home for the Academy of Country Music Awards in 2022 and…
By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — Over the last couple of years outstanding previously unreleased LPs of John Coltrane have been unearthed in different places. The latest example of that concerns a live version of the music many consider the greatest Coltrane ever recorded. That’s “A Love Supreme.” Until now it was widely assumed that there was only one live recording of “A Love Supreme.” It was recorded in July 1965 at a festival in Antibes, France, but never released until 2002. However various collectors, critics and historians were aware that “A Love Supreme” was played live in its entirety…
By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — There wasn’t really any question of if goalie Juuse Saros would sign a new deal with the Nashville Predators, only when would it happen. Saros inked the new deal last week, signing for four years and $20 million. Considering that Saros had arguably been the best goalie in the NHL for the second half of the season and had played well despite the Predators’ first-round playoff loss to Carolina, it didn’t really raise any issues when he filed for salary arbitration. The Predators avoided that hearing by reaching agreement on the new deal, making…