By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — Lifetime previously enjoyed both strong ratings and critical acclaim for its film on the Clark Sisters, so they’re hoping the same thing happens this weekend with the debut of “Robin Roberts Presents: Mahalia.” This is a long-awaited production covering the life of the woman many consider the finest individual vocalist in gospel music history. She also was extremely active in the Civil Rights Movement, both with personal appearances and through monetary contributions. There’s quite a prolific cast involved. SAG Award and Grammy Award-winning actress Danielle Brooks (“Orange is the New Black”) has the title…
Author: Ron Wynn
By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — Lawrence Otis Graham made writing about the Black upper class a passion and the subject of 14 books. He combined that career with being a corporate lawyer at Weil, Gotshal & Manges as well as a real estate attorney at Cuddy & Feder. Graham passed away in February at 59, but one of his best-selling works is now slated to become a television series. Our Kind of People: Inside America’s Black Upper Class (HarperCollins) was a New York Times, Los Angeles Times and Essence Magazine bestseller, as well as a selection of the Book…
By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — The Lady Volunteers made history Tuesday, but not in the manner they hoped. Seeking to reach their first Sweet 16 since 2016, instead they were defeated 70-55 by Michigan. It was that program’s first Sweet 16 berth, and the fourth straight NCAA Women’s Tournament where the Lady Vols have failed to advance beyond the second round. The number three seeded team, Tennessee finishes the year 17-8. They were unable to overcome the offensive problems that saw them fall behind by 19 points at one stretch in the second half. The Lady Vols made only…
One of the best, if not the top, stories among the host of March Madness tournament results was Georgetown’s blowout 73-48 victory over Creighton last weekend that returned the Hoyas to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2015. Georgetown was picked to finish last in preseason polling of the “experts,” and before the tournament began there were questions about whether Patrick Ewing, now in his fourth season as head coach, was the right man to return them to the prominence they’d enjoyed when he was their center in the 80s. Instead, Ewing became the first person in history…
By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — Despite a disappointing SEC Tournament semifinal loss to Alabama, the Tennessee Volunteers are back in the NCAA Tournament. It was announced Sunday that the 18-8 Volunteers would be facing Oregon State (17-12), the surprise winners of the Pac-12 Tournament, Friday in Indianapolis. The Volunteers are seeded fifth in the Midwest region, Oregon State 12th, although this year despite the various regional designations, all the games are in Indiana. Most will be played in Indianapolis, with others at scattered sites in the state. Tennessee had eventual SEC Tournament winner Alabama on the ropes, but blew…
Black Women Finally Getting Country Music Recognition By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — Black artists have always been active and vital in country music circles, despite a long-running mythology that only whites have written and performed it. The prevailing line peddled for decades was that until Charley Pride came along and Ray Charles did a couple of albums, Blacks, with the notable exception of harmonica ace/vocalist Deford Bailey, had largely ignored country music. That notion was widely believed despite the fact Black string bands, songwriters, and vocalists had been influencing and having a huge impact on country music from its…
By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — The Tennessee Volunteers head into Friday’s SEC Tournament game coming off one of their better performances of the season, a regular season home finale triumph over the Florida Gators Sunday. The 65-54 victory secured a double bye for the Volunteers, concluded their SEC regular season slate with a 10-7 mark (17-7 overall), and provided them with a rest until Friday. Then they will play either Florida again, Texas A&M or Vanderbilt. Though they had a tepid first half, in the second half Tennessee reverted back to their early-season form, playing strong defense and getting…
For decades the Southeastern Conference was a bastion of segregation athletically. But this season the SEC achieved a landmark that puts all the other Power 5 conferences to shame. There are only 13 Black women coaches in all these leagues. SEVEN of them are in the SEC. Earlier this year Kentucky made Kyra Elzy the seventh Black woman leading an SEC program. They joined Auburn, Georgia, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, South Carolina and LSU. Sunday South Carolina and Georgia battled each other for the SEC title, with South Carolina emerging victorious 67-62. It was the first time in SEC history…
By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — Ralph Peterson Jr., a drummer, bandleader, composer and educator whose lunging propulsion and volatile combustion were hallmarks of a jazz career spanning more than 40 years, died last week in North Dartmouth, Mass. The cause was complications from cancer, his manager, Laura Martinez, told NPR Music; Peterson had been living with the disease for the last six years. He was 58. Peterson was a marvelous rhythmic force, and a gifted mentor for young jazz musicians. He was featured in many contexts. These included albums by trumpeter Terence Blanchard and saxophonist Donald Harrison, heading bands…
By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — Though he wasn’t a native and didn’t relocate here until 2000, swing mainstay and prolific drummer Duffy Jackson quickly became part of Music City’s jazz scene. Jackson, who passed March 3 at 67, became a familiar face at both the Nashville Jazz Workshop and also Rudy’s Jazz Room, playing small sets, offering encouragement to other musicians, and generally lighting up the place wherever he was either playing or just in the vicinity. His death came from complications due to hip surgery according to his sister Sandra Anton in a repor featured on the WBGO…