By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — Nationally prominent entertainer Tonya Lewis Taylor has enjoyed success in the music business, but personal advancement and monetary security have never been her only concerns. She’s always been more interested in mentoring the generations of Black youth behind her, giving back to the community, and trying to help battle ongoing issues of systemic racism and economic inequality. One of the outgrowths of those issues it the rising rate of gun violence in Black neighborhoods and the toll it’s taking in premature deaths among young people. Lewis, a native New Yorker and the executive director/founder…
Author: Ron Wynn
By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly affected college basketball, forcing several cancellations and postponements. But it hasn’t slowed the progress of the Tennessee Volunteers, who continue to look like the team to beat in the Southeastern Conference along with Alabama. While their fortunes keep improving, both Vanderbilt and Tennessee State are struggling both on the court and with games being rescheduled, postponed or cancelled. Vanderbilt had been scheduled to play Tennessee twice last week, but ended up only playing them once, on Saturday in Knoxville. That game was a blueprint for both teams’ seasons to…
By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — The Titans are in the market for at least one and maybe two new coordinators. After a record breaking offensive performance propelled them to an 11–5 regular season record and their first AFC South title since 2008, Arthur Smith became the team’s second offensive coordinator in three seasons to get a head coaching position. Smith accepted the Atlanta Falcons head job last Saturday. The Titans’ offense averaged almost 32 points per game, with Ryan Tannehill setting a team mark for passing yardage, Derrick Henry exceeding 2,000 yards and breaking Chris Johnson’s team record, and…
By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — It’s only the middle of January, so people touting any film as best of the year are either being premature or attributing something they recently saw to last season. However it is a safe bet that there won’t be too many productions made in 2021 superior to Regina King’s outstanding debut work “One Night In Miami.” From the standpoint of casting, acting and writing it is stellar. One of the toughest roles to nail is that of the famed vocalist, producer and record label owner Sam Cooke. But the person who does a spectacular…
By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — Thursday marks one of the most significant anniversaries in popular music history. That’s the day (January 21) back in 1961 four 15-year-old girls from Detroit who called themselves The Primettes were signed to signed to Berry Gordy Jr.’s Motown Records. It was nearly nine years later, on Jan. 14, 1970, that the group — by then a trio billed as Diana Ross & the Supremes (minus Florence Ballard, who was replaced by Cindy Birdsong in 1967 after struggling with alcoholism) — performed a final show at the New Frontier in Las Vegas. Two of…
NBA star Lebron James is offering the WNBA the opportunity to solve a tough public relations problem. They still have an undesirable owner in their midst, one who neither the players on her team, nor the rest of the league, wants to be part of things. That person is former Georgia Senator Kelly Loeffler, who is also a co-owner of the Atlanta Dream. Loeffler has long been a thorn in the league’s side, someone openly at odds with their image of progressivism. She’s now also an individual out of a job after losing her Senate runoff race to Democrat Rev.…
By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — It was a great season for the Titans in many ways, but one that ended far quicker than anyone hoped. Sunday’s 20-13 home loss to the Baltimore Ravens in their first playoff game in Nashville since 2008 leaves an unsatisfied feeling. But when looking back at the now ended year, they won 11 games and the AFC South. The offense averaged 31 points a game. Derrick Henry set a franchise record for rushing yardage and Ryan Tannehill one for passing yardage. Henry was voted first-team All-Pro, while he and A.J. Brown were voted to…
By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — The COVID-19 pandemic has forced a lot of changes for the National Hockey League. With the new season starting this week, far later than usual, it’s also going to be quite different for the Predators. When they open the season Thursday night at Bridgestone Arena against the Columbus Blue Jackets, they’ll only be playing 56 games instead of the usual 82. The league has been realigned, with all the Canadian teams playing in their own division. The Predators are now in the revamped Central Division with the Carolina Hurricanes, Chicago Blackhawks, Columbus Blue Jackets,…
By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — Two of Hollywood’s hottest performers are teamed in an upcoming Netflix film, and the trailer for it has just been released. “Malcolm & Marie” co-stars John David Washington and Zendaya and is the latest effort of “Euphoria” creator Sam Levinson. The new trailer can now be viewed on the Shadow and Act website. It is being billed as a “romantic drama.” The plot follows what happens when a filmmaker (Washington) and his girlfriend (Zendaya) return home following a celebratory movie premiere as he awaits what’s sure to be imminent critical and financial success. The…
By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — Stephen A. Smith has thrived on ESPN by not being afraid to express himself in a vigorous, outspoken fashion. His daily morning show “First Take” remains both one of the network’s most popular and most controversial. But this week Smith is entering new territory, the world of streaming television as his new program “Stephen A’s World” launches on ESPN Plus. “You can already see me pontificating or debating, being very demonstrative, bringing some news to the question” on his regular show, Smith said Monday in an interview for Variety. “There is going to be…