By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — The estate of the great blues musician B.B. King has clarified some issues regarding the content of a forthcoming King film. Pre-production on the project is set to begin in 2021, with esteemed actor Wendell Pierce set to portray King. Vassal Benford, chairman of King’s estate, told Variety that the Pierce film “The Thrill Is On” was a drama about King’s friendship with drummer Michael Zanetis. It is not a biopic. Questions initially emerged when Pierce announced he would play King via Twitter on Oct. 19. “We are official. Preparation has begun on a…
Author: Ron Wynn
When the Los Angeles Dodgers rallied Sunday night from an early deficit to defeat the Atlanta Braves 4-3 and advance to the 2020 World Series, it not only marked a team comeback after being down 3-1 in the National League Championship Series. It also provided redemption for manager Dave Roberts, one of only two full-time Black managers in Major League Baseball. The other, the Houston Astros’ Dusty Baker, almost led his team to an even more amazing comeback, as the Houston Astros battled back from a 3-0 deficit to tie the Tampa Bay Rays before losing game 7 of the…
By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — Given the length of his career and the impact he enjoyed in multiple fields, it was probably inevitable that there would be more than one production devoted to chronicling the life and times of Sammy Davis Jr. This week MGM announced it was going to release a film about Davis, making this the second project devoted to him. This one is being inspired by a book that his daughter wrote. Tracey Davis, along with Dolores A. Barclay, penned “Sammy Davis Jr.: My Father,” the volume that’s serving as the foundation for the film. It…
By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — One of the top Black women executives in the entertainment industry has a major new job. Channing Dungey, formerly vice president of originals at Netflix, will succeed Peter Roth as chairman of Warner Bros. Television Group when he steps down in early 2021. The announcement was carried Monday in various entertainment publications and on multiple websites, though initially reported in Variety. “This is a homecoming of sorts for Channing, who was a production executive at Warner Bros. early in her career, and we’re excited to have her rejoin the Studio,” WarnerMedia studios and networks…
By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — After five seasons on “Saturday Night Live,” Leslie Jones is enjoying a new role and being more in the spotlight as opposed to being part of an ensemble. The new host of “Supermarket Sweep,” seen Sunday nights at 7 p.m. on WKRN-2, told USA Today that she was a huge fan of the ‘90s version of the show. “I just loved the whole game,” Jones said. “And I had a mission of winning that $5,000 (grand prize). Back in the day, $5,000 was a lot of money. Now, I didn’t know the taxes involved…
The National Football League (NFL) and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) both hoped that they could get through full seasons without the COVID-19 pandemic affecting them, a notion that was problematic from the start, and at best illogical. Now that pro and college football teams are dealing with outbreaks, it’s clear whatever policies the NFL and NCAA had previously implemented have to be consistently examined, updated and overhauled. It’s also clear that at least in the NFL, some teams either aren’t fully paying attention to protocols, or just deliberately ignoring them. The Titans’ situation has drawn national attention because…
By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — The reshaping of the Nashville Predators got underway in major fashion last Friday as they announced the signings of two free agent defensemen. The main signing was Mark Boroweicki, who is now on board for two years at four million dollars. The other is defensman Matt Benning. He also signed for two years, but for two million. They are both expected to add depth and toughness to the defensive corps, but are only part of the general makeover of the organization after a very disappointing loss to the Arizona Coyotes in the Stanley Cup…
By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — Given how special “Lovecraft Country” has been this season, it’s not a surprise that an unconventional and highly distinctive artist would be featured in a highly unusual concert special. Actress/vocalist Janelle Monae will perform a one-of-its-kind VR concert special to mark the season finale of the HBO series. HBO will conclude the first season with “Lovecraft Country: Sanctum,” a series of exclusive virtual reality that transports invited guests into a world inspired by the show, with the social VR experience Music of the Cosmos. For the final VR experience via the Oculus Quest headset,…
The careers of the greatest sister act in tennis are nearing their end. If these were ordinary times, that would be major news in the sports world. But the COVID-19 pandemic has turned everything upside down, including the sports scene. With pro basketball and hockey playoffs extended into the fall, the baseball season reduced to 60 games, and both pro and college football battling outbreaks and postponements, tennis has also seen its season completely altered. There was no Wimbledon this year, and no fans allowed at the US Open. Then last week at the French Open both Serena and Venus…
By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — This year’s 54th annual Country Music Association (CMA) Awards will make some history. The show will air live from the Music City Center in downtown Nashville from 7-10 p.m. CST Nov. 11. The co-hosts will be Reba McEntire and Darius Rucker. It’s McEntire’s fifth hosting stint and the first for Rucker. It’s also the first time a Black performer has co-hosted the CMA Awards since Charley Pride joined Glenn Campbell in 1975. “I’m thrilled to be back hosting the CMA Awards and even more thrilled that I get to share the stage with Darius…