When Dr. Lisa Piercey left state government after guiding Tennessee through the pandemic, she decided to turn over an entirely new leaf. She was tired of working for someone else. So she got into the business of buying businesses. And even though she’s only a few years in, she also wrote a book about it. […]
Charles “Wigg” Walker, legendary R&B and soul artist
There’s one man ensuring rhythm and blues gets some airtime on Lower Broadway, even if it’s a Saturday morning brunch crowd.
Stuart McWhorter on business, divisive politics, and carrying on his father’s legacy
When an emcee introduces Stuart McWhorter on stage, at some point he feels the need to cut them off. From his resume, it starts to sound like he either can’t hold a job or he’s always looking for the next thing — a joke that he makes about his own varied career. Before government service, […]
Tamara Saviano on a fateful firing and finding Americana music
Americana often becomes a place for artists or music industry types who don’t fit neatly elsewhere. And for Tamara Saviano, it was a place for a writer and publicist who was shunned by country music. Saviano moved to Nashville and quickly found herself crossways with industry heavyweights. A fateful firing over politics led to a […]
No excuses from Fred Bailey, who grew up unaware he was blind
Fred Bailey didn’t just defy the odds. He didn’t see his circumstances as a deck stacked against him. In fact, he couldn’t see at all, which was one of the challenges you’d expect to hold someone back. “You’re Black, blind, and poor,” his father told him, adding that hard work was going to be the […]
Joy Flores and the mission to shelter the unhoused
When people in Nashville have nowhere else to go, they find this hour’s guest.
From Somali refugee to housing navigator: Abdikadir Mohamed
Abdikadir Mohamed spent fourteen years in a Kenyan refugee camp before being able to immigrate to Nashville where he and his family made a life for themselves.
Demetrius Short on running in suits and pain as preparation
Earlier this year, Demetrius Short spoke at Fisk University’s Honors Convocation and got some apologies off his chest. He disclosed to his mentors and professors he was sneaking into their offices to sleep on their couches. He was grabbing a tray of chicken legs and hoping the cafeteria workers would look the other way. He […]
Tom Morales, entrepreneur, restaurateur and defender
If you’re really looking for the hardest working man in show business, he might not be on camera. It might be our guest this hour — Tom Morales.
Kevin Wilson: On a rural Tennessee upbringing, writing and how fiction is like professional wrestling
Local, award-winning author Kevin Wilson has deep Tennessee roots: he grew up in Franklin County, attended Vanderbilt, and today, teaches at Sewanee: The University of the South. Earlier this year, he released his latest novel, Run for the Hills. Like much of his work, the story considers the, sometimes unexpected, ways “family” can come to […]
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