At 84, biochemist Billy Hudson is still at it, researching collagen and kidney function. He’s been named as a 2026 medal of honor recipient by the Ellis Island Honors Society. An unlikely pioneer in the field of nephrology, Hudson endured poverty and abuse in rural Arkansas, not even finishing high school before he found himself […]
Former Titan Kevin Dyson still has something to prove in education
Kevin Dyson was part of the biggest play during the biggest season the Tennessee Titans have had to date. He saw the highs of the Music City Miracle and the bitter lows of being one yard short at Super Bowl XXXIV. And before long, he found his injury-prone career cut short in 2005. He wanted […]
Finding simplicity on 21 strings with guzheng master Wu Fei
Today we meet Wu Fei, a master of the 21-string Chinese zither known as the guzheng. A classically-trained composer and singer, Wu Fei was educated in China’s conservatory system before continuing her studies at Mills College in the United States. She eventually made her home in Nashville, where her sound has evolved through collaborations with […]
R.A. Dickey on redemption, purpose and the unpredictable pitch that changed everything
Knuckleball pitchers are a small fraternity, and R.A. Dickey is one of its most notable members.
The redemption story of RaDonda Vaught
It started with one request to speak to a group of risk analysts. Former Vanderbilt nurse RaDonda Vaught reluctantly told her story on a stage for the first time — she was still on probation from her felony conviction. “It was emotionally overwhelming and a little cathartic, but I’m gonna tell you, you could have […]
Rissi Palmer on the Black Barbie evolution of country music and other ‘Perspectives’
People come to Nashville from all over the world to make country music. Rissi Palmer is one of the many. But she’s also one of the few — one of the few to ever crack the Billboard country charts, and fewer still to do it as a Black woman.
Chef Ericka Fizer on defying the odds
Chef Ericka Fizer made it her life’s work to take care of others even as she endured her own hardships — starting with feeding her siblings when she was growing up. Her mother was frequently absent, battling addiction. Fizer overcame her own challenges but never saw herself as a victim of her circumstances. Then on […]
Live with Maestro Leonard Slatkin
We bring Leonard Slatkin to our podium on the eve of his first performance in this new era at the helm of the Nashville Symphony. He’s one of the most prominent American conductors of our time, and he’s back in town 20 years after serving a similar interim period between permanent conductors. We get reacquainted, […]
Facing the new year with Buddhist teacher and punk rocker Mikey Noechel
Our guest this hour is the frontman of the punk rock trio The RIP Taylors. Their latest album – Negativity Bias – has songs with titles like “I still don’t believe in you,” “I gotta bad attitude,” and “I’m not like…ya know…whatever.” It’s the passion project of Mikey Noechel, who thinks a lot about our […]
Our most fascinating interviews from 2025
A songwriter who climbed out of the shadow of her first song, a nonprofit leader who refuses to see his own disability, a restaurateur with a hot take on tourism, a humorist who leaned into her heritage, a forward-thinking physician who rediscovered her mom’s remedies, and the sentimental saint of the Opry. It’s the best […]
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