Recently, Trisha Yearwood’s had reason to think back to her early days in country music: She just celebrated the 30th anniversary of her debut single, “She’s in Love with the Boy.”
Trisha tells Billboard that when that song first came out, she was surprised by its success, simply because she never expected her first single to be a chart-topping hit.
“The thought process was that normally your first song is an introduction to the artist, because it won’t get to No. 1; at least that was the thinking back then,” she reflects.
But get to number one it did. “She’s in Love With the Boy” was a hit for Trisha, the first of five chart-topping country songs she’d snag over career to date. When she saw its success, the singer says, she was “amazed, actually.”
“I was a demo singer prior to being signed to MCA and this was a dream of mine since I was five,” she continues. “The thoughts ranged from, ‘Wow, that was easy,’ to, ‘Well, if we can’t follow this up, I’ll just be the answer to a trivia question about one-hit wonders.’”
Once she got her first hit, Trisha had to confront the pressure of replicating her success. “I didn’t even know what a sophomore jinx was until I was asked about it in every interview I did,” she admits.
Fortunately, she never succumbed to the sophomore slump. After a handful of memorable top-10 hits, Trisha scored her next number one three years later, in 1994, with “XXX’s and OOO’s (An American Girl).”
Patricia Kennealy-Morrison in 1990; Tim Roney/Getty Images
Patricia Kennealy-Morrison, a rock music journalist, author and one-time romantic partner of Doors frontman Jim Morrison, died on July 23 at the age of 75.
Kennealy-Morrison’s passing was reported on the Facebook page of Lizard Queen Press, a publishing brand she founded.
“To say we are all reeling from the news is an understatement,” the message about Kennealy-Morrison reads. “We will miss our friend very very much. She was a beautiful soul, a talented writer, and a loving and wonderful friend.” No cause of death was mentioned.
According to The New York Times, Kennealy-Morrison met Jim Morrison in 1969 when she interviewed him for Jazz & Pop magazine, for which she was editor-in-chief. She and the singer soon began a romantic relationship. In 1970, Patricia, who practiced Celtic paganism, took part in a matrimonial “hand-fasting ceremony” with Morrison that involved drops of their blood.
Their relationship remained a long-distance one until Jim’s death in 1971.
In 1979, Patricia added “Morrison” to her last name, and she served as a technical adviser on the 1991 Oliver Stone-directed biopic The Doors. She was portrayed by Kathleen Quinlan in the film, in which she also had a cameo, appearing as the priestess who performed the hand-fasting ceremony.
Kennealy-Morrison later criticized the movie, according to The New York Times, feeling it didn’t feature her prominently enough and that it trivialized the ceremony. In 1992, she published a memoir titled Strange Days: My Life With and Without Jim Morrison, which she said was a response to The Doors movie.
Kennealy-Morrison later wrote fantasy novels and rock-music-themed mystery books.
(ATLANTA) — The SEC has agreed to extend commissioner Greg Sankey’s contract through at least 2026, the conference announced Thursday.
Sankey has been at the helm of the SEC since 2015.
“College athletics is in the midst of a transformational period, and the SEC is fortunate to have a highly impactful leader to guide us forward at this critical time in our history,” said Jere Morehead, President of the University of Georgia and current President of the SEC, in a statement. “He has effectively introduced change and advancement for the conference while respecting the institutional traditions that make the SEC unique. His leadership and ability to foster collaboration through the COVID-19 pandemic helped establish a framework for all of college sports, and those leadership skills will be critical as we move forward with change in the years ahead.”
The extension comes just days after the conference welcomed the University of Texas and the University of Oklahoma to the conference in 2025.
“I am grateful for the support of the SEC’s presidents and chancellors, and for the continuing opportunity to serve our universities while supporting the student-athletes of the Southeastern Conference,” said Sankey in a statement. “We are in the midst of a time of change for college athletics, and I look forward to working with the SEC’s campus leaders to identify a path forward that will sustain the incredible success of our Conference and provide opportunities for young people to grow academically and challenge themselves athletically.”
During the 2020-2021 academic year, nine SEC team’s won national championships. Since being named commissioner in 2015, 32 SEC teams have won national titles.
Sankey came to the SEC in 2002 as the Associate Commissioner for Governance, Enforcement, and Compliance. He was promoted to the Executive Associate Commissioner and Chief Operating Officer for the league office in 2012.
(WASHINGTON) — Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas said he regrets signing an April law banning mask mandates and is seeking to reverse it as coronavirus infections soar among unvaccinated youth, making him an outlier among some Republican governors who have doubled down on their anti-masking views.
Asked by ABC’s “Good Morning America” Chief Anchor George Stephanopoulos on Thursday what changed his thinking, Hutchinson said, “The delta variant hit us hard.”
Arkansas has seen a 517% increase in the number of virus cases among people under 18 between April and July, according to an Associated Press report.
The state, like other hotspots in the country, is experiencing a frightening surge in COVID-19 with 3,000 new cases on Wednesday and 1,232 currently hospitalized, as the delta variant spreads.
So far, 42% of the state’s eligible population ages 12 and up has received at least one dose of a vaccine, according to state data, and a majority of adults 18 and over are also unvaccinated.
“There’s been a lot of distrust and we hope to overcome that because medical sciences, vaccines work, I believe, and we need to get those out — because that’s the way out of this,” Hutchinson said.
But the Arkansas governor, who is term-limited, is an outlier among Republican governors across the country who are doubling down on their own legislation banning mask mandates as the public policy measure continues to feed debate over personal liberties.
Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida, a state which has become the epicenter of the virus, responded to President Joe Biden telling governors on Tuesday to help or “get out of the way” by making his defiance a rallying call — and a fundraising tool, sending out a letter with the subject line: “I’m Standing In Joe Biden’s Way.”
“I am standing in your way,” DeSantis said at a press conference Wednesday, declaring that Florida will remain a “free state” where children won’t be asked to wear masks.
DeSantis’s position is shared by Republican Govs. Greg Abbott of Texas, who he has said Texans should have the “right to choose,” as well as Pete Ricketts of Nebraska, Kim Reynolds of Iowa, Doug Ducey of Arizona and Kristi Noem of South Dakota, who have all ridiculed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s latest masking recommendation that everyone in areas with substantial or high levels of transmission — vaccinated or not — wear a mask in public, indoor settings.
Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the frontrunner to replace Hutchinson in the 2022 Arkansas governor race, has made clear she opposes all mask and vaccine mandates no matter the circumstances.
“If I am elected governor here in Arkansas we will not have mask mandates, we will not have mandates on the vaccine, we will not shut down churches and schools and other large gatherings, because we believe in personal freedom and responsibility,” she told Fox News last month.
Hutchinson, instead, after telling the public at a press conference Tuesday he wishes the mask ban wouldn’t have become law, called for a special legislative session asking lawmakers to reverse it, only so that public schools can have the flexibility to require masks for students.
It’s still not clear the GOP-led legislature in Arkansas will go along with Hutchinson’s request.
As the legislature met Wednesday, the Little Rock School District Board of Education voted to file a lawsuit against the state because of the anti-mask law. That follows another lawsuit filed Monday by parents also seeking to strike the law down, citing health concerns for their children at school.
The bill which might stave off those lawsuits, HB1003, failed to advance in public health panel Wednesday after GOP lawmakers pushed back.
But while the legislature continues to meet Thursday to work out the details, at least 730 students and staff from the Marion School District in Arkansas were under quarantine — just two weeks after classes started.
Presented with that number on “Good Morning America” and asked if he’s confident that it’s safe for kids to go back to school, Hutchinson said there would be challenges but said the state’s focus should be on vaccines over masks to prevent outbreaks.
“Our emphasis should be on the vaccines and not get sidetracked, in a minuta debate on masks, even though that is important for the 12 and under, and the flexibility we’re talking about,” he said.
ABC News’ Marlene Lenthang contributed to this report.
Chris Meloni, star of Law & Order: Organized Crime, got a little cheeky when bringing up the internet’s obsession with his backside.
Meloni, 60, became an online spectacle after on-set photos of his shapely bottom went viral in the spring. Speaking Wednesday with Men’s Health, the actor admitted he’s likes his newfound sex symbol status and laughed, “How much am I allowed to taste of this fruit? How much am I allowed to enjoy this?”
He also reveled in the fact that he’s on the magazine’s cover, and confessed, “The aspect of age comes into play… and how I feel about it. A friend of mine said, ‘Did you ever think in a million years you’d be on the cover of Men’s Health?’ I said, ‘Certainly not at age 60.'”
Meloni also addressed why he walked away from Law & Order: SVU a decade ago, bluntly revealing it was over a salary dispute.
“[NBC] literally came to me on a Thursday night and said, ‘This is the deal. We want the answer by tomorrow. It’s our way or no way,” the Emmy nominee explained, adding that he refused to compromise and responded, “This is what I want. If you can’t do it, that’s fine. Let’s figure out my exit.”
Meloni then explained why he returned to the franchise, saying showrunner Dick Wolf wanted him to come back “since the day he left.” The actor said he heard Wolf’s pitch for Law & Order: Organized Crime — a series about his character, Elliot Stabler — and agreed to return to NBC.
He added that he is “not stressed” about the success of the series, which was renewed for a second season, saying his mentality this time around is “just ride. Just do, just be.”
(LOUISVILLE, Ky.) — A search is on for the unknown gunman or gunmen who ambushed and fatally shot a 26-year-old sheriff’s deputy near Louisville, Kentucky, authorities said.
Jefferson County sheriff’s deputy Brandon Shirley was shot at about 2:30 a.m. local time Thursday while working an off-duty security job at Rockford Lane Auto Sales in Shively, Jefferson County Sheriff John Aubrey said at a news conference. Shirley was in uniform at the time, the sheriff said.
Shirley was rushed to a hospital where he died, Aubrey said.
The Louisville Metro Police Department is investigating.
Police chief Erika Shields said Shirley was “targeted” and “ambushed.”
She called the shooting “sickening” and vowed to make an arrest.
Shirley, assigned to the court security division, joined the department in 2019.
My deepest condolences are with the family of Jefferson County Sheriff Deputy Brandon Shirley. Please pray for his loved ones and our brothers and sisters at the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office as they grieve. On behalf of the Chicago Police Department, we stand with you.
— Chicago Police Superintendent David O. Brown (@ChiefDavidBrown) August 5, 2021
Aubrey described Shirley as courageous and well-liked.
Shirley and three other officers were recently awarded the medal of valor for assisting during a shooting at Jefferson Square Park, the sheriff said.
Forty-five law enforcement officers have been fatally wounded in the U.S. so far this year, according to FBI data.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
(NEW YORK) — Former Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III will join ESPN as a college football analyst this fall, according to a report byFront Office Sports.
He could also contribute to ESPN’s NFL coverage, according to the report.
The former Baylor star was drafted second overall by Washington in the 2012 draft and started 28 of 32 games his first two seasons before injuries derailed his career. Griffin threw for 6,403 yards and 36 touchdowns his first two seasons.
Griffin, who is a free agent, spent the past three seasons with Baltimore, appearing in 14 games and starting two.
(New York) — With the hyper-transmissible delta variant driving a new COVID-19 surge, many families are wondering if it’s safe to send young children back to school for in-person learning.
Once again, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is recommending that adults and children wear masks in schools. Meanwhile, a COVID-19 vaccine isn’t likely to be available for children under 12 before the end of the year.
But Dr. Edith Bracho-Sanchez says that with the right precautions in place, children will benefit from in-person learning this year.
“I understand it is nerve-racking,” Bracho-Sanchez, a primary care pediatrician and assistant professor of pediatrics at Columbia University Irving medical center explained in a conversation with ABC News on Instagram Live.
“Let’s trust the science. Let’s take a deep breath.”
Experts agree that the best step adults can take to keep kids safe is to get vaccinated themselves. Children are less likely to become infected with the virus if all the adults around them are immune, creating an invisible ring of protection.
Is delta more dangerous for children?
Data is still emerging on the new delta variant. For example, it’s still not clear if the variant causes more severe illness in adults and children, though the National Institutes of Health director Francis Collins recently told CNN the data is “tipping” that way.
But the real danger of delta is that it’s highly contagious and now surging in communities with low vaccination rates. The CDC now recommends that everyone in school settings — vaccinated or unvaccinated — wear a mask to slow transmission.
“I know it is frustrating, but it really, truly does make sense and we should be doing it,” Bracho-Sanchez said.
How can parents help kids prepare for in-person learning?
Bracho-Sanchez says children will benefit from in-person learning, but parents should be empowered to advocate with their school district to ensure the learning environment is as safe as possible.
At home, parents can help children transition by asking them about how they’re feeling about going back to a classroom.
“You know, I’ve seen kids who have seen too much and have been through too much in the past year and a half,” said Bracho-Sanchez. “Some have witnessed family members passing away … and we’re now going to ask them to make a transition and to perform at a level that they haven’t really been supported to perform at once the school year starts again.”
Bracho-Sanchez said she reminds her patients to go back to the basics: Get the school year off on the right foot by ensuring children are getting outdoor time, nutritious food and plenty of sleep.
“Once we’ve implemented all of those basics, we can also start having conversations about how kids are feeling about going back to school,” she said. “All it takes is creating this space and asking those questions.”
Should I consider holding my child back to catch up after last year?
Some schools might recommend certain children be held back a grade to make up for last year. But according to Bracho-Sanchez, this decision shouldn’t be taken lightly.
“We know we have studies … we have data … that show that kids who have been held back a grade actually are at higher risk of dropping out in the future,” she said.
Parents and teachers should help students achieve while staying in their own grade, she said, and parents are encouraged to reach out to their pediatrician if a school recommends holding a child back.
“I think there’s a lot the parents can do,” she said. “Now is the time to come together as a community.”
Courteney Cox may be besties with Ed Sheeran, but her Friends co-star Jennifer Aniston now has a special bond with another chart-topping British singer: Harry Styles.
Aniston was recently photographed for the new issue of InStyle wearing the exact same color-block brown-toned Gucci suit that Harry wore to the Brit Awards in February of this year. Harry accessorized the suit with Gucci sneakers and the brand’s bamboo-handle brown leather handbag, while Aniston paired it white, high-heeled Gucci loafers and a Carolina Bucci scarf.
Fans went crazy over the two stars’ twinning moment, especially because, as some pointed out, Harry said that Aniston was his first celebrity crush. Jennifer has now reacted by posting a side-by-side photo of herself and the “Watermelon Sugar” singer on her Instagram Story, with the caption, “Just call me Harriet Styles.”
And this isn’t the only time the two stars have twinned: Writer Evan Ross Katz posted a side-by-side shot of Harry wearing a white t-shirt that reads “Save the drama for your mama,” which is identical to a t-shirt that Jennifer’s character Rachel Green wore in season 10 of Friends.
“Harry Styles and Jennifer Aniston wore the same outfit not once but TWICE,” Katz wrote. “So don’t you DARE tell me they’re not the same person with the ability to morph between time and space.” A fan responded, “The multiverse we didn’t know we needed.”
Aniston reposted the t-shirt shot as well, with the side-eye emoji.
