Forrest Sanders
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I tell the good, positive news! Reporter/videographer for NewsChannel 5. 43x Emmy winner. Nashville resident. MTSU grad.
The longtime manager of legendary voice Donna Summer has some great stories. Susan Munao watched the ascent up the charts of the nearly-17 minute Love To Love You Baby. She's featured in the photoshoot for Donna's Bad Girls album. She was there when Donna got the surprise inspiration for She Works Hard For The Money.
In 2012, Donna died after a lung cancer diagnosis. Now, Susan, a friend who spent so many years promoting the work of the singer/songwriter...is on a mission to help others in memory of Donna.
Lung Cancer Research Foundation
Bill Cody was a voice you'd likely hear if you ever got to attend anything celebrating country music. He arrived at WSM Radio in 1994 and became an instantly recognizable face (and voice) through radio shows and Grand Ole Opry hosting.
Bill Cody has just died at 67-years-old.
With his death, I talked to singer/songwriters TG Sheppard and Kelly Lang. The married couple knew Bill for ages. TG guesses he started doing interviews with Bill 45-years-ago...while Bill plays an important role in Kelly's Opry story. Bill lived his life honoring the greats. Now, it's time to honor Bill.
Grammy winner Amy Grant has been through a lot since her last album of original music. There was an open heart surgery...a brain injury...a legal battle over a downtown church with deep family connections. For her new release, she wanted the album cover art to reflect the journey of her life.
I caught up with Amy at The Museum of Christian & Gospel Music.
She talked to me about working with artist Wayne Brezinka...what went into an especially unique design...and what she hopes people will take from it.
You may have heard its National Donut Day!...but you may not be familiar with the unexpected history behind National Donut Day. Its a story that goes back to WWI...and a group called "the Donut Lassies". There's no better place to hear the history...than a Nashville institution...
..one with apple fritters...
Fox’s Donut Den The Salvation Army - Nashville The Salvation Army USA
06/04/2026
Some kids who stutter can go all year without a chance to spend time with someone with a similar experience. At this camp, that's not the case.
This is a story about a pink otter named Larry. Well. We'll get to him.
"Find a place where you guys want to rehearse!" camp associate director Jack Henderson called to a group of kids. "Today's the day we go from, 'this is going to be our story to now we're performing this in two days!' Got it? Rock n' roll!"
This is the third year of a summer camp for 14-year-old Tylor Kirisits.
"So, who's playing the role of the crab?" Tylor called out.
It's called Camp T.A.L.K.S., and it's held by Vanderbilt Health's Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences.
"Camp T.A.L.K.S., at its core, is a place where kids and teens who stutter can feel heard," Jack said. "They can speak openly without fear of being cutoff, having their words finished for them."
Campers broke into groups as they wrote a play they'll perform at the end of the week.
"This is mostly the storyboard," Tylor said, holding up a sheet.
Tylor's crew has come up with this show about pirates searching for golden Uno cards, with the only thing standing in their way being, yes, Larry the Pink Otter.
It's different, but, hey, you ever see Cats?
"Every year it's completely original!" Jack laughed. "It's very much them. That's a huge part of this, to get them to experience the sound of their own voice."
"So, who's playing the pink otter?" I asked the crew.
"We haven't found that out yet!" Tylor answered. "I feel like that could be one of the counselors!"
By the way, Tylor's playing a crab. How does one study for that role?
"Uh, crab walk," Tylor shrugged.
Ah. Method acting.
Having a Camp T.A.L.K.S. is something Jack wishes he had as a kid. He also has a stutter.
"It would have meant that the way I talk wasn't broken," Jack said. "It would have meant not living in a world where I never heard someone like me. It would have just helped buoy me through the difficult times. It's not easy being a person who stutters. This is a place where they're in the majority."
Jack asked the campers to take a little time to write letters to their stutter.
"Every person who stutters has a very complicated relationship with their own stuttering," Jack explained. "Just stuttering is a very vulnerable experience, and talking about how they feel about that is a vulnerable experience. This is for you. This is for you to engage with yourself, to engage with the way you feel about your stuttering. I know very intimately the cost of concealment and shame and suppression around stuttering. I also know what it feels like to start hearing your voice and not hating it."
This is a week for that sort of expression, those feelings and creativity; pink otters named Larry and all.
06/03/2026
Check this out! Viewer James Keeton found this in storage and passed it along. It’s a mailer programming guide from the 1960s…from back when NewsChannel 5 Nashville was WLAC. This is the first time I’ve seen a full schedule from that time. Interesting that the news was only at 10pm here. The other locally produced shows would have included Country Junction.
Also interesting is the listing of Popeye. Back when I was putting together the station’s 70-year anniversary stories, the Popeye show with Bob Lobertini was the #1 thing people asked about (Bill Jay would have hosted it before Bob). I’ve unfortunately never found any footage of the show, and a lot of TV would have just been a live broadcast at that time. But! Would love it if something turned up.
Thanks for sending this our way, James!
Tootsie's. WLAC. Hank Williams. Roy Acuff. All of those people and places are connected...in a story brought up by what one man found in storage. What'd he find? Well, it has to do with the name...Big Jeff Bess.
You ever learn about a subject, and then jump down a rabbit hole to learn what you can about it? Well, that's what this story is.
Tootsie's World Famous Orchid Lounge Nashville Musical History Tour Brian Mansfield
Muscle Shoals, Alabama! Some of you are going to know the amazing recording history of that city. You definitely know a lot of songs to come from there.
Wilson Pickett's Mustang Sally. Percy Sledge's When A Man Loves A Woman. I can't begin to list all the artists...but Aretha Franklin and Etta James are two of the early ones.
Scripps is celebrating America's 250th with a series of stories from across the country's history. I'm adding this one to the mix. You see, one major music recording city, Nashville, has just written...a love letter of sorts to Muscle Shoals. That was a good reason to round up some of the people who lived those early days of FAME Recording Studios & Publishing Co....including five-time Grammy nominee Candi Staton...and incredible musician/songwriter/producer Mickey Buckins. This is their story of being a part of a changing country.
Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
Actors with intellectual and developmental disabilities are rehearsing alongside singers with Nashville Opera. With the combined forces of Nashville Opera and Backlight Productions, a big crew's taking on one of the most classic musicals of all time; The Sound of Music.
It's a collaboration about opportunity and inclusion...and maybe the occasional Diet Coke break.
Backlight Productions
Nashville Opera
Diet Coke
A falling rock the size of a basketball hit Caleb Brown in the head when he was only two-years-old. It happened at Fall Creek Falls State Park, and a heroic stranger rushed in to help. I think a lot of you will remember hearing about this in 2010. Caleb's been on quite a journey ever since. A few days ago, his family reached out. They had some very good news to share. Glad to speak to the Brown family...and someone else very special to them.
Caleb Timothy Brown Michael Tagert Gallatin Fire Department
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