ARIES (March 21-April 19): Author Anaïs Nin wrote, “Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage.” I bring this to your attention because you Aries folks now have a mandate to expand your life through courageous acts, thoughts, and feelings. I suggest we make the Arctic fox your power symbol. This intrepid creature undertakes epic migrations, journeying over 2,000 miles across sea ice, using starlight and magnetic fields to navigate. Let’s dare to speculate that you have something in common with it; let’s propose that you are equipped with an inner guidance system that gives you a keen intuitive sense of how to maneuver in unfamiliar territory. PS: Anaïs Nin has another tip: “We don’t see things as they are; we see them as we are.”
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Taurus archeologist Howard Carter made a spectacular discovery in 1922: the intact tomb of the Egyptian Pharaoh Tutankhamun, more than 3,300 years after his death. It was filled with over 5,000 artifacts, became a global sensation, and to this day remains the most famous find from ancient Egypt. A short time before he succeeded at his five-year quest, Howard Carter nearly gave up. But then his sponsor agreed to provide funds for a few more months, and he continued. In this spirit, Taurus, I urge you to keep pushing to fulfill your own dream. Renew your faith. Boost your devotion. Remember why you feel so strongly.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): The James Webb Space Telescope is the largest telescope in space. Recently, it discovered hundreds of galaxies that no humans had ever before beheld. They are very old, too — far more ancient than our own Milky Way Galaxy. I propose we make this marvelous perception-enhancing tool a symbol of power for you. According to my analysis of the astrological omens, you now have a robust potential to see things that have always been invisible, secret, or off-limits to you. Some of these wonders could motivate you to reinterpret your life story and reshape your future plans.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): One theory says that humans evolved to be afraid of reptiles because our early ancestors were frequently threatened by them. Among the most commonly feared creatures in modern culture are snakes. And yet, as anyone knows if they’ve studied mythology, snakes have also been symbols of fertility and healing in many cultures. Because they periodically shed their skin, they also represent regeneration and rebirth. I’m hoping you don’t harbor an instinctual aversion to snakes, Cancerian. The coming weeks will be a favorable time for you to call on and benefit from their iconic powers.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): In the coming months, be extra creative as you enhance your network of connections and support. Encourage your allies to provide you with tips about opportunities and possibilities that you would not otherwise know about. Ask them to serve as links to novel resources that will nurture your long-term dreams. Here’s an idea to energize your efforts: Get a vivid sense of how trees use vast underground fungal webs to communicate with each other. (Learn more here: bit.ly/TheWoodWideWeb) Knowing about this natural magic may impregnate your subconscious mind with evocative suggestions about how to be ingenious in weaving the kind of community you want.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): I love my job as a horoscope writer. What could be more fun than analyzing cosmic signs to generate inspirational counsel for my readers? It’s a big responsibility, though. I am intensely aware of how crucial it is that I craft my messages with utmost care and compassion. Having been scarred as a young adult by reckless, fear-mongering fortune-tellers, I’m rigorous about nurturing your free will, not undermining it. I want you to be uplifted, not confused or demoralized as I was. With these thoughts in mind, I invite you to take a vigorous inventory of the effects that your work and play have on the world. Are they aligned with your intentions? Are your ambitions moored in impeccable integrity?
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Why are diamonds considered so valuable? I’m skeptical. High-grade diamonds are not as rare as public perception would lead us to believe. Yes, they are extraordinarily hard and scratch-resistant, but is that a reason to regard them as a sublime treasure? I acknowledge they are pretty in a bland way. But other gems are more intriguingly beautiful. Maybe the most important reason they are so prized is that diamond sellers have done effective marketing campaigns to promote them as symbols of love and luxury. All this is a prelude to my main message: Now is an excellent time to think and feel deeply about what is truly beautiful to you — and take steps to bring more of it into your life. For you Libras, beauty is an essential ingredient in your life’s purpose.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): The way that ancient Romans made concrete was more ingenious than modern methods. Their manufacturing materials included “lime clasts,” which gave the concrete self-healing qualities. When cracks arose, they fixed themselves. That’s why Roman aqueducts built 2,000 years ago can still convey water today. Metaphorically speaking, I hope you will work on building similar structures in the coming weeks. It’s time to create strong foundations that will last for a very long time.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Do you harbor a yearning to learn a new language, new skill, or new trick? The coming weeks will be a favorable phase to get serious about doing it. Have you fantasized about embarking on an adventure that would expand your understanding of how the world works? The time is right. Have you wished you could attract an inspirational prod to unleash more creativity and experiment freely? The astrological omens suggest that inspirational prod is imminent. Have you wondered whether you could enhance and fine-tune your receptivity — and thereby open up surprising sources of fresh teaching? Do it now!
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Bristlecone pine trees grow very slowly, but they are hardy and long-lived. Their wood is so dense and strong that it’s virtually immune to disease, insects, and erosion. They grow in places that are inhospitable for many other trees, flourishing in cold, windy environments where the soil is not particularly rich in nutrients. For the bristlecone pine, apparent obstacles stimulate their resilience. I don’t want to exaggerate the ways they remind me of you Capricorns, but you and they certainly have affinities. I believe these shared qualities will be especially useful for you in the coming weeks.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): In old Hawaii, it was forbidden for ordinary people to touch objects that belonged to the chiefs or to anyone with spiritual powers. Other taboos: Never walk across the shadow of an important person and never wear red and yellow feathers. Our modern taboos are different, but often equally rigid. For example, you are probably hesitant to ask people how much money they make or what their relationship status is. What are other taboos you observe? I won’t outrightly advise you to brazenly break them, but now is a good time to reevaluate them — and consider changing your relationship with them.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): As winter progresses, each day is longer and each night shorter. Most humans feel an undercurrent of joy that the amount of light in the world is growing. But as an astrologer who appreciates cycles, I like to honor the beauty and powers of darkness. That’s where everything new gets born! It’s where the future comes from! In ancient Hawaiian religion, the word kumulipo meant “beginning-in-deep-darkness.” It was also the name of a prayer describing the creation of the world. In the coming weeks, I believe you will be wise to tap into the rich offerings of darkness.
The Rockwall County Herald-Banner in Texas reported that Valencia Smith, mother of a former football player for Rockwall-Heath High School, filed a suit on Dec. 23 against the team’s former coach John Harrell and 12 other coaches. Smith’s suit stems from an incident in January 2023, in which the coaches allegedly used excessive exercise as punishment for wearing the wrong uniform or failing to show enough “hustle.” Students were forced to perform more than 400 pushups within an hour, which led to at least 26 players being diagnosed with rhabdomyolysis, a condition that causes muscle to break down and enter the bloodstream. Smith said her son spent seven days in a hospital. The lawsuit seeks compensation for his medical expenses. Harrell resigned in March 2023; he settled two other lawsuits, but this is the first that names the assistant coaches as defendants.
The Foreign Press
Belarusian retailer ZNWR, sometimes called the “Balenciaga of Belarus,” is making headlines with its newest line of dresses and jackets, starting at about $116, fashioned from bubble wrap. The Times of India reported on Dec. 30 that the air-filled pockets provide a satisfying, quirky popping experience. The brand hyped the dresses as perfect for those who want to stand out on New Year’s Eve (rather than wear the tired old velvet and satin). At least when you fall down drunk, you’ll be cushioned!
Least Competent Criminal
In Haines City, Florida, on Dec. 29, Jervin Omar Mendieto Romero, 40, arrived at the home of his former partner, ClickOrlando reported. Romero wanted to speak with her, but when no one answered the door, he crawled into the house through a window, police said. “Once inside,” police said, Romero “confronted … his ex-domestic partner and her new boyfriend.” The boyfriend was shot five times; in the process, Romero managed to shoot off his own ring finger. “This caused [him] to drop the firearm and flee the residence on foot,” police reported. They tracked him down less than a mile away, and he was charged with attempted first-degree murder and armed burglary with assault or battery, along with other offenses. The boyfriend is expected to survive.
Inappropriate Behavior
Jude Hill of Plymouth, England, traveled to Thailand a few months ago after a fire at her home in September, Metro News reported. Around 3 a.m. on Christmas, Hill and her boyfriend were seen in the lobby of the Flipper Lodge Hotel in Pattaya, Thailand, consummating their relationship on a sofa. Witnesses said the pair then tried to move to a glass table, but it shattered. “We approached them and discovered they were not hotel customers, so we ushered them out,” an anonymous worker said. Hill ran away but was detained by an armed officer near the beach. The hotel plans to press charges.
Bright Idea
Canadian business student Javeria Wasim, 19, was with a friend in Toronto when she hatched the brilliant idea to try to bite into a 3-inch jawbreaker, the Daily Mail reported on Dec. 24. Immediately, Wasim’s jaw began to hurt, and a tooth became loose. X-rays revealed that she had suffered two fractures in her jaw. The following day, she underwent surgery and had her jaw wired shut for six weeks. She said she would “probably never try a jawbreaker again. It hurt really bad, I was crying a lot when the ambulance came,” she said. “All my bottom teeth are messed up. I lost seven pounds in two weeks. It was a dumb idea.”
That Rule Doesn’t Apply to Me
Magnus Carlsen, 34, the No. 1 chess player in the world, dropped out of the Fide World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championship in New York on Dec. 27 because he didn’t want to change out of his blue jeans, Sky News reported. Officials said he had broken the dress code; Carlsen wasn’t moved. “I didn’t even think about it. … They said I could [change] after the third round today. I said, ‘I’ll change tomorrow if that’s okay’ … but they said, ‘Well you have to change now.’ At that point it became a matter of principle for me.” Carlsen said he’d head somewhere with better weather.
Expect a slow but steady rebirth in the Year of the Wood Snake. (Photo: Anna Brothankova | Dreamstime.com)
The lunar, or Chinese, new year is January 29th, and 2025 is the year of the wood snake in Chinese astrology. This is a traditional classification system based on the Chinese calendar that assigns an animal and its attributes to each year. The 12-part cycle corresponds to lunar years, rather than months. The Chinese zodiac is represented by 12 animals and their elements. Their mythology states that the Jade Emperor set up a running race for all animals to take part in. The first 12 to reach the finish line were rewarded with a position in the lunar calendar.
In Chinese astrology, the 12 zodiac animals are each affiliated with an element — metal, wood, water, fire, earth — as they move around the zodiac cycle. When an animal reappears after 12 years its elemental affiliation will shift to a new element.
In 2024, the energy was wood dragon, which lived up to its reputation with big announcements and high-flying promises competing for our attention. Optimism ran high, often to the point of being unrealistic. In 2025, energy shifts to the wood snake. While the dragon and snake may look similar, the snake does not fly. Its entire body lies on the ground, feeling every vibration, every footstep, every pin drop. The snake’s energy is grounded, practical, and cautious.
In this zodiac system, wood as an element represents vitality and creativity, as well as steadiness, honesty, generosity, and calmness. The snake represents wisdom, knowledge, intelligence, intuition, and creativity. Snakes are also associated with good luck, prosperity, fertility, and longevity. In some legends, snakes are considered divine messengers and guardians of sacred places. They are also revered for their ability to shed their skin and renew themselves, symbolizing transformation and rebirth.
Each year holds different elements, which gives it a different essence and meaning. The wood snake is a charming, intelligent, and creative sign, but also secretive, cunning, and sometimes ruthless. The wood element adds a layer of creativity, flexibility, and growth to the snake’s traits, making it an ideal year to focus on planning and transformation.
At the beginning of 2025, the world is still under the rulership of the outgoing wood dragon, and so a high-action period with plenty of activity is expected. Snake years are times when the world stops to think. Mythology recognizes the snake as a creature of healing, which influences the physical body to shift to a more spiritual outlook. A great deal of quiet progress can be made in 2025 with the help of this energy.
In a snake year, the energy is quieter and more thoughtful. Businesses may become more cautious about hiring or expanding. People may spend less, preferring to stay home. Snake years often coincide with a down stock market, though there have been exceptions, like 1989 and 2013, when the market rose considerably.
The ouroboros symbol of the snake eating its tail represents a closed loop, signifying endings and new beginnings. This theme is echoed in Western astrology, where Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune all move into new signs, suggesting that seemingly insignificant changes that happen in 2025 may have great repercussions in a few years.
This is a year of reflection, recalibration, and renewal, offering a mix of calm energy and intellectual challenges. The snake’s intuitive wisdom, paired with the nurturing wood element, creates a time to refine your long-term goals and strengthen personal and professional relationships.
If we combine the Chinese astrology prediction with the tarot card for 2025, The Hermit, we can see a united message. This is likely going to be a year where we, and the world, hold our breath. It could be a period of playing things close to the vest, being mindful of our actions, and being introspective, as well as a time of growth and study. Key themes for this wood snake year are transformation, strategic growth, and deepening connections. By aligning with its energy, you can make 2025 a transformative and prosperous year. Whether you’re seeking success, stability, or self-discovery, the wisdom of the wood snake is here to guide you.
Emily Guenther is a co-owner of The Broom Closet metaphysical shop. She is a Memphis native, professional tarot reader, ordained Pagan clergy, and dog mom.
Severance’s first season ended with a bang, with the second coming three years later.
Do you ever feel like a different person at work? Everyone has a work persona they put on, especially if you deal with the general public. For some people, the difference between their work self and private self is vast.
Severance, which just debuted its second season on Apple TV+, takes this observation to extremes. What if, instead of just watching your language and putting on a fake smile for work, you became an entirely different person? That’s what happens to Mark (Adam Scott) every time he steps into the elevator at Lumon Industries. He’s an “Innie,” someone who has had a chip implanted into his brain which creates a kind of split personality. When he’s in the office, he’s a macrodata refinement specialist, and not even he knows what that means. The work he and his co-workers perform just looks like staring into a computer screen and dragging random numbers and letters into a box. He doesn’t even know what criteria he’s applying.
When he’s not at work, Mark is a depressed mess, a widower whose pain is so acute he chose to spend a third of his life with his mind wiped. He has no idea what goes on in the basement of Lumon Industries, and, at least at first, he doesn’t care.
In season 1 of Severance, Innie Mark went from the model Lumon employee to being suspicious of his employer. And there’s much to be suspicious of. The Innies are indoctrinated into a weird cult of personality around late Lumon founder Kier Eagan (Marc Geller). When onboarding his newest co-worker Helly (Britt Lower) goes wrong, Mark takes the blame and gets a taste of the “benevolent” company’s discipline practice. At first, Mark’s suspicions fall on deaf ears, as Irving (John Turturro), a stickler for the rules, will hear no dissent. Eventually, Mark wants to know what his Outie is like, and, with the help of a secret group of formerly severed people, devises a plan that allows him to “wake up” outside. While there, he discovers a picture of himself with his wife and realizes that she is not dead. His Innie knows her as the company’s wellness specialist, Ms. Casey (Dichen Lachman).
Season 1 ended with a big bang, as Innie Mark and Innie Helly disrupted a company event to reveal that Lumon is torturing the Innies. It was hard to imagine where showrunner Dan Erickson and executive producer Ben Stiller could go after that. It seems that they weren’t so sure either, so season 2 comes three years after season 1. Granted, they were interrupted by the WGA/SAG strikes, but the long-cooking first episode of the new season is promising. It takes place entirely within the confines of Lumon’s stark white, retro-futuristic offices. Innie Mark is back, and this time, it seems, he’s a willing subject. But he’s got a secret agenda — to find Ms. Casey, who has disappeared from her wellness center, and reconnect with the wife he thought he had lost.
Severance’s metaphorical depiction of the alienation of labor in late-stage capitalism has struck a nerve. It’s not heavy-handed because it follows the rules suggested by the premise and expands on them to reveal more pieces of the bigger puzzle. The parade of heavy-hitting acting talent, including Patricia Arquette and Christopher Walken, doesn’t hurt either. Ultimately, the mystery boxes (why is Mark’s wife alive? What does Lumon Industries even do, anyway?) driving the plot are not the point. It’s the atmosphere of impersonal despair with a happy face plastered on top that makes Severance compelling television.
Stax salutes a fallen hero. (Photo: Courtesy
Stax Museum of American Soul)
Back during the initial flowering of Stax Records, as the label went from success to success in its first half-dozen years, and all its rooms buzzed with an ever-expanding staff trying to keep up with popular demand, one star in particular had a tendency to saunter away from the studio, where the action was, and take a detour down Stax’s back hallways from time to time. Deanie Parker, one of the label’s first office employees who soon became their lead publicist, remembers it well — that’s where she worked.
“Every now and then, he just walked in the door,” she recalls a little wistfully, “with little gifts for the girls in the office, little packages. That’s the kind of person he was.”
Now, scores of mourners will be sending flowers to that same soul singer, Sam Moore, the high tenor partner of Dave Prater in Stax super duo Sam & Dave, who died at the age of 89 on January 10th in Coral Gables, Florida, from post-surgery complications. This week, we pay tribute to the great Sam Moore by revisiting the pivotal role he played in the history of Stax and all soul music, as remembered by two who were right there with him: Deanie Parker and David Porter.
(Photo: Bill Carrier Jr. | Courtesy of The Concord API Stax Collection)
Sam Moore: The Stax Years
The quieting of one of soul music’s most expressive voices sent powerful shock waves throughout the music world — certainly among his late-career collaborators like Bruce Springsteen, but not least in Memphis, where Moore and Prater, singing the songs of Porter and Isaac Hayes, helped bring the Stax sound to its fullest fruition in the mid-’60s, becoming overnight sensations with hits like “Hold On, I’m Comin,’” “You Don’t Know Like I Know,” “I Thank You,” and “Soul Man.”
Even then, “Sam Moore got along especially well with the administrative staff,” says Parker, recalling those spontaneous gifts. “He was the most gregarious of the duo. He was a great conversationalist and very personable. Dave was rather laid-back, kind of quiet.
“Keep in mind, now, that I was not in the studio with him all the time because I was in administration,” Parker goes on. “But because of our proximity to each other, it gave me an opportunity to get up and, when the record light was not on in Studio A, go in and observe and listen — not only to their rehearsals, but to the final takes and the playback.”
Surely anyone at Stax was rushing down the hall to hear the hot new duo’s latest, once the hits were hitting, for they were taking the Stax recipe to a whole new level of artistry. Yet while those songs are now part of the Stax canon, the definitive statements of the Memphis Sound, the success of two newcomers named Sam & Dave was not a foregone conclusion when they arrived.
Deanie Parker heading up the publicity desk at Stax (Photo: Courtesy Bill Carrier Jr. | The Concord API Stax Collection)
Newcomers
“There was no one interested in Sam & Dave,” songwriter David Porter told Rob Bowman in the liner notes for The Complete Stax/Volt Singles: 1959-1968. “It was like a throwaway kind of situation [to] see if anything could happen with them.” Indeed, it seemed no one at Atlantic Records, who had a distribution deal with Stax, knew what to do with this singing duo from Florida, who’d had little luck with their scattered singles on the Marlin, Alston, and Roulette labels. Despite this, said Porter, “I was very much interested in Sam & Dave.”
But were Sam & Dave interested in Memphis? Atlantic had “loaned” the duo to the smaller label that was showing so much promise, but in 1965 Stax was hardly a household name. Moore’s reaction, according to Parker, was, “Who wants to go to Memphis?” Moore had his sights set on crossover pop stardom in the Big Apple, not moving to what seemed like a backwater. “He really did not have a positive impression about Memphis,” Parker says. “And apparently he was not all that familiar with Stax, which stands to reason, because when Sam & Dave got here, we only had a couple of stars. We just had Rufus and Carla, Booker T. and the M.G.’s, the Mar-Keys, and Otis [Redding]. I don’t know that we had more than those in the category of the top stars.”
Moore himself described the situation hilariously in his acceptance speech for Sam & Dave’s induction into the Memphis Music Hall of Fame in October 2015. “When Dave and I first came to Memphis,” Moore recalled, “the first person I saw was David Porter. He had on a small hat, a big sweater, and his pants looked like pedal pushers. Water came into my eyes.” Moore paused for laughter with impeccable comic timing. “Then it got worse: I saw Isaac. Isaac had on a green shirt with a low-cut neck, like that, a white belt, chartreuse pants, pink socks, and white shoes. I started crying harder. I wanted to go home.”
There must have been more than a little truth to that, for, as Moore went on to explain, “I had in mind to sing like Jackie Wilson, James Brown, Wilson Pickett … but then they introduced us to these two guys and we went inside and they introduced us to the songs. And they didn’t sound nothing like Jackie Wilson and all these people! And then I turned to Dave … and he was trying to get a phone number to get to the airport.
“Being the new kids on the block, we had nothing to say. So we had to go on in there.”
In fact, they were walking into the Stax brain trust, which had always dared to be different. When Sam & Dave’s pre-Stax singles tried to emulate the more polished soul of Wilson or Sam Cooke, albeit without their orchestral flourishes, the results came off as rather corny. Now it was 1965, and pop music was getting edgier, from Bob Dylan’s “Like a Rolling Stone” to the Rolling Stones’ “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction.” Even James Brown, whose biggest hits had been ballads like “Try Me,” was cooking up material like “Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag.”
Porter and Hayes mapping out the next Sam & Dave hit (Photo: Courtesy Bill Carrier Jr. | The Concord API Stax Collection)
Dream Team
David Porter, who saw their potential early on, inched them toward a rawer take on soul music when he penned the shuffling, feel-good “A Place Nobody Can Find” for them, though the B-side, written by Porter and Steve Cropper, was a more tender ballad, with sassy horns thrown in for good measure. Unlike their later hits, Prater was given the lead vocal, though Moore’s upper register parts hinted at the harmonies that were to come. It wasn’t until their next single that Porter and Hayes teamed up to produce the duo, and their nascent songwriting partnership blossomed. And they gelled not only in the substance of the songs, with Porter crafting lyrics for Hayes’ music, but in the strategy they mapped out for the two new kids on the block.
Reflecting on that strategy today, Porter says that Sam & Dave “didn’t have a concept as far as the artistic direction that they needed to go. That’s why Jerry Wexler, the president of Atlantic Records, brought them to Memphis, in hopes of finding whatever that was — he didn’t know what it was. But we had our concept of what we wanted to do, and that was to bring it out of the church, the spirituality out of the church, and have the music emphasize what we called the low end of it, the bass, drums, and guitar, and the underlying chord progressions in the low end, paired with the gospel persona of it, the spirituality of the church.”
And yet, as with Ray Charles and so much of the finest soul music, the gospel underpinnings supported very secular, worldly sentiments. Lyrically, Porter paired the world of the bluesman with the spirit of church. And that came as a shock to the singers, who had both grown up singing in church choirs.
“David Porter and Sam could clash,” Parker recalls, “but it wasn’t hostile, and it didn’t last but a few minutes. It was like they were sparring, you know? Of course, Isaac’s thing was the keyboard, he was the melody man, and Porter was the lyricist. And sometimes Porter had to stop and help both of the guys understand what he meant when he wrote, ‘Coming to you on a dusty road.’ You know what I’m saying? Because this was not Sam & Dave’s environment. This was David Porter’s environment from the area around Millington, Tennessee.”
And so a great foursome was born, beginning with the single “I Take What I Want,” which, as Bowman notes, “was to provide the model for the majority of Sam & Dave’s Stax 45s.” By the time “Hold On, I’m Comin’” dropped in March of 1966, topping the R&B charts and reaching number 21 on the pop charts, that model was locked in. After crafting a song and a sound, Porter and Hayes would only need to give the duo a brief rundown before they got it. Porter can still picture it today: “I’m standing there with them, and I’m looking at them as I give them the lyric sheet. We go through the melody at the piano, and then by the time they get on the microphone, they go into another world. They made it their own, and that’s when you know you’ve got something special.”
And so, even if “Sam was the dominant one,” as Parker recalls, and more prone to pushback, both Sam and Dave were consummate professionals. “We had to go on in there,” as Moore recalled, and they did.
Porter says, “There never was a comment like, ‘Well, I don’t want to do that song. I don’t like that song.’ Because we produced the albums, even when we were doing a song by some other writer, and on occasion we would do that, they still didn’t object. They would bring their own spirit and commitment to wanting to make it as good as it could possibly be. And they did that.”
The Key to the Speedboat
The foursome’s recipe for success not only gave Sam & Dave’s career a boost; it solidified Stax’s standing as a label. As Robert Gordon writes in Respect Yourself: Stax Records and the Soul Explosion, “their album Hold On, I’m Comin’ proved to be the breakthrough for Stax’s album sales. In all the company’s years through 1965, they’d released only eight albums. … In 1966 alone they released eleven albums and Sam & Dave’s Hold On went to number one on the R&B album sales chart. Albums were good business.”
Parker likens it to the fledgling label acquiring a sleek new machine. “They reminded me of a speedboat,” she says. “A boat that nobody was 100 percent familiar with because they were not on the water in the speedboat every day. They had to figure out a lot of things mechanically, and they had to become acquainted with each other. And I’m talking about Sam and Dave and David and Isaac. Once Sam and Dave found their groove with David and Isaac, it was like they had found the key to speedboat. They then began to realize that they had more going for them with their new producers than they’d ever imagined.”
If the speedboat was designed by the producers, Porter makes it clear that Sam & Dave supplied the spark of ignition. “You, as a creator, can create something that you know is strong and good, but when you have an artist that’s able to create their own individuality through the spirit of what you’ve done, then you’ve got something special. That’s the thing that made Sam Moore such a special talent, as well as Dave: They would go into the ownership of the message. I would tell them where the vibe was, and they would have to live the spirit of the message. That’s where true artistry comes in. And the more songs we wrote for them, the more comfortable they would get into doing it.”
Or, as Porter wrote on social media after Moore’s death, Sam & Dave “were always filled with passion, purity, individuality, and believability, grounded in soul.”
The road grew dustier and rockier as the years rolled on, with Atlantic claiming ownership of all Stax masters prior to 1968, and taking Sam & Dave away from Memphis. The duo never reached the heights of their Stax records again, and split apart as Moore struggled with addiction through the ’70s. Yet, with the help of his wife Joyce MacRae, whom he wed in 1982 and who now survives him, he kicked drugs (coming to support several GOP candidates along the way) and revived his career without Prater (who died in a car crash in 1988).
By the time he spoke to the Memphis Music Hall of Fame 10 years ago, Sam Moore had fully embraced his Stax past. “Coming from a humble beginning, with no formal training in singing or anything, we were just two guys who got out there and took the church with us, like Al Green did. … I’m going to say this to you: Thank you Memphis people, the band, the friends that Dave and I met all those years. …They believed in us. They stuck with us. Every record company that we had been with just didn’t know what to do with us. Sixty years later, I’ve been doing this. I’m blessed.”
Sam Moore knew he’d helped build something for the ages. As David Porter reflects now, “The music that was done by the four of us together will live on forever. There’s no doubt in my mind.”
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To keep in tip-top shape and health, sometimes a professional medical opinion is in order, whether you have an achy back or what may be the flu. Fortunately, Memphis and the Mid-South is burgeoning with clinics and hospitals on the cutting edge of medical care and research.
Finding a doctor who fits your needs and who you can trust — now — can be the hard part. So, let this year’s list of Exceptional Women in Medicine be your guide while searching for the care that’s right for you. After all, these are women who have dedicated their lives to improving their patients’ health, no matter the ailment or stage of life. Whether it’s allergies, dermatology, pediatric cardiology, or ophthalmology, these doctors are ready to listen to and care for you.
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A PRIVILEGE WITH A TOLL
Dr. Dina Marie Filiberto is grateful to treat some of the toughest cases at Regional One Health’s Elvis Presley Trauma Center.
by Toby Sells
Imagine working under “incredible stress, sometimes with limited resources” while still providing world-class care for most of the Mid-South’s gunshot wounds, stabbings, car accidents, and more.
Dr. Dina Marie Filiberto calls it a privilege.
Filiberto joined Regional One Health as a trauma surgeon in July 2017. The hospital’s Elvis Presley Trauma Center is designated as a Level 1 Trauma Center in Tennessee, Mississippi, and Arkansas. That means the center offers the highest level of care possible for patients with severe and complex injuries. It’s the only Level 1 Trauma Center within 150 miles of Memphis.
Dr. Dina Marie Filiberto (Photo: Regional One Health)
Before joining Regional One, Filiberto attended medical school at SUNY Health Science Center at Brooklyn in New York and completed her general surgery residency at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School in Newark, New Jersey. She completed her surgical critical care fellowship at University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC). She said she wanted to go into medicine “for as long as I can remember.” She believes doctors provide a critical service to patients and help them improve and live the healthiest lives possible.
Filiberto said she chose surgery because she enjoys the technical aspect of operating. More specifically as a trauma surgeon, she is immediately able to address a patient’s life-threatening injuries in the operating room or the emergency room. Much of the time in Memphis, this includes gunshot wounds, stab wounds, and car accidents.
“The biggest challenge is the mental, physical, and emotional toll of caring for critically injured patients,” Filiberto said. “Seeing adolescents involved in gun violence, taking care of patients with severe traumatic brain injuries who don’t improve, and telling family members their loved one has died are all challenges.
“Sometimes, I spend hours taking care of someone, spending a great deal of time and resources, and they die despite maximal life-saving efforts. Then I have to move on to the next trauma like it didn’t happen because we need to focus on taking care of the next patient. And then I try to go home and compartmentalize it, so I can spend time with my family. But how can you not think about it?”
Filiberto teaches surgery courses at UTHSC and trains residents and fellows in trauma and surgical critical care. She publishes regularly in journals such as Injury, Journal of Surgical Research, and Trauma Surgery & Acute Care Open. She is also chair of Regional One’s ICU Operations Committee and director of its Trauma Intensive Care Unit.
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Allergy & Immunology
Nora Daher
Baptist Memorial Hospital – Memphis
Methodist Le Bonheur Germantown Hospital
Daher Asthma & Allergy Clinic
2136 Exeter Road
Germantown, TN 38138
(901) 203-6055
Christie F. Michael
Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital
UT Le Bonheur Pediatric Specialists
51 North Dunlap Street, Suite 400
Memphis, TN 38105
(866) 870-5570
Bariatric Surgery
Virginia Weaver
Methodist Le Bonheur Germantown Hospital
Methodist University Hospital
UTMP Weight Management and Wellness Center
57 Germantown Court, Suite 204
Cordova TN 38018
(901) 758-7840
Cardiovascular Disease
Jennifer S. Morrow
Baptist Memorial Hospital – Memphis
Methodist Le Bonheur Germantown Hospital
Stern Cardiovascular
8060 Wolf River Boulevard
Germantown, TN 38138
(901) 271-1000
Maureen A. Smithers
Methodist Le Bonheur Germantown Hospital
Sutherland Cardiology Clinic
57 Germantown Court, Suite 100
Memphis, TN 38018
(901) 763-0200
Neeraja Yedlapati
Baptist Memorial Hospital – Memphis
Methodist Le Bonheur Germantown Hospital
Stern Cardiovascular
8060 Wolf River Boulevard
Germantown, TN 38138
(901) 271-1000
Child Neurology
Tanjala T Gipson
Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital
848 Adams Avenue
Memphis, TN 38103
(866) 870-5570
Amy L McGregor
Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
UT Le Bonheur Pediatric Specialists Neurology Clinic
848 Adams Avenue, Suite L400
Memphis, TN 38103
(901) 287-7337
Namrata S. Shah
Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital
UT Le Bonheur Pediatric Specialists
848 Adams Avenue
Memphis, TN 38103
(901) 287-7337
Dermatology
F. Gwen Beard
Memphis Dermatology Clinic
1455 Union Avenue
Memphis, TN 38104
(901) 726-6655
Luella G. Churchwell
Dermatology East
1335 Cordova Cove
Germantown, TN 38138
(901) 753-2794
Robin H. Friedman-Musicante
Memphis Dermatology Clinic
795 Ridge Lake, Suite 200
Memphis, TN 38120
(901) 726-6655
Frances K. Lawhead
Memphis Dermatology Clinic
1455 Union Avenue
Memphis, TN 38104
(901) 726-6655
Purvisha J. Patel
Advanced Dermatology & Skin Cancer Associates
7658 Poplar Pike
Germantown, TN 38138
(901) 759-2322
Malika Tuli
Mid-South Dermatology
6644 Summer Knoll Circle
Bartlett, TN 38134
(901) 372-4545
Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics
Toni M. Whitaker
Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital
Methodist University Hospital
UT Le Bonheur Pediatric Specialists
51 North Dunlap Street, Suite 400
Memphis, TN 38105
(901) 287-7337
Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism
Lisa M. Myers
Endocrinology and Diabetes Specialists
1920 Kirby Parkway, Suite 120
Germantown, TN 38138
(901) 334-5464
Gynecologic Oncology
Linda M. Smiley
Baptist Memorial Hospital – Memphis
Methodist University Hospital
Saint Francis Hospital – Memphis
West Cancer Center – East Campus
7945 Wolf River Boulevard
Germantown, TN 38138
(901) 683-0055
Hematology
Marquita N. Nelson
Regional One Health
Regional One Health Sickle Cell Center
880 Madison Avenue
Memphis, TN 38103
(901) 545-8535
Infectious Disease
Shirin Mazumder
Methodist University Hospital
Methodist Medical Group
1325 Eastmoreland Avenue, Suite 370
Memphis, TN 38104
(901) 758-7888
Internal Medicine
Joan Michelle Allmon
Allmon Internal Medicine (AIM)
526 Halle Park Drive
Collierville, TN 38017
(901) 910-3246
Natascha S. Thompson
Baptist Memorial Hospital – Memphis
The University of Tennessee Medical Center
UT Internal Medicine BMG
8040 Wolf River Boulevard, Suite 102
Germantown, TN 38138
(901) 227-7900
Catherine R. Womack
Baptist Memorial Hospital – Memphis
UT Internal Medicine BMG
8040 Wolf River Boulevard, Suite 102
Germantown, TN 38138
(901) 227-7900
Medical Oncology
Sylvia S. Richey
Baptist Memorial Hospital – Memphis
Methodist University Hospital Saint Francis Hospital – Memphis
West Cancer Center – East Campus
7945 Wolf River Boulevard
Germantown, TN 38138
(901) 683-0055
Carmel S. Verrier
Baptist Memorial Hospital – Memphis
Methodist University Hospital Saint Francis Hospital – Memphis
West Cancer Center – East Campus
7945 Wolf River Boulevard
Germantown, TN 38138
(901) 683-0055
Neurology
Violiza Inoa Acosta
Methodist University Hospital
Regional One Health
Baptist Memorial Hospital – Memphis
Semmes Murphey Clinic
6325 Humphreys Boulevard
Memphis, TN 38120
(901) 522-7700
Barbara Cape O’Brien
Neurology Clinic
8000 Centerview Parkway, Suite 500
Cordova TN 38018
(901) 747-1111
Obstetrics & Gynecology
Lanetta Anderson
Methodist Le Bonheur Germantown Hospital
Baptist Memorial Hospital – Memphis
Baptist Memorial Hospital for Women
Women’s Physicians Group
681 South White Station Road, Suite 111
Memphis, TN 38117
(901) 276-3222
Heather Pearson Chauhan
Exceed Hormone Specialists
7512 Second Street
Germantown, TN 38138
(901) 312-7899
Claudette J. Shephard
Regional One Health
Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital
Regional One Health Outpatient Center
880 Madison Avenue, Suite 3E01
Memphis, TN 38103
(901) 515-3800
Ophthalmology
Lauren C. Ditta
Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital
University Clinical Health
Hamilton Eye Institute 930 Madison Avenue, Suite 200
Memphis, TN 38103
(901) 287-7337
Mary E. Hoehn
Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
University Clinical Health
Hamilton Eye Institute 930 Madison Avenue, Suite 400
Memphis, TN 38103
(901) 287-7337
Natalie C. Kerr
Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
University Clinical Health
Hamilton Eye Institute
930 Madison Avenue, Suite 400
Memphis, TN 38103
(901) 287-7337
Otolaryngology
Victoria L. Lim
Baptist Memorial Hospital – Memphis
Baptist Memorial Hospital – Collierville
Shea Clinic
6133 Poplar Pike
Memphis, TN 38119
(901) 761-9720
Courtney B. Shires
Baptist Memorial Hospital – Memphis
Methodist University Hospital
Saint Francis Hospital – Memphis
West Cancer Center – East Campus
7945 Wolf River Boulevard
Germantown, TN 38138
(901) 683-0055
Pediatric Cardiology
Karine Guerrier
Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital
Le Bonheur Children’s Outpatient Center
51 North Dunlap Street, Floor 2
Memphis, TN 38105
(866) 870-5570
Jennifer Kramer
Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital
848 Adams Avenue
Memphis, TN 38103
(901) 287-7337
Nithya Swaminathan
Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital
Baptist Memorial Hospital – Memphis
Saint Francis Hospital – Memphis
Le Bonheur Children’s Outpatient Center
51 North Dunlap Street, Floor 2
Memphis, TN 38105
(866) 870-5570
Pediatric Critical Care Medicine
Rebekah K.H. Shappley
Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital
Le Bonheur Children’s Outpatient Center
51 North Dunlap Street
Memphis, TN 38105
(901) 287-5437
Pediatric Dermatology
Teresa S. Wright
Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital
Methodist University Hospital
UT Le Bonheur Pediatric Specialists
51 North Dunlap Street, Suite 400
Memphis, TN 38105
(901) 287-7337
Pediatric Endocrinology
Alicia M. Diaz-Thomas
Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital
Methodist Le Bonheur Germantown Hospital
UT Le Bonheur Pediatric Specialists
51 North Dunlap Street
Memphis, TN 38105
(866) 870-5570
Pediatric Infectious
Diseases
Bindiya Bagga
Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital
Le Bonheur Children’s Outpatient Center
51 North Dunlap Street, Floor 3
Memphis, TN 38105
(866) 870-5570
Pediatric Nephrology
Margaret C. Hastings
Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital
UT Le Bonheur Pediatric Specialists
51 North Dunlap Street, Suite 400
Memphis, TN 38105
(901) 287-7337
Rima Zahr
Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
Le Bonheur Children’s Outpatient Center
51 North Dunlap Street
Memphis, TN 38105
(866) 870-5570
Pediatric Otolaryngology
Rose Mary Stocks
Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital
Le Bonheur Children’s Outpatient Center
51 North Dunlap Street, Floor 1
Memphis, TN 38105
(866) 870-5570
Pediatric Pulmonology
Patricia J. Dubin
Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital
UT Le Bonheur Pediatric Specialists
51 North Dunlap Street
Memphis, TN 38105
(901) 287-7337
Tonia E. Gardner
Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital
Le Bonheur Children’s Outpatient Center
51 North Dunlap Street, Floor 3
Memphis, TN 38105
(901) 287-7337
Catherine D. Sanders
Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
Le Bonheur Children’s Outpatient Center
51 North Dunlap Street, Floor 3
Memphis, TN 38105
(866) 870-5570
Pediatric Rheumatology
Terri H. Finkel
Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital
Department of Pediatric Rheumatology
50 North Dunlap Street
Memphis, TN 38103
(866) 870-5570
Linda K. Myers
Saint Francis Hospital – Memphis
Baptist Memorial Hospital – Memphis
Methodist Le Bonheur Germantown Hospital
Rheumatology + Dermatology Associates, P.C.
8143 Walnut Grove Road
Cordova TN 38018
(901) 753-0168
Pediatric Urology
Dana W. Giel
Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital
Le Bonheur Children’s Outpatient Center
51 North Dunlap Street
Memphis, TN 38105
(901) 287-7337
Pediatrics
M. Michelle Bowden
Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital
Le Bonheur Children’s Outpatient Center
51 North Dunlap Street, Floor 3
Memphis, TN 38105
(866) 870-5570
Emilee Dobish
Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital
848 Adams Avenue
Memphis, TN 38103
(866) 870-5570
Janet D. Geiger
Baptist Memorial Hospital – Memphis
River City Pediatrics
1717 West Massey Road
Memphis, TN 38120
(901) 761-1280
Elisha M. McCoy
Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital
848 Adams Avenue
Memphis, TN 38103
(866) 870-5570
Dawn H. Scott
Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital
Baptist Memorial Hospital – Memphis
Methodist Le Bonheur Germantown Hospital
Le Bonheur Pediatric Downtown
51 North Dunlap Street, Suite 310
Memphis, TN 38105
(901) 523-2945
Ellen J. Stecker
Baptist Memorial Hospital – Memphis
River City Pediatrics
1717 West Massey Road
Memphis, TN 38120
(901) 761-1280
Plastic Surgery
Devra Becker
The University of Tennessee Medical Center
University Plastic Surgeons
1068 Cresthaven Road, Suite 500
Memphis, TN 38119
(901) 866-8525
Patricia L. Eby
Saint Francis Hospital – Memphis
Cosmetic Surgery Specialists of Memphis
6401 Poplar Avenue, Suite 360
Memphis, TN 38119
(901) 752-1412
Radiation Oncology
Martha Tibbs
Methodist University Hospital
Methodist University Hospital Department of Radiation Oncology
1265 Union Avenue, Shorb Tower, Floor 1
Memphis, TN 38104
(901) 478-7367
Reproductive Endocrinology/Infertility
Amelia Bailey
Baptist Memorial Hospital for Women
Methodist Le Bonheur Germantown Hospital
Fertility Associates of Memphis
80 Humphreys Center, Suite 307
Memphis, TN 38120
(901) 747-2229
Surgery
Dina M. Filiberto
Regional One Health
Regional One Health Elvis Presley Trauma Center
877 Jefferson Avenue
Memphis, TN 38103
(901) 545-7100
Alyssa D. Throckmorton
Baptist Memorial Hospital for Women
Methodist Le Bonheur Germantown Hospital
Baptist Medical Group
7205 Wolf River Boulevard, Suite 200
Germantown, TN 38138
(901) 227-8950
Urogynecology/Female Pelvic Medicine & Reconstructive Surgery
Val Y. Vogt
Methodist University Hospital Baptist Memorial Hospital – Memphis
Bailey Patterson, Cole Jeanes, Harrison Downing, Schuyler O’Brien (Photo: Michael Donahue)
Hard Times Deli is slated to open in February. And that means good times for foodies.
“We’re doing an upscale sandwich shop,” says Harrison Downing. “It’s our take on classic deli sandwiches.”
Downing is the executive chef as well as owner/operator of the upcoming restaurant at 6555 Marshall Avenue near Sun Studio in the Edge District. His other owners are his Secret Smash Burger Society pop-up cohorts Cole Jeans, owner of Kinfolk, and Schuyler O’Brien, City Silo food and beverage director.
Their bread will be made at Josh Steiner’s Hive Bagel & Deli. The beef and pork will come from Home Place Pastures in Como, Mississippi.
“We’ll have, of course, an Italian on the menu.” The classic sandwich is made with salami, pepperoni and mortadella. And, Downing says, “We’ll be making our own mortadella using Home Place Pastures pork pepperoni salami.”
They’re still doing their smash burger at pop-ups and special events, but the one at Hard Times Deli will be another version of their standard. It will be a “chopped cheese” burger, which is “a big New York deli thing. Picture a Philly cheese steak. But it’s ground beef instead of steak.” You put the meat on the flat top, cheese on top “and then you chop up the sandwich.”
The chopped cheese is a spin on a New York deli classic. (Photo: Cole Jeanes)
They will have a smoker in house for their sandwiches, Downing says. “We’ll have four hot sandwiches and four cold sandwiches. And a couple of vegetarian options.”
Downing described the type of bread he wanted to Steiner. “I gave him the bread I really fell in love with — ‘Dutch Crunch’ — in the San Francisco area. Over the past year we’ve been doing some tinkering and working on it.”
“It’s a sweet bread between a brioche and baguette with a slight sweet crust,” Steiner says. “Harry had one bread on his mind when he approached me about helping him with his fresh bread. We worked back and forth for a couple of months and I think we nailed it.”
A native Memphian, Downing says his mother was “a ridiculously good cook.” His first restaurant job was at Jim’s Place Grille in Collierville. “Once I started really getting into it at Jim’s Place, I just never got away from it,” he says.
He also worked at Greys Fine Cheeses & Entertaining and Hog Wild BBQ. But, Downing says, “I’ve always wanted to open a sandwich shop.”
When his sandwiches began getting popular at Greys, Downing pitched the idea to open a sandwich shop to Jeanes and O’Brien. He said if they were going to open one, now was the time. That was more than two years ago. “We’ve been putting our minds together and finding a space and getting it built up.”
Architects John Halford and Patrick Brown of cnct design helped everything come together. “I was looking for a place to do something and I stumbled across this with John.”
Halford told Downing about his building, which once housed the old Escape Alley bar. “The building was abandoned and completely cinder-blocked up.”
Downing, who frequented High Cotton Brewing Company, wanted his own place in the area. “I’ve always loved the Edge District. You’re close to everything. Especially with a sandwich shop and doing what we’re doing, there’s no one in that area doing it. You’re surrounded by hospitals and colleges. People that eat that kind of food.”
There are “four art studios” and “a couple of tattoo shops,” he says. “It’s the next cool, artsy neighborhood.”
They began working with cnct design a year ago. Brown “showed us 3-D floor plans. We just kind of gave him our vision and what we wanted to do and we all worked through it together.”
The new space is “really, really pretty inside,” he says. The interior features cobalt blue and cornsilk yellow tile floors and dark stained woodwork and shelving.
Says Brown: “The last time the building was occupied it was Escape Alley. It was a dive bar. We looked at it for years for possible tenants.”
They wanted it to be “an active space [with] food, drinks. And the tenants [being] active in the community was important for us. We got really lucky when we ran into Harrison, Cole, and Schuyler. They’ve got their hands in a lot of projects.”
He describes them as “a great group of younger, energized people” who “have an eye for what they want.”
And, he adds, “They knew they liked these vintage style diners. That’s where the checkered floors come in. Very mid-century, ’50s, ’60s, and ’70s. Darker stained woods, checkered floors. We brought in some of that lighter yellow. The canary yellow in the tile. So, looking into all those design features and bringing it into an industrial building and trying to modernize it for today’s world was pretty much the main scope.”
Kinfolk went with the “old-school diner” look, Downing says. Hard Times Deli went with the “old-school sandwich shops” look.
The name Hard Times Deli came from the three owners going through hard times, including “trying to run restaurants for other people,” he says, adding, “The industry is rough. Long hours. Not a lot of pay.”
They also have been getting used to becoming “new dads,” Downing says. “All of us are pretty new to the married game and new to the dad game.”
The restaurant, which will feature lunch every day except Sunday, will seat 40 inside. It’s too small to do live music inside, but when the weather gets nicer, outdoor events with music can be held in the spacious parking lot, Downing says. “And if it’s 6 and people are still hanging out, we’ll keep slinging food.”
Helping him in the kitchen will be Bailey Patterson and Cody Boswell. “We’re all sandwich artists here,” says Downing. “All of us have done crazy food.”
Transforming the old building, which previously was “an eyesore,” is helping to improve Memphis. “We want to be a part of making the city better.”
And this won’t be the only Hard Times Deli location, Downing says. “We are looking to grow. I’m kind of building this model. Making it scalable. We’d like to get multiple businesses open. And we have other concepts in the works.”
Naser Fazlullah with South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem, Trump’s secretary of Homeland Security nominee and last year’s Lincoln Day keynoter. (Photo: Naser Fazlullah | Facebook)
The race for chairman of the Shelby County Republican Party, due to be resolved at the local party convention on Saturday at the Venue at Bartlett Station, has turned into a real donnybrook, with potentially divisive consequences.
As noted previously in this space, the two candidates are former Memphis City Councilman Worth Morgan, the beneficiary of an intra-party “Revive” campaign supported by numerous prominent party members, and longtime activist Naser Fazlullah, whose nose-to-the-grindstone party activities have won him a sizable grassroots constituency.
Underlying the surface aspects of the race are conflicts and rivalries involving other party figures and a myriad of issues.
Morgan’s most significant supporter is undoubtedly state Senator Brent Taylor, who claims credit for having recruited Morgan, an unsuccessful candidate for Shelby County mayor in 2022, to seek the chairmanship. Taylor won election to the state Senate that same year, claiming the seat vacated by former incumbent Brian Kelsey, who was forced out by legal problems. Since then, he has gone on to generate an amount of attention for himself unusual for a first-term legislator.
That’s partly due to the fact that Taylor, wealthy from the sale of his extensive funeral home network, has personally endowed numerous GOP candidacies and party events, both statewide and locally. And he continues to attract publicity for his aggressive efforts, in and out of the legislature, to impose stronger state control over law enforcement in Shelby County.
The most recent manifestation of what Taylor calls a “Make Memphis Matter” campaign is his ongoing attempt to force the removal of Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy, whom he accuses of lax crime control. The senator has initiated a legislative procedure that would ultimately require a two-thirds vote in both chambers of the legislature to oust Mulroy.
As it happens, Fazlullah opposes that effort, on the grounds that using legislation to remove a legally elected local official is unjustified overkill.
That’s one reason for Taylor’s animus toward Fazlullah and his recruitment of Morgan as a rival candidate. Another is his assertion that, at last fall’s Germantown Festival, Fazlullah strenuously urged GOP state Representative Mark White to oppose Taylor’s reelection in 2026. White acknowledges that Fazlullah made such an approach, which he politely turned aside.
Says Taylor: “Naser should never be party chairman after trying to recruit a candidate to run against a sitting state senator in a primary who happens to have been the largest contributor to the Republican Party while he was vice chairman. Two can play at this game!”
Meanwhile, Fazlullah has allies who hold grudges against Worth Morgan. One is Terry Roland of Millington, a notable GOP conservative who regards Morgan as a lukewarm Republican, a “Never-Trumper,” and a potential advocate of city-county consolidation.
Roland sees Morgan as a tool of party “elitists” and reproaches the chairmanship candidate for allegedly “boycotting” the local GOP’s 2022 Lincoln Day banquet, which was keynoted that year by Trump’s former chief of staff Mark Meadows.
The showdown over the chairmanship reflects a complicated pattern of conflicting loyalties, with GOP moderates and conservatives to be found on both sides.
• You saw it here first, in our year-end forecast of future political events: U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn is seriously considering a race for governor in 2026 and has so informed an increasing number of her fellow Republicans statewide.
Glenn Jacobs, the Knox County mayor who was previously regarded as perhaps the leading Republican gubernatorial hopeful, has energized Blackburn’s likely candidacy with a formal endorsement.
The Republican nomination, though, will apparently still be contested by U.S. Representative John Rose of Cookeville, a multi-millionaire with the capacity to self-fund.
PURE Academy students at a Medtronic Field Trip (photo credit: PURE Academy)
PURE Academy, a nonprofit private boarding school, recently opened its new facility located on 3925 Chelsea Avenue Extended.
“At PURE Academy, every young man deserves the chance to overcome challenges, discover their potential, and succeed,” officials said. “With a 100 percent graduation rate and an 83 percent college enrollment rate, along with 17 percent of students entering trade school or military careers, this expansion provides the capacity to impact even more students and continue shaping the future of Memphis youth. ”
Prior to opening the new location, PURE Academy was located in Whitehaven, where they were only able to house 25 students. The Chelsea location is currently in its first phase and can house 64 students. At full capacity, they will be able to hold 250.
“Urban agriculture is a key piece of PURE Academy’s programs, serving as hands-on education and social-emotional outlet spaces,” officials said in a press release. “The outdoor areas on the new campus will include classrooms, a fully equipped kitchen, meditation [areas] and small meeting spaces, creativity zones, technology hubs, and fitness areas.”
CEO and founder Melvin Cole, founded the PURE Youth Athletics Alliance in 2012 after being released from prison, following a pact he made with God to make a difference in the lives of young men who looked like him.
Cole initially started a little league team to reach youth through sports. Through coaching, he was able to see the different walks of life his players came from, some having no adult supervision, electricity, food, and more.
Shortly after, Cole and his fiancée opened their two-bedroom apartment Downtown to about 15 young men. This experience helped him to see the “deficiencies” in the education system.
“At the time I got with a good friend and said ‘what if these kids lived with me, but we put them in a private school, so we’ll take care of the environment,’” Cole said. “The environment is what’s creating the kid — the mind, the adult that comes up and commits crime, and has that way of thinking.”
This led Cole to his own introspection, where he found he wasn’t inherently “bad” as a child, but he was a product of his environment. He found this to be true for several of his kids. According to the 2024 Memphis Poverty Fact Sheet from the University of Memphis, the city has a poverty rate of 22.6 percent, while child poverty is 36.3 percent.
Cole was able to get the boys he housed tested into a school, however they scored in the zero percentile in reading, writing, and math. As a result, Cole closed down his for-profit gym and turned it into a “home-school tutorial” — known as their pilot program.
“The first year we got a 3.7 grade-level jump,” Cole said. “The next year we had a 3.1 grade-level jump.”
After seeing these results, Cole was ready to put his students up against standardized testing such as the ACT to see their placement. Not only were his students scoring in the 20s on their first attempt, but one student from the pilot program received a full athletic scholarship from Texas A & M.
“We went screaming ‘it works, it works!” Cole said.
Fast-forward to 2020 when school and inner city sports began to shut down. Cole said he approached his board about the importance of sports in many of his students’ lives, saying, for some, it was the only way to change the trajectory of their lives.
Cole then launched a football team, and began looking into Category 1 private certification in the state for non-public schools. After meeting the requirements, PURE Academy was officially launched.
PURE Academy’s core mission is rooted in opportunity in lived experience. This also extends into their curriculum, which focuses heavily on real-world application and situations. Cole said he found this was the best way to not only keep students engaged, but to catch those who had fallen behind in other school systems.
“We created something that was going to be successful for the kids,” Cole said. “These kids are just like me — if not in worse situations. The treatment and the curriculum was easy to build. If you don’t teach kids how to apply knowledge, it’s pointless.”
At its core, PURE emphasizes the importance of equaling the playing field for those less fortunate. He said kids can’t choose if they live in poverty or not, which means they shouldn’t miss out on the opportunities offered to their peers.
“These kids need the same damn opportunities we got to be successful,” Cole said. “People forget that. Our children that are living in double the national average of poverty, they cannot create opportunity for themselves. We have to help them, period. If you’re not helping, you’re hurting.”
Jaren Jackson Jr. goes up for a shot against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday, January 20, 2025 during the 23rd Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Game. (Photo by: Grant Burke/NBAE via Getty Images)
Déjà vu struck as the Memphis Grizzlies overcame a late deficit to beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 108-106 at FedExForum during the 23rd Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration Game on Monday.
It was the Grizzlies’ second comeback win over Minnesota in under two weeks in almost the same eerie fashion. The Timberwolves built a sizable lead, topping out at 16 points in the first half, and held a 95-86 edge midway through the fourth quarter.
However, the Grizzlies rallied with a decisive 11-0 run, taking a 106-100 lead with 2:20 remaining, and withstanding a last-ditch three-point effort to win. The comeback win improved Memphis’ home record to 16-5. The Grizzlies outscored Minnesota 37-30 in the final period.
Following the game, Grizzlies head coach Jenkins offered his assessment: “We finally got our legs, mind, or whatever it was. The last couple of games have been a tale of two halves. Both teams were struggling in the first quarter. It was a low-scoring affair. We found our groove in the third quarter.”
The Three-headed Monster
Jaren Jackson Jr. picked up three fouls in the first half that limited his first half minutes. He was one of the first players out of the locker room at halftime getting up shots.
The 25-year-old big man notched his fourth double-double of the season, leading the team with 24 points and 11 rebounds. He caught fire in the fourth quarter, scoring 15 points to match his season high for points in the final period. Jackson Jr. made a significant impact on the game’s outcome, finishing with a +24 in 32 minutes.
After the game, Jackson Jr. reflected on the different closers the team has relied on as of late, saying, “I feel like with us being in control or having a ball or being spots we want … when we’re in those situations, I like all of our options.”
It is usually call 12, but on Monday they dialed 13 and 22 (Desmond Bane).
Jackson Jr. said he’s on the same network as Ja Morant. He credited his clutch fourth-quarter performance to finding his shooting rhythm, saying the shots felt great. It was a notable turnaround from a tough start to the game.
The Michigan State alum said that late-game situations are what the NBA is all about, especially at this point in the season. He noted that many teams tire and lose focus, but the Grizzlies were aware of this and made a conscious effort to bring extra energy to mount a comeback, as Memphis improved to 28-15 on the season.
The former Defensive Player of the Year has been one of the best isolation players in the league this season. He said he spent the summer working on iso situations, training with live defenders instead of cones or pads. He believes this approach helps him better understand how defenders will react to his moves.
Jackson Jr. is solidifying his position as one of the Western Conference’s most reliable big men. Since the start of January, Jackson Jr. has consistently delivered impressive numbers, averaging 24.3 points, 7.1 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.6 blocks, and 1.4 steals per game.
According to the Grizzlies, the All-Star candidate ranks 10th in the NBA in Estimated Plus-Minus (EPM) and is one of four NBA players (min. 30 games played) to rank in the 92nd percentile or higher in both Offensive EPM and Defensive EPM (along with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Domantas Sabonis, Victor Wembanyama).
Desmond Bane continued his hot streak, scoring 22 points to go along with six rebounds and five assists, marking his fifth straight game with 20+ points. He has averaged 22.2 points, 5.6 assists, 4.6 rebounds and 2.2 steals per game in that span.
Morant contributed 19 points and dished out seven assists. He attributed the win to improved defense in the second half, which sparked their momentum. He also credited Jackson Jr. and Bane for closing out the game strong.
Morant believes Jackson Jr. is a clear-cut All-Star, stating “there’s no question” about his deserving the honor. Morant thinks Jackson’s consistent performance at an “All-NBA level” warrants recognition, particularly given his durability and nightly contributions on both ends of the court.
Tidbits
GG Jackson made his NBA season debut after foot surgery, contributing four points on 2-of-5 shooting, and one rebound, in 11 minutes of playtime.
Jackson, selected 45th overall in the 2023 NBA Draft, had a notable rookie season. He averaged 14.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.2 assists in 25.7 minutes per game, while shooting 42.8% from the field, 35.7% from 3-point range, and 75.2% from the free throw line. Jackson achieved these impressive stats as the youngest player in the league.
Up Next
The Grizzlies are gearing up to host the Charlotte Hornets at FedExForum on Wednesday, January 22, at 7 p.m. CT. The matchup marks the second game of Memphis’ four-game home stand. Both teams are currently on a three-game winning streak.
