Day: September 17, 2021

Key West Film Festival announces the Diana King Memorial Fund

Key West Film Festival announces the Diana King Memorial Fund in partnership with the King Family Foundation. Photo: google

The Key West Film Festival and The Charles and Lucille King Family Foundation are pleased to announce the creation of the Diana King Memorial Fund, in memory of the Foundation’s founder and longtime President and Chair, an outstanding philanthropist recognized for her commitment to educational opportunities in film, television and other media, who passed away in 2019. The five-year grant from the Foundation, beginning with the 10th Anniversary of the Key West Film Festival November 17-21, 2021, will support Key West Film Festival’s annual celebration of film and filmmakers, as well as student film awards and educational initiatives. (Key West Film Festival, 2021)

“We are beyond grateful for this generous grant from the King Family Foundation. Creativity is alive and thriving through the challenges of the past year – we have seen it in this year’s surplus of film submissions. The Diana King Memorial Fund will help us ensure we can celebrate film, education and student filmmakers for years to come.” – Key West Film Festival Chairman, Brooke Christian 

Diana King grew up in the world of television, a daughter of the late Charles King (who founded King World Productions in 1964) and his wife Lucille King. King World became the leading distributor of television syndicated programming in the United States, including such iconic series as The Little Rascals, Wheel of Fortune, Jeopardy! The Oprah Winfrey Show, Inside Edition, and Dr. Phil. Diana began working in the accounting department of the family business in 1972, and at the time of King World’s acquisition by the CBS Corporation in 2000 served as Executive Vice President, Corporate Secretary and Director. 

Diana established the Foundation in 1988 to support individuals and organizations committed to educational excellence and professional development, in film, television, and other media. During her 30-year tenure as Board Chair and President, the Foundation awarded hundreds of scholarships to students with a focus in film, television and related media/communications studies at colleges and universities around the country, in many instances to individuals who would have been financially unable to continue their studies without this assistance. In addition, the Foundation has functioned as a longtime sponsor of programs at several leading cultural and educational institutions around the country.

Honoring creativity, diversity, sustainability and beauty, the Key West Film Festival is an annual celebration of film and filmmakers set to take place November 17-21, 2021. A diverse, entertaining, and artistically rigorous selection of films will be represented through a broad array of categories that offer opportunities for filmmakers, both aspiring and established, to commune and exchange ideas while showing their work to audiences in an historic and artistically vibrant tropical paradise.

Early James releases new music

Early James releases Dan Auerbach-produced 7-inch featuring ‘Tumbleweed’ and ‘Mama Can Be My Valentine.’ Photo: google

Early James, an Alabama native, released his debut album, Singing For My Supper, via Easy Eye Sound and Nonesuch Records on March 13, 2020. The album spans hard-charging blues, wistful folk, and ages-old pop crooning, anchored by the singer’s voice that alternates from gravel-gruff shout to a honey-smooth whisper. James’ inspirations run from Fiona Apple and Tom Waits to the Southern gothic poets, as heard in the album’s darker themes and in the wry humor with which he writes about them. He recently released the Dan Auerbach-produced 7-inch featuring “Tumbleweed” and “Mama Can Be My Valentine.” (Early James, 2021)

“Don’t got no tattoos cause Grandma knew it’d keep you out of heaven,” sings the prolific, eclectic, and flat-out entertaining singer and songwriter Early James in the opening line of his newly released tune, “Tumbleweed.” Further cementing the Americana blend of styles and sounds he has becoming known for, “Tumbleweed” finds James delivering quick, gravelly verses over a jovial fingerstyle guitar part, exploring an idea he describes as “patting yourself on the back while getting pickpocketed.” Finding a song under a previously unturned stone or in the quickness of a passing thought is, his unique vocal delivery notwithstanding, James’s calling card, and “Tumbleweed” is very much on brand.

“‘Tumbleweed’ is about how you’re always kind of in this limbo of thinking you’re smarter than your older self while falling for someone’s new bullshit at the same time,” says James in his profoundly straightforward way. “Tumbleweed” and its b-side, “Mama Can Be My Valentine” are holdover tunes from James’s 2020 debut, Singing For My Supper, produced by Dan Auerbach and released via his Easy Eye Sound label. After a full year of touring was canceled, the tracks were shelved, but are now available digitally at this link and in 7-inch vinyl format through independent record stores, the Easy Eye Sound online store, and at all Early James tour stops. A complete tour schedule is available online.

“Mama Can Be My Valentine,” which fills up side two of this new release on Easy Eye Sound, leans a hair more Bakersfield country, grooving and swirling forward as James lists off his ideal “type” of a yet-unattainable lover. The refrain— “Until then, Mama can be my valentine”—came about out of hilarious necessity. “I didn’t have any songs about Mother’s Day or Valentine’s Day so I killed two birds with one stone,” James recalls. Overall, the one-two punch of “Tumbleweed” and “Mama Can Be My Valentine” are a natural extension of the songs from Singing For My Supper, both different examples of just how well James can weave together a story and deliver it with his commanding, earnest voice. “Some people are good singers,” says The Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach, who decided he needed to produce the singer’s debut album at his Easy Eye Sound studio after watching just two seconds of a video of him performing. “And some people are better than good singers, they just have this great form of expression.” That expression which James possesses is on full display with his new 7-inch release and will officially be getting the live treatment on a healthy run of tour dates with The Lone Bellow this fall.

Courtesy photo, used with permission.

Catch Early James On Tour:
October 10 – Wildwood Revival – Arnoldsville, GA
October 14 – Proud Larry’s – Oxford, MS #
October 16 – Standard Deluxe Fall Boogie – Waverly, AL
November 4 – Varsity Theater – Minneapolis, MN *
November 5 – Majestic Theatre – Madison, WI *
November 6 – Shank Hall – Milwaukee, WI *
November 7 – Thalia Hall – Chicago, IL *
November 8 – The Ark – Ann Arbor, MI *
November 10 – Taft Theatre – Cincinnati, OH *
November 11 – Asbury Hall Babeville – Buffalo, NY *
November 12 – Center for the Arts of Homer – Homer, NY *
November 13 – Gateway City Arts – Holyoke, MA *
November 14 – Paradise Rock Club – Boston, MA *
November 16 – Webster Hall – New York, NY *
November 17 – Union Transfer – Philadelphia, PA *
November 18 – Troy Savings Bank Music Hall – Troy, NY *
November 19 – Vogel Theatre – Red Bank, NJ *
November 20 – 9:30 Club – Washington, DC *
November 21 – Haw River Ballroom – Saxapahaw, NC *

* – with The Lone Bellow
# – with Seratones

JL Bar Ranch, Resort & Spa offers exclusive Texas Hill Country adventure getaways

JL Bar Ranch, Resort & Spa in Sonora, Texas. Photo: JL Bar Ranch, Resort & Spa, used with permission.

As summer gives way to fall and people continue to seek off-grid, outdoor-driven escapes, the picturesque JL Bar Ranch, Resort & Spa brings adventure at every turn with an array of activities, ranging from horseback riding and UTV off-roading to intimate group wine tastings. (JL Bar Ranch, Resort & Spa, 2021)

Activities include:

  • Seven-day Schedule & Sips at MV Brew: The 13,000-acre resort is now accessible seven days a week for overnight guests seeking an immersive extended stay that captures the West Texas Lifestyle. New for overnight guests in August 2021, JL Bar Ranch, Resort & Spa opened MV Brew Coffee House, which proudly serves Starbucks Coffee alongside daily fresh- made pastries, grab and go snacks, and refreshments exclusively to JL Bar Resort Guests. The coffee house is named after resort owner James Archer’s MV2 Entertainment Company in Nashville and offers indoor seating and ample outdoor space to enjoy a fresh cup o’ joe, the closest of its kind within an 80-mile radius.
  • A Family Affair at Archer’s Nest, the resort’s private villa: Following a recent upgrade, the private and luxurious Archer’s Nest Villa now boasts seven bedrooms that accommodates up to fourteen guests in addition to a private oasis swimming pool, large pool house with fully equipped kitchen, and a full home theatre room. The grand accommodation is the ideal destination for family reunions and small groups. 
  • JL Bar Takes Flight: As one of the leading point-to-point getaway destinations with its Full-Service Fixed Base Operator (FBO) Airport , the resort’s private airport offers an abundance of amenities that are rare for a private airstrip (especially at a resort), including a 5300’ x 80’ asphalt top runway and facilities capable of handling a variety of aircraft from a single engine Cessna to a Gulfstream 650, hangar space for multiple jets, crew and passenger lounges, single point or over-wing fuel, in-flight dining from the resort’s private chef, and more. JL Bar Ranch & Resort Airport provides FAA certified weather, minimal air traffic in the immediate area, and is one of the most efficient for refueling cross-country flights. While some guests may choose the few-hour drive to Sonora, TX, cross-country travelers looking to refuel and recharge for the night, aviation enthusiasts, and luxury travelers looking for a seamless getaway experience can arrive via privately chartered jet or personally owned aircraft.
  • Harvest Season Wine Excursions: The luxury resort and working ranch now offer a new all-inclusive day trip excursion to Fredericksburg, inclusive of transportation, a local wine tasting and lunch, and shopping along Fredericksburg’s iconic Main Street. For on-property wine experiences, Sommelier and Equine Experts Jon Joseph and Sydney Beique host wine tastings and have curated an extensive wine list to pair with the resort’s culinary offerings.
  • On the Hunt: As entrusted stewards of the land, the ranch manages the property to be productive for during the fall hunting season while conserving and nurturing vital habitat for wild game—orchestrating a harmonious balance between wild game and domestic livestock on the property, with horseback riding and a Horse Psychology Experience alongside world-class guided hunting excursions.

Whataburger raises money for local families in need

Whataburger presented the San Antonio Food Bank with a check for $31, 624.20. From left to right: Krystal Garza, Whataburger Field Marketing Coordinator, Tom Willet, Whataburger Director of Operations, Eric Cooper, San Antonio Food Bank President & CEO, Melba Harris, Whataburger Community Experience Manager, Brenda Cervantes Sanchez, Whataburger Field Marketing Coordinator. Photo: Whataburger, used with permission.

Orange Spirit Week is Whataburger’s annual tradition of honoring its legacy while giving back to the communities it serves. This year, in honor of its 71st anniversary, Whataburger partnered with Feeding America® to help provide more than three million meals through local food banks across Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. Following its first-ever systemwide fundraiser benefitting Feeding America®, Whataburger is giving $31,624 raised in the San Antonio area to the San Antonio Food Bank to help fight hunger in the community. (Whataburger, 2021)

The local gift is part of more than $300,000 that Whataburger customers donated across its 10-state footprint during the company’s Orange Spirit Week celebration. Customers who donated $1 during the fundraiser received a free Whataburger coupon for their generosity. Funds raised benefitted the communities where they were given. It is all part of Whataburger Feeding Student Success, the company’s signature community program operating at the intersection of food insecurity and education and focusing on helping students at all levels of education achieve their goals and dreams.

The magic of Whataburger started on August 8, 1950, in a tiny burger stand in Corpus Christi, Texas. An entrepreneur named Harmon Dobson set out to build a burger so delicious that customers would take that first bite and say, “What a burger!” Today, Whataburger is known for delicious burgers, big flavor, and the brand’s pride in taking care of its guests, communities, and employees, known as Family Members. Orange Spirit Week celebrates its founding and the foundation for success that Dobson created.