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Celebrate Lee Corso and the soul of college football in USA TODAY Network book

Celebrate Lee Corso and the soul of college football in USA TODAY Network book

USA Today06-05-2025

Celebrate Lee Corso and the soul of college football in USA TODAY Network book
Picture a crisp fall morning. In a few hours, your college — whose fortunes make or break your weekend — tangles with your bitter rival down the interstate or across the state line. Your anticipation builds as your pregame ritual unfolds.
And the time arrives for a favorite moment: Will Lee Corso don an elephant, a duck, a buckeye, a steer, a tiger or a winged helmet?
For college football fans, few voices capture the excitement, tradition and pageantry of the sport quite like Corso's. And USA TODAY has a new book that pays homage to the sport and Corso, who will retire in August after nearly four decades as appointment viewing for fans.
'Not So Fast, My Friend: A Tribute to the Soul of College Football,' a premium collector's edition, brings you inside the electrifying world of college football from the perspective of an icon who has been at the heart of the game's biggest moments.
Buy Lee Corse book by USA TODAY Network
From awe-inspiring campus atmospheres to unforgettable game-day traditions to coverage of the biggest games and rivalries in the sport, each stunning page celebrates what makes college football a cherished American passion. This beautifully crafted 144-page hardcover book is your personal ticket to relive the glory, preserve the memories and celebrate the spirit that unites millions of fans every Saturday.
'Not So Fast, My Friend' will be published right after Corso's final broadcast Aug. 30 on ESPN's 'College GameDay.' The coffee-table book retails for $44.95 but you receive a 25% discount if you order now. (We'll do the math: That's $33.71, plus shipping and taxes.) Order now at Corso.PictorialBook.com.
Own a piece of college football history. It doesn't matter whether your colors are maize & blue or scarlet & gray or crimson & white or orange & blue.
This limited collector's edition features exceptional photography and insider stories from the USA TODAY Network's college football writers from coast to coast. Perfect for your coffee table or treasured collection, it's the ultimate keepsake for anyone who lives for the roar of the crowd, the band striking up the fight song and those magical Saturdays when anything seems possible. Don't miss your chance to add this celebration of college football's soul to your collection!
Buy Lee Corso book from USA TODAY Network
Contact Gene Myers at gmyers@gannett.com. Follow him on X @GeneMyers. After nearly a quarter-century as sports editor at the Detroit Free Press, Myers unretired to coordinate book and poster projects across the USA TODAY Network. His reading recommendation for this month: 'CHOMP-IONS!' — a hardcover book on the Florida Gators' latest NCAA men's basketball championship from The Gainesville Sun and USA TODAY. Details at Florida.ChampsBook.com. Check out more books and page prints from the USA TODAY Network.

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The History of Music Copyright—Before (Taylor's Version)
The History of Music Copyright—Before (Taylor's Version)

Time​ Magazine

time40 minutes ago

  • Time​ Magazine

The History of Music Copyright—Before (Taylor's Version)

Taylor Swift wrote a letter to her fans announcing that she had finally secured ownership of the original master recordings for her entire catalog. It's the culmination of her efforts to gain full control of the copyright in her work. Rights to her catalog—including hugely successful albums like Fearless, Red, and 1989 —were purchased by a music industry mogul without her consent in June 2019. Although her legal team was unable to stop the sale, Swift won the high ground in the court of public opinion by arguing that such an action was morally wrong. In the process, she has achieved something unique in the history of American popular music. The pop star's efforts to control her master recordings has been an element of her ongoing advocacy for artist rights. The intricacies of publishing, licensing, and rights ownership in the modern music industry are quite complex. Though copyright may be law in one sense, public perception and popular opinion effect how the law is enforced in practice. The history of American popular music shows that the degree of agency an unsigned artist has to negotiate terms with industry representation can be profoundly affected by their class, race, and gender. Very few artists will ever reach the level of popularity and profitability that Swift enjoys, but by raising public discourse about music copyright she has helped to reinvigorate conversations about the value of music. Copyright protection for 'Authors and Inventors' is enshrined in the U.S. Constitution, which highlights the importance the framers placed upon encouraging creativity and innovation. Congress passed the first copyright act in 1790 protecting any 'map, chart, book, or books,' which allowed authors the sole right to profit from the sale of their work for a limited time after which it would enter the public domain. Congress expanded copyright in 1802 to account for new advances in print technology and visual mediums. Interestingly, sheet music, which had existed for centuries, was not added to the list of protectable mediums until 1831. In truth, there was relatively little music generating revenue for copyright to protect in early America. That began to change when a 20-year-old Stephen Foster composed 'Oh! Susanna' in the late 1840s. The song was an unprecedented hit, selling well over 100,000 copies in multiple editions. Foster failed to properly register and protect his interests and made next to nothing off the song. Despite enjoying numerous fair and favorable contracts throughout his career. Foster never learned how to capitalize financially on the public success of his songs and he died penniless in 1864. The popularity of Foster's songs demonstrated that there was money to be made in American music, and publishing houses observed how songwriters could be easily taken advantage of in the process. Beginning with Tin Pan Alley at the turn of the 20th century, the music industry professionalized rapidly. Composers and songwriters, despite creating the product that generated income, became increasingly separated from the business of music. Record label executives, music publishers, lawyers, agents, and other professionals handled the paperwork and managed the money. While some songwriters like Irving Berlin also learned the business side of music, such cases were the exception, not the rule. Consider the career of Berlin's contemporary Woody Guthrie. Guthrie did not have access to the kinds of industry support more mainstream artists had, but he did have access to his local library. In 1937, he researched the copyright registration process on his own, sent in the required documentation along with a one-dollar fee to register 'California!,' and even asked the Copyright Office to send guidance about registration best practices. The Copyright Office responded promptly with an official registration certificate for 'California!,' several blank application cards, and instructions for how to optimize future registrations. This process was time consuming, however. Guthrie's transient lifestyle and prolific output meant that much of his catalog was not registered or managed properly. The copyright claim in Guthrie's most famous song, ' This Land is Your Land,' has been contested by artists and content creators looking to use the song in new ways. Rather than to maximize profitability, Guthrie's heirs have used copyright primarily to keep the song from being appropriated by commercial and political interests that are in direct opposition to his worldview. The key ethical question of copyright, like so many areas of the law, is not just about what rights are granted. It is about how the power granted by those rights gets wielded in practice. Over the course of the 20th century, many popular musicians like Chuck Berry and John Fogerty signed away their rights early in their careers, missing the full financial rewards when they later made it big. For many, accepting unfavorable terms had been their only option to break into the industry. Fogerty was famously sued by his former label and bandmates for sounding too much like himself when he went solo in 1972. Fogerty recently announced that, at the age of 80, he will be recording a (John's Version) album of his Greatest Hits, in a nod to Swift's success with the strategy. Before Swift's triumph, Prince is probably the artist who most skillfully used cultural influence to leverage their rights. When his label claimed a trademark in the rights to his name and all music marketed under it, he changed his name to an unpronounceable symbol until his contract with them expired in 2000. Similarly, much of Swift's success has come from relying more on public relations than litigation to assert her ownership. Inspired by a viral social media post from Kelly Clarkson, Swift began the process of rerecording her early work in November 2020. But that strategy only worked because she was also able to motivate her fans to choose (Taylor's Version) albums on streaming platforms and even to repurchase her rerecorded work on CD, cassette, and vinyl. Including bonus material and other incentives was certainly part of the strategy, but the level of fan involvement in policing the (Taylor's Version) transition has reached levels that are difficult to explain by marketing tactics alone. Swift's efforts to take legal control of her songwriting catalog have significantly raised the level of discourse about copyright law in popular culture. They have also provided a high-profile challenge to the trope of the struggling artist that has creative abilities but lacks savvy business skills. Swift's management of her career has been touted as a model to reduce the structural inefficiencies in music licensing and broadcasting, to promote equity sharing with record labels, and to give artists in general more control over their creative work. After her rerecording venture was so successful, some major labels have sought to add language to future contracts preventing that outcome. But to do so, they will have to navigate the fact that artists are more aware of the value that they bring in the post-(Taylor's Version) Era. Jason Lee Guthrie is an Associate Professor of Communication and Media Studies at Clayton State University in Morrow, GA. 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Country singers and parade celebrate Army – and (unofficially) Trump's birthday
Country singers and parade celebrate Army – and (unofficially) Trump's birthday

USA Today

time41 minutes ago

  • USA Today

Country singers and parade celebrate Army – and (unofficially) Trump's birthday

Country singers and parade celebrate Army – and (unofficially) Trump's birthday A massive military parade on the streets of Washington will showcase troops, tanks, weapons, aircraft – and music performers including country singer Scotty Hasting, a former Army infantryman who was wounded in Afghanistan. Country singer Noah Hicks of Nashville and DJ Nyla Symone, one of New York's youngest DJs, will perform at the U.S. Army's Grand Military Parade in Washington. The parade is a celebration of the Army's 250th year, scheduled for June 14 – which is also President Donald Trump's 79th birthday. A concert will feature "5-7 musical acts" with country music performers, not yet identified, according to Axios. Trump is scheduled to speak at the event, which is expected to draw at least 200,000 people. You can register for free tickets to the parade, but they're limited. The two-hour event, a military spectacle and unofficial birthday party, takes place on Constitution Avenue near the National Mall and starts at 6:30 p.m. ET. Events include Army parachuters jumping from aircraft, landing and giving Trump an American flag for his birthday, Pentagon officials said, according to Axios. Trump expressed a desire for a large military parade during his first administration. That did not happen, but the president is playing a major role in the Army celebration, which now includes the parade, Reuters reported. Where will the parade start and end? Unable to view our graphics? Click here to see them. The celebration day begins with a wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery in the morning. Events include "historical U.S. Army personnel reenactors, period-accurate equipment, vehicles, impressive flyovers, and military bands," according to America 250, the organizer. What's in the Army parade? For the celebration, the U.S. Army is bringing in: 7,500 troops 28 M1 Abrams tanks 28 Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicles 4 Paladin self-propelled howitzer cannons 50 Apache, Black Hawk and Chinook helicopters The vehicles will be transported by train, and the helicopters will be flown in. Vintage warplanes, including a World War II-era B-17 bomber and a P-51 Mustang fighter, are set to fly over the National Mall. The parade will cross in front of Trump's viewing stand on Constitution Avenue south of the White House at about 6 p.m. Trump is expected to preside over the enlistment and reenlistment of soldiers at the end of the parade. The event will end with fireworks at dusk. How much will the parade cost? The latest price tag for the parade is $30 million, a figure that could rise as high as $45 million. Though the Army is expected to pay for any damage from tanks rolling through the streets of the capital, it's "not expecting damage" to the roads, officials said. CONTRIBUTING Cybele Mayes-Osterman, Tom Vanden Brook SOURCE USA TODAY Network reporting and research; Reuters; America 250

As WorldPride comes to DC, queer community vows to be 'louder than ever'
As WorldPride comes to DC, queer community vows to be 'louder than ever'

USA Today

time41 minutes ago

  • USA Today

As WorldPride comes to DC, queer community vows to be 'louder than ever'

As WorldPride comes to DC, queer community vows to be 'louder than ever' Show Caption Hide Caption Organizers say political pressure is motivation to continue celebrating Pride Organizers say political pressure is motivation to continue organizing and celebrating Pride, although some corporate support dwindles. WASHINGTON − In 1975, Deacon Maccubbin was chatting with buddies at a party in the nation's capital about attending New York City's Pride Day when a friend tossed out a novel idea: 'Why don't we just do one here?' Maccubbin had taken a 'gamble' a year earlier, founding the LGBTQ+ bookstore Lambda Rising in the city's Dupont Circle neighborhood, determined to find a home for 'stories that needed to be told.' Business roared, and the bookstore soon become a haven for the city's gay community. So with similar gusto − and a little trepidation − Maccubbin took another revolutionary step: launching the District of Columbia's first Pride celebration. 'We didn't know whether anyone would show up or not. It was something that had never been done before,' he told USA TODAY. When start time ticked closer that inaugural Pride Day, only a handful of people milled around the bookstore. Maccubbin fretted. 'One of the organizers I had hired said: 'Don't worry. They are just on gay time,'' he recalled. 'And about 15 minutes later there were 2,000 people on the street.' Now 50 years later, DC's Capital Pride Alliance is hosting WorldPride − a global festival that promotes LGBTQ+ visibility and awareness − at another historic juncture: when the queer community's rights are increasingly in hostile crosshairs. With more than five decades of activism under his belt, Maccubbin remains undaunted. 'The fight goes on. There will always be people who try to push you back. But you stand up and keep going forward all the time.' A global festival takes on a bigger meaning WorldPride, which began May 17, is brimming with events and celebrations – musical performances, fashion shows, discussion groups and subcommunity gatherings such as Trans Pride, Latinx Pride, Youth Pride and beyond. The festival culminates with the city's Pride Parade on June 7 and a massive rally and march from the Lincoln Memorial to the U.S. Capitol on June 8. Ryan Bos, who has been executive director of DC's Capital Pride Alliance since 2011, was thrilled when the group's bid to host WorldPride was accepted in 2022. Bos couldn't wait to showcase the city's rich culture on the world stage. But as threats to LGBTQ+ freedoms began to spiral in recent months, the festival took on a new sense of urgency, he said. 'People have begun to see this as much more of a historic moment – one that is necessary to galvanize our community.' 'Who believes in human dignity and decency these days?' President Donald Trump signed an executive order on his first day in office to dimantle diversity, equity and inclusion practices − which can offer protections for LGBTQ+ people − in the federal government. As more directives rolled out, the transgender community has been particularly targeted: The administration moved to halt gender-affirming care for minors, revived a ban on transgender people in the military, removed references to the community from the Stonewall National Monument website, and directed that federal agencies recognize only two sexes, male and female − affecting the ability of transgender people to identify on items such as passports and sowing fear and anxiety among travelers. The actions have fueled a backlash, leading some corporate sponsors to yank support of Pride parades and even prompting safety concerns for LGBTQ+ people traveling internationally to the WorldPride festival. But the climate has also cemented a gritty resolve around WorldPride that the queer community is not going anywhere, Bos said. 'People see … the world closing in and feel: Who has our back? Who truly believes in human dignity and decency these days? We don't want to be steered back into the closet. And we won't,' he said. 'We will remain visible. We are a resilient community. We've been through challenges like this before.' Historian brings city's queer history to life Katherine Fisher is the founder and lead guide for DC PrideWalks, the city's first tourism company dedicated to highlighting the queer history of the nation's capital from its monuments to its neighborhoods. Fisher, a historian, started PrideWalks in 2021 after a former LGBTQ+ student who had dealt with addiction and other struggles 'lost his community' during COVID-19 − and died of an overdose. Fisher, who had studied queer history in grad school, said the tragedy 'lit a fire in me.' She has been intent on bringing Washington's LGBTQ+ history out of scholarly books into the public discourse, and through the walks she hopes to encourage engagement and activism, even among allies. As WorldPride takes the stage in DC in a challenging time, Fisher says friends in the LGBTQ+ community have decided to 'fight back with joy and celebration.' Fear often drives erroneous assumptions about LGBTQ+ people, she said. Fisher hopes her tours help educate people − and thwart those misconceptions. 'When I take people out on the street and I tell them about someone called Evelyn Hooker, no one has ever heard of her,' she said. 'But she is as important to the queer rights movement as Rosa Parks to civil rights or Eleanor Roosevelt to women's rights.' 'Oh no no no! You can't take this away from us' Brooke Eden, a country singer/songwriter who will be performing at WorldPride, recalls being warned to 'stay in the closet; otherwise I'd lose my career' when she met her soulmate. She found solace and therapy in songwriting, and after five years she was able to come out. Eden married wife Hilary in 2022 in Nashville, and the couple welcomed their first child in November. Her music has helped share her journey, and she hopes her words touch and uplift others who might be struggling with acceptance. Eden has been flooded with messages from people 'who never saw their story in country music. And then one of my videos was playing on CMT or YouTube or TikTok, and now people are saying, 'Oh my gosh, I'm not alone; I'm not the only Southern person who has also found queer joy and queer love.' One of Eden's hit songs is 'Outlaw Love,' which she thinks resonates perfectly with WorldPride as an 'outlaw movement, a kind of rebellion,' she said. 'The WorldPride stage is in front of the Capitol building at a time when they are trying to silence us, put us back in the closet, make us feel ashamed, take away so many of our freedoms, pull back DEI,' she said. 'And we are like: 'Oh no no no! We are going to the nation's capital; we are going to be louder than ever. You can't take this away from us. We are going to be ourselves.''

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