Vanderbilt University

Five-time Grammy-winning country artist Chris Stapleton is best known for hits such as Parachute. He has also co-written tracks such as Kenny Chesney's Never Wanted Nothing More. Before going solo, he was part of the bands The SteelDrivers and The Jompson Brothers. His music blends country with bluegrass and soul.

Dinah Shore initially launched a solo career after failing to qualify for Benny Goodman’s band. After delivering hits such as Blues in the Night, she appeared in a few films and ventured into a successful TV career. She also hosted shows such as The Dinah Shore Chevy Show.

One of the highest-earning authors in the contemporary world, James Patterson is the writer of many mystery fictions which sold records copie globally. Born to working-class parents of Irish-origin, the American writer whose thriller novels include Alex Cross and Michael Bennett series is also a philanthropist and contributes to promoting reading. He founded the James Patterson PageTurner Awards.

Rosanne Cash is an American singer-songwriter. The daughter of musician Johnny Cash, Rosanne Cash followed in the footsteps of her father. Also a humanitarian, Cash supports many charitable organizations like Children, Incorporated, which supports young adults and children. She has also been a board member of an organization called Center To Prevent Youth Violence, which works towards preventing gun violence.

Fred Thompson was an American politician, lobbyist, attorney, columnist, radio personality, and actor. From 1994 to 2003, Thompson served as the United States Senator from Tennessee. As an actor, he played important roles in several films and TV series, such as Law & Order and Barbarians at the Gate.

Jordan Rodgers is a sports commentator. He began his career as a professional football quarterback and has played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Miami Dolphins. He began his broadcasting career in 2016. He participated in and won season 12 of the reality TV show The Bachelorette. His brother Aaron Rodgers is a popular football quarterback. 

Dierks Bentley is a country music singer and songwriter who has won many prestigious awards, such as the Country Music Association Awards and Academy of Country Music Awards. Over the years, he has also headlined many tours, including the Riser Tour, Sounds of Summer Tour, and Somewhere on a Beach Tour. 

Al Gore was the Vice President of America from 1993 to 2001. He was also the Democratic Party’s candidate for the 2000 Presidential elections, but eventually lost to his Republican opponent George Bush. He is an environmentalist and a climate change activist. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007, jointly with Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, for his work.

Mack Brown is an American college football coach who is currently serving as the head coach for the North Carolina Tar Heels which represents the University of North Carolina. A former head coach for the Texas Longhorns football program, Brown is credited with reinvigorating the Texas and North Carolina football programs. He won the Paul "Bear" Bryant Award in 2006.

Sports columnist and commentator Skip Bayless is best known for his stints on the ESPN2 show First Take and the Fox show Skip and Shannon: Undisputed. He initially wrote for publications such as the Dallas Times Herald and the Chicago Tribune was voted the Texas Sportswriter of the Year thrice.

Mary Elizabeth Gore, better known as Tipper Gore, was married to former American president Al Gore. She had a major role in establishing the Parents Music Resource Center, which made CDs carry parental advisory stickers, to prevent their children from listening to music laced with profanity.