Keynote | Terry Bradshaw
“He is not only a natural in front of the camera. He is one of the most genuine people I have ever worked with. Even with four Super Bowl rings, and all that testosterone, the man is so down-to-earth and loveable.” – Academy Award winner Kathy Bates The only NFL player with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Bradshaw continues to defy an easy pigeonhole. Four-time Super Bowl champion quarterback (Pittsburgh Steelers), two-time Super Bowl MVP and Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee. Multi-Emmy and award-winning broadcaster for FOX on Fox NFL Sunday. Enduringly popular actor, most recently in the box office smash comedy romance Failure to Launch. Add to that gospel/country singer motivational speaker, New York Times best-selling author, breeder of championship quarter horses… No one can spiral them into the end zone like Bradshaw… The first player chosen in the 1970 draft, the 6’3” Bradshaw became one of the most prolific quarterbacks in history. He was the first quarterback to win four Super Bowl championships (1975, 1976, 1979 and 1980), making him a perfect 4-0 Super Bowl play, an extraordinary feat that has only been duplicated once, 10 years later, by Joe Montana. In those four performances, he completed 49 of 84 attempted passes (nine for touchdowns) for 932 yards (second all-time), with just three interceptions while amazingly calling his own plays, something rarely done when Bradshaw played and unheard of in today’s NFL. He still holds the Super Bowl passing records for average gain per attempt in career (11.10 yards) and average gain in a game (14.71 yards in Super Bowl XIV). Bradshaw, a two-time Super Bowl MVP (Super Bowls XIII and XIV), was a four-time All-Pro. He retired prior to the 1984 season. Widely acknowledged as today’s preeminent NFL studio personality, Bradshaw segued to broadcasting as a guest commentator for CBS Sports’ NFC postseason broadcasts (1980-82). He joined CBS Sports as an NFL game analyst in 1984, then became a studio analyst on The NFL Today for four seasons beginning in 1990. Currently his dual roles as co-host and analyst on Fox NFL Sunday, he has been a primary force in making the show America’s most-watched, and four-time Emmy Award-winning, NFL pregame program. In 2006, the nationally prominent Davies-Brown Index rated Terry to be the best-known broadcaster in all of sports. His work on Fox NFL Sunday earned him Sports Emmy Awards in the Outstanding Sports Personality/Analyst category in 1999, 2001 and 2009 and he was named TV Guide’s Favorite Sportscaster in 1999. This hard work and dedication has made Bradshaw one of the most sought after personalities for TV talk shows and he has appeared on virtually every show on air, including numerous appearances on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Along with his broadcasting career, Bradshaw has appeared in several feature films, most recently Paramount’s $100 million hit Failure to Launch, starring Matthew McConaughey, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Bates, also lending his unique voice to the $250 million grossing animated film Robots. Previously, Bradshaw garnered kudos for his appearances in Hooper and Cannonball Run. His television roles including guest starring spots on Everybody Loves Raymond, 8 Simple Rules, Malcolm in the Middle, Evening Shade, Blossom, Hardcastle and McCormick, The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. and Married . . . With Children, along with his vocal contribution to an episode of King of the Hill. Bradshaw hosted his own talk show, The Home Team with Terry Bradshaw, the first talk show ever to debut simultaneously on network and syndicated television. Bradshaw starred with Charisma Carpenter and Nicholas Brendon in the ABC Family telefilm Relative Chaos. He stars alongside Henry Winkler, William Shatner and George Foreman in 2016's top rated summer NBC reality show, Better Late Than Never. Most recently, Bradshaw stars alongside Owen Wilson, Ed Helms, Glenn Close, Christopher Walken and others in the road trip, buddy mystery comedy film Father Figures. Bradshaw launched a successful singing career by recording four albums, two of which were top-selling gospel records nominated for Dove Awards. His cover of Hank Williams’ I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry became a Top 10 country hit. He recorded a children’s holiday album entitled Terry Bradshaw Sings Christmas Songs for the Whole Family. He has also worked with superstar Willie Nelson on a cut for the NFL Country record which paired current and former NFL stars with renowned country artists. An author of five books, Bradshaw easily brings his signature charm and charisma to the written page. They include his acclaimed autobiographies, Looking Deep (1989), It’s Only A Game (2001) and Keep it Simple (2002), No Easy Game (1973) and Terry Bradshaw: Man of Steel (1979). As a widely sought-after motivational speaker, Bradshaw speaks to Fortune 500 companies and major corporations across the country. Energizing and motivating with his inspirational style, charisma and personality, Bradshaw has become one of the most sought-after sports personality speaking today. A native of Shreveport, LA, Bradshaw attended Woodlawn High School, the program that also produced former Buffalo Bills quarterback Joe Ferguson. He went on to attend Louisiana Tech, where he still holds the single-season passing and total offense records. He was a first-team Associated Press All-America as a senior in 1970 and later that year received a Bachelor of Science degree in physical education from Louisiana Tech. Bradshaw has racked up numerous awards and honors during his long, diverse career and his work on behalf of those less fortunate has helped raise a tremendous amount of money and awareness while earning the gratitude and respect of countless charitable organizations. He was named NFL Player of the Year by The Associated Press, Sport magazine and the Maxwell Club of Philadelphia following his 1978 season with the Steelers; in 1979, he shared Sports Illustrated’s Man of the Year award with Willie Stargell of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. In 1993, he won the NFL’s Bert Bell Memorial Award for significant contributions made to the league. In 2001, Bradshaw added yet another prestigious distinction with the NFL Alumni’s Career Achievement Award. Outside the realm of football, he was named 1999’s Man of the Year by the Big Sisters of America, 2000’s Father of the Year by the National Father’s Day Council, and in October 2001 became the NFL’s first and only player to receive a star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame. Bradshaw spends his time at his home in Oklahoma with his wife Tammy. He has three daughters, Rachel, Erin and Lacey.
Keynote | Mandy Rennehan
Mandy Rennehan (a.k.a. Bear) is called the Blue-Collar CEO™ for her ability to seamlessly navigate between the white- and blue-collar worlds, and to respectfully 'tell it like it is'. Not only is she the Host, Designer and Contractor for HGTV’s new show, Trading Up, Mandy is a sought-after speaker, multiple award-winning entrepreneur, philanthropist, trade-industry ambassador and CEO/founder of Freshco.ca (not the grocery store!) Mandy defies labels. The description she often gets is “refreshing.” Her (respectfully) uncensored honesty is matched by her quick wit, East Coast humour, and big heart. It is impossible to remain unchanged after coming into contact with this authentic, self-taught and self-made powerhouse. Her vision goes well beyond building successful businesses. She is redefining the collar, blue™ and changing the answer to ‘what do you want to be when you grow up?’ in order to help solve the massive skilled trade shortage worldwide. Mandy is challenging the misconception that white-collar jobs are “better” or “more desirable” than blue-collar ones; society needs both collars! Rennehan is also a lead advisor to the federal Governments national campaign encouraging apprenticeships and promoting the skilled trades as a career and has a book coming out called, The Blue Collar CEO, My Gutsy Journey from Rookie Contractor to Multi-Millionaire Construction Boss with Harper Collins Publishing.
Closing Entertainment
Sugar Ray
Everything continues to change. Leaders cycle in and out of office. Trends fall in and out of style. Vinyl dies and comes back to life. Television shows go off the air and end up somewhere on the internet. However, Sugar Ray might just outlast them all. After over three decades, a world without the group—co-founded by Mark McGrath [vocals] and Rodney Sheppard [lead guitar]—feels downright unfathomable. Beyond sales of 10 million records, four top 10 songs, streams in the hundreds of millions, and millions of tickets sold, the band embody the endless summer of popular music and culture. How many artists still pack sheds a whole generation removed from their genesis? How many acts can claim sharing the stage with The Rolling Stones, KISS, and Sex Pistols, collaborating with Run-DMC, and being interpolated by Post Malone? We need Sugar Ray now more than ever… “You could say we’re still performing because the music means a lot to us,” observes Mark. “However, the real reason is it means a lot to so many other people. All the time, we hear fans say, ‘Boy, those songs were so important to me growing up’ or ‘I listened to you on my first date with my girlfriend, and now she’s my wife’. I’m the last guy to brag about this band and the first one to make fun of it, but we wrote some killer tunes,” he smiles. As the story goes, Rodney and Mark first linked up in high school. Rodney played in what Mark calls “the hot shit band all the girls loved.” The future frontman and his buddy McG just wanted to be a part of it. One afternoon in an Orange County garage, Mark and Rodney “sipped 40oz cans of King Cobra, listened to Creedence, and became friends for life.” Eventually, Rodney asked Mark to take a shot at singing. “Music threw us together,” recalls Rodney. “There was just a lot of excitement at the time. From that excitement, we ended up forming Sugar Ray in 1988.” With a few gigs under their collective belt, they recorded a whopping two songs. Prior to becoming a blockbuster director, McG shot an infamous video for “Caboose”—which ended up in the hands of Atlantic Records. With no internet to audit hype back in 1993, a little exaggeration went a long way. “We totally lied to Atlantic,” chuckles Mark. “We told them we had a big following from San Diego to Los Angeles. That certainly wasn’t the case. There was no social media or way for them to check though. We told them we had 100 songs, and we only had two! ‘Caboose’ ended up on our first album, and the other one ‘Lick Me’ didn’t for obvious reasons.” That first album, Lemonade & Brownies, took the guys around the world and earned cult classic status for its frenetic and unpredictable hybrid of metal, punk, alternative, funk, pop, and everything but the kitchen sink. It set the stage for FLOORED in 1997 though. The latter’s immortal and inescapable lead single “Fly” [feat. Super Cat] invaded airwaves and made the band a household name. 21 years down the road, Post Malone incorporated “Fly” in “Sugar Wraith” on the triple-platinum beerbongs & Bentleys as a testament to its impact. Helmed by GRAMMY® Award-winning producer David Kahne [Sublime, Paul McCartney, The Strokes], FLOORED earned the band’s first gold plaque (a vivid memory they still cherish) and eventually went double-platinum. Two years later, Sugar Ray took over popular culture with a sincere shit-eating grin. The band’s third album, 14:59, shut down the pervasive warning of “15 minutes of fame.” Not only did the record bow in the Top 20 of the Billboard Top 200 and go triple-platinum, but it also gave us “Someday,” “Falls Apart,” and their second #1 “Every Morning.” In 2001, Sugar Ray crashed the Top 200 at #6 as “When It’s Over” staked out a spot on the charts. It added yet another platinum plaque to their walls. Along the way, Tonight Show, Late Night with David Letterman, Conan, Halftime of Game 5 2001 NBA Finals, Today Show, Rosie, Ellen, Billboard Music Awards, and dozens of other programs counted them among esteemed guests. Plus, they popped up in television series such as American Dad and The Drew Carey Show and on the big screen in Ivan Reitman’s Father’s Day (with the late Robin Williams) and in the live-action Scooby-Doo. Not to mention, they graced the covers of magazines, including Spin, Rolling Stone, and more. Enjoying a renaissance, Sugar Ray headlined the summer shed Under the Sun Tour 2013-2015, inviting Smash Mouth and Gin Blossoms along for the ride. Meanwhile, they inked a deal with BMG in 2019 and dropped their seventh full-length, Lil Yachty. In addition to features from Rolling Stone and Billboard, NPR claimed, “The Newport Beach natives returned to their signature uplifting and airy rock sound.” However, it only set the stage for more touring and music. No matter how much everything changes, we’ve thankfully got Sugar Ray forever. “This band means everything to me,” Rodney leaves off. “It’s been my life for so long. We know each other’s strengths and can play to them. It just works out perfectly.” “We’re friends who started a band to have fun,” concludes Mark. “When you come to see us live, I want you to have fun too. The idea is the same is it was in 1988. So many things have happened since then, but Sugar Ray is still my life. It’s what defines me. We’re the guys next door, yet we’ve made an impact. I know what the future’s going to be for Sugar Ray—and I love it. I also know if you’re having half as much fun as I am at a show, we’re doing something right.” BOILER Beyond sales of 10 million records, four top 10 songs, hundreds of millions of streams, and millions of tickets sold, Sugar Ray—co-founded by Mark McGrath [vocals] and Rodney Sheppard [lead guitar]—embody the endless summer of popular music and culture. How many artists still pack sheds a whole generation removed from their genesis? How many acts can claim sharing the stage with The Rolling Stones, KISS, and Sex Pistols, collaborating with Run-DMC, and being interpolated by Post Malone? Just Sugar Ray… 1994’s Lemonade & Brownies took the guys around the world and earned cult classic status for its frenetic and unpredictable hybrid. It set the stage for FLOORED in 1997. The latter’s immortal lead single “Fly” [feat. Super Cat] made them a household name. 21 years down the road, Post Malone incorporated “Fly” in “Sugar Wraith” on the triple-platinum beerbongs & Bentleys. Helmed by GRAMMY® Award-winning producer David Kahne [Sublime, Paul McCartney, The Strokes], FLOORED earned the band’s first gold plaque and eventually went double-platinum. Two years later, 14:59 bowed in the Top 20 of the Billboard Top 200, went triple-platinum, and gave us “Someday,” “Falls Apart,” and their second #1 “Every Morning.” In 2001, Sugar Ray crashed the Top 200 at #6 as “When It’s Over” staked out a spot on the charts. It added another platinum plaque to their walls. Enjoying a renaissance, Sugar Ray headlined the Under the Sun Tour 2013-2015. They inked a deal with BMG in 2019 and dropped their seventh full-length, Lil Yachty. In addition to features from Rolling Stone and Billboard, NPR claimed, “The Newport Beach natives returned to their signature uplifting and airy rock sound.” It only set the stage for more touring and music. No matter how much everything changes, we’ve got Sugar Ray forever.
Uncle Kracker
No matter what he does or where he goes, Uncle Kracker adheres to a simple, yet rather timeless philosophy. “I really subscribe to this mindset of just having fun,” he affirms. “That’s what it’s always about. It’s the train that I’m forever on. The way I feel is if I’m enjoying it, it’s really worth doing.” Now he’s having more fun than ever. And it certainly shows with the recent release of his single “Floatin’.” The feel-good track recorded in Nashville couples Uncle Kracker’s heartfelt, infectious lyrics with a country groove that will keep fans smiling. Uncle Kracker will be showcasing his tried and true hits along with some new tunes in sheds across the country. His live show continues to get bigger and better with every tour. "It's very interactive," he says. "It's meant to be a party, and I want everybody involved. Each time we go on stage, I want people to leave smiling." That outlook has served him well over the years. After vaulting to stardom as a charismatic presence and chief collaborator in Kid Rock’s Twisted Brown Trucker Band, the Michigan singer, songwriter, and performer, also known as Matthew Shafer, kicked off a stunning solo career of his own. His 2000 major label debut, Double Wide, fittingly went double-platinum and yielded #1 smash “Follow Me”. Its 2002 follow-up No Stranger To Shame reached gold status and spawned cross-format hits such as “In A Little While” and the powerful cover of Dobie Gray’s “Drift Away” which set a Billboard record for most weeks at #1 on any chart, topping their #1 run on the Adult Contemporary radio charts for a staggering 28 weeks. Before Uncle Kracker flew up the charts for 5 weeks at #1 with “When the Sun Goes Down”, a duet with good friend Kenny Chesney, country music might’ve seemed an odd place to find the Detroit-based good-time Kid Rock alumni. But after a few summer tours with Chesney, Uncle Kracker reached country’s Top 10 with his double-platinum crossover hit “Smile”. Then, 2012 saw him fully embrace his country side with his critically acclaimed fifth outing, Midnight Special produced by Keith Stegall which leaves no doubt this feel-good rocker is exactly where he should be. Uncle Kracker has played sold out shows across the country and appeared everywhere from the American Country Music Awards to Late Night With Conan O'Brien. He is still having a blast, and fans worldwide undoubtedly will too when they see him on the road.“When I’m up onstage, I don’t feel removed from the people coming to hear the music,” he leaves off. “You can feel it, when they identify with you. Sometimes when I’m up there, I wanna tell’em ‘I’m not any different than you are.’” Photo credit: Melissa Coulier
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