Jason

Arday’s appointment as Cambridge’s youngest ever black professor at the age of 37 in 2023 was hailed at the time as a progressive moment.

Announcing his resignation last week, Arday said the “personal cost” of the scrutiny of him had become “too great”.

He said: “While criticism is an inevitable part of academic life, what I have experienced has gone far beyond scholarly disagreement.

“The relentless accusations, speculation and public commentary have taken a profound toll on me and on those I love.”

He stressed that his resignation should not “be mistaken for an acceptance of the narratives that have surrounded me”.

Cambridge initially said claims of plagiarism regarding Arday’s thesis and some journal publications had been investigated by Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU) and the journals in question.

LJMU – which awarded Arday his PhD in 2015 – concluded that he had not plagiarised work.

Earlier this week, Cambridge announced an independent investigation into his appointment.

In a letter to university staff at the time, Prof Prentice said: “I fully understand the concerns being raised across the university and well beyond it, regarding Jason Arday’s appointment and I share them…

“That investigation, as you say, should be thorough and transparent, and will be carried out independently by senior academics from within and beyond Cambridge.”

Cambridge celebrated Arday’s appointment as a young black professor, one of a tiny and visible majority in academia. Only one per cent of professors in UK universities are black, making each appointment hugely significant.

The university will have to answer bigger questions including about its duty of care after it put him into a very prominent position.

It may also find itself the lightning rod for anger from several different quarters, including those who feel Arday was persecuted publicly and those who question whether he should ever have been appointed.

Jolyon Maugham from campaign group Good Law Project said Arday’s death was “a tragedy”.

“I do not understand what the public interest was in continuing to hound him after he resigned as a professor and I do not understand what risk assessments media outlets did,” Maugham added.

Speaking to BBC Newsnight, Professor of Black Studies Kehinde Andrews and friend of Arday described him as “very down” after resigning from Cambridge.

“He was very upset. He felt that there was no way out. He effectively wasn’t leaving the house. He had lost a lost of weight,” Andrews said.

“There should be a wakeup call to just how bad black academics actually have it in academia,” he added.

Labour MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy told the programme “the idea that an academic would be dragged through this amount of media scrutiny is unheard of”.

The scholar announced his resignation amid a new investigation into his qualifications.

Jason Arday has resigned from his post as professor of sociology at the University of Cambridge, following the announcement of a new investigation into his academic qualifications and career.

Arday, who became the youngest Black professor in Cambridge’s history when he was appointed in 2023, announced on Wednesday that he had stepped down “with immediate effect” from his post at the university and his fellowship at Jesus College.

Arday, who has faced a growing series of questions over his academic writings and credentials, said in a statement posted on the Good Law Project website that the scrutiny had become unsustainable, describing months of “relentless accusations, speculation and public commentary” that had taken a toll on him and his family.

The announcement came hours after the university said it had received “new information” about Arday’s qualifications and honorary appointments and would launch a new investigation, which is separate from an existing academic misconduct review already under way.

His decision to step down comes after a series of media reports alleging he plagiarised his PhD thesis and other research and statements.

Liverpool John Moores University, which awarded the doctorate in 2015, investigated the plagiarism allegations but did not uphold them, attributing the issues instead to “honest and reasonable error”. Arday has consistently denied wrongdoing, pointing to that finding as vindication.

Cambridge University had robustly defended Arday in June, claiming “a vile campaign to undermine his credibility” and insisting plagiarism claims regarding his “thesis and journal publications” had been investigated and dismissed by “the relevant institution” and journals.

It did not specify on Wednesday what new information had prompted its investigation, while Jesus College said separately that it was starting its own inquiry.

US academic and self-defined “race realist” Nathan Cofnas is behind some of the allegations. He was a Cambridge research affiliate, but his tenure ended in 2024 amid racism accusations. He has claimed multiple sections of Arday’s doctoral dissertation were copied from other works.

Some of Arday’s claims about his personal life, including that he ran 30 marathons in 35 days and raised millions for charity, have also come under scrutiny.

In an interview with The Times newspaper on Saturday, Arday admitted making academic “mistakes” but said he was being wrongly “portrayed to be a liar and a fantasist and an academic fraud”.

He also alleged the “campaign to unseat me from my position” was “racially motivated”.

The resignation also raises questions about the release of Arday’s memoir, Great and Unfortunate Things, which Simon & Schuster was planning to publish later this month.

In his statement, Arday framed his resignation as a pause, writing that he needed “time to heal” and that he “will return”.

“When I accepted the extraordinary honour of becoming professor of sociology at Cambridge, it was, without question, the greatest professional privilege of my life.”

He says the scrutiny of his work has made him “conclude that the only way to bring this chapter to an end is to step away”.

After three years, “Ted Lasso” has returned to the pitch. Did it need to? The third season finale, which seemed until now to be a series finale, brought most every character’s arc to a satisfying, credible conclusion — the less satisfying ones were just as credible — while pointing to a future you were free to imagine, or think nothing more about. Or you could write fan fiction. (People do.) I loved the show, but its absence has not been a painful one.

Anyway, it’s back, beginning Wednesday on Apple TV, and I am glad enough. Strictly speaking, it’s a new adventure, as one Indiana Jones movie might follow another, with Jason Sudeikis’ title character returning to Richmond to manage a new women’s soccer team, a project raised way back at the end of Season 3, and which now has “been three years in the making.”

Where are we now? Star player Jamie Tartt has departed the show all the way to Barcelona; kit man turned coach turned competition turned kit man Nate Shelley is nowhere to be seen. But as much may be said of the whole of AFC Richmond, apart from Roy Kent (Brett Goldstein), who took over as manager when Ted returned to Kansas City, Mo., to spend more time with son Henry (Grant Feely, replacing Gus Turner), and Coach Beard (Brendan Hunt), who has turned into an uncommunicative mass of hair. This is not at all that team’s story, though certain fans within (and perhaps without) the world of the series might prefer that it was.

Four episodes out of 10 have been made available for review. The first is something of a hurdle, bogged down in contrivances to get Ted back to Richmond from Kansas City, where he has been “trying to help [Henry] become the best version of himself.” The question is whether Ted, working part time as the assistant manager of a supermarket, is living the best version of himself. The answer, as everyone but Ted recognizes, is no. Naturally, he spreads sunshine all over the place, being who he is, but this is not the future you would have written for him, nor one suggested by the third season finale, where we saw him coaching Henry’s soccer team. But it gives him a place to come back from.

Hannah Waddingham, left, and Juno Temple in “Ted Lasso.”

And so club owner Rebecca Welton (Hannah Waddingham), director of operations Leslie Higgins (Jeremy Swift) and queen of all marketing Keeley Jones (Juno Temple) show up on Ted’s doorstep to propose that he manage the Lady Greyhounds, “to lay the foundations of the Richmond culture that you created with our men.” (He has not been checking his messages, apparently, necessitating this in-person, three-person visit.)

In addition to dragging the pieces into place, much of the opening episode seems meant to satisfy an impulse to show off Kansas City — Sudeikis grew up in that area. There are multiple excursions for barbecue, each resulting in stained clothes for Rebecca. There’s a trip to CPKC Stadium, “the first privately funded stadium in the world solely for pro women’s soccer,” to see the Kansas City Current play.

Finding the American Jazz Museum closed, Higgins (earlier established as a double bassist) wanders across 18th Street to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, where a friendly docent (Milan Carter) schools him on its history, including a long tribute to pitcher Satchel Paige, with oddly interpolated documentary footage. (Higgins ventures that their experience is “quite similar to how women in England weren’t allowed to play football for years,” an idea his Black host shoots down with a well-aimed, “Mmmmm.”)

“They didn’t do it for fame or fortune. They did it ‘cause to not play would have been unacceptable,” he’s told. Or, as former AFC Richmond striker Dani Rojas said of soccer: “Football is life.”

Things improve in the more natural second episode (and improve from there), which takes us finally back to Richmond. Ted’s only real objection to leaving Kansas City is almost too easily overcome by suggesting that Henry and his mother, Michelle (Andrea Anders), the ex- but not estranged wife, come with him. Having won over all doubters over the first three seasons, Ted needs someone new to charm, and that will be coach Alice Chilton (Tanya Reynolds), who had hoped for the manager’s job. She’s a little rain cloud of a person, dour and humorless, though perhaps rightly offended by being passed over. Reynolds, who’ll certainly emerge as the season’s star, makes a big impression by holding things in, acting almost entirely with her eyes, so that when she cracks a smile in spite of herself, it registers as huge.

Jude Mack as player Boots in “Ted Lasso.”

Among the players, our attention is directed to Boots (Jude Mack), whom we notice because of her short-cropped hair, and because she’s the goalkeeper, and has a quirk — though she’s a powerhouse, “none of the big clubs will touch her because she won’t wear gloves.” (She prefers to keep things tactile. “What’s the point of life if you’re not feeling it?” Boots asks in another of the show’s sampler sentiments.) Lizzie (Faye Marsay) stands out because she arrives to an open call with a cute child in tow and is older and more mature than the others, Gemma (Abbie Hern), by virtue of having unresolved old business with Alice, and having, like Ted, to be talked onto the team.

The underdog aspect of it all will be emphasized, of course — a new team, in a money-losing second division, with second-rate locker room accommodations, seasoned with sexism that may or may not reflect actual British attitudes toward women’s soccer. Feminist themes, always present vis-a-vis Rebecca and Keeley, not unreasonably take the foreground, with Rebecca overcorrecting the thought that she might not be one — a funny conversation with Harriet Walter as her mother comes out of this — and Tracey Ullman arriving in Episode 4 to be badass.

By the end of that episode, there will have been enough sweet, celebratory moments to have rewarded your investment. (I gauge this scientifically by how often I choke up.) Where the story is going in any substantial way, other than, you know, win games, maybe get Roy and Keeley back together, do something interesting with Henry and/or Michelle, it’s too soon to tell. I assume it’s going somewhere, but we’ll find that out together.

DAWN French and Jason Manford have paid a heartbreaking tribute to the “quietly magnificent” publicist Neil Reading.

The entertainment industry heavyweight died aged 56 following a short illness.

Mr Reading, one of Britain’s best-known showbiz publicists, represented a glittering roll call of stars including French, John Cleese and the late Victoria Wood.

His sudden death has prompted an outpouring of grief from the celebrities and friends whose careers he helped champion.

The founder of Neil Reading PR was behind a string of West End hits, including High Society, Only Fools And Horses and Fawlty Towers – The Play.

But for French, Mr Reading was far more than the man handling her publicity.

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She said: “Neil Reading was a one-off, such a kind, decent, intelligent man, a proper gentleman in the old-fashioned way, quietly magnificent.

“Our work relationship became a very real and trusting friendship.

“He has been my ally and fierce protector through so much and for so long. I don’t quite know how I’ll manage without him. Sleep tight darlin’ heart.”

Comedian Jason Manford also revealed the devastating depth of their nearly two-decade friendship.

He said: “Describing Neil as my PR manager does not come close to describing what he meant to me.

“He was a trusted friend of almost 20 years, a confidant and one of the most loyal, noble and brilliant men I have ever known.”

Mr Reading’s star-studded client list also included John Bishop, Sir Lenny Henry and Paul McKenna.

Bishop said: “Neil was a true gentleman. He was too humble to realise how much he meant to people and I know he will be greatly missed.”

McKenna said: “Neil was one of the finest people I’ve ever known.”

Businessman Nick Candy, who was a close friend of Mr Reading, said the publicist’s impact stretched far beyond the spotlight.

He said: “Neil wasn’t just a brilliant publicist – he was a true friend and one of the kindest, most generous people I have ever known.”

Mr Reading launched his agency in 1992, building it into a formidable entertainment, consumer and lifestyle PR operation.

The company later expanded into business, property and fashion, while forging links with agencies across Europe and the United States.

Through decades at the heart of showbiz, Mr Reading became a trusted figure behind some of Britain’s biggest names and productions.

He is survived by his wife Claire and daughter Rosa.

Mr Reading’s career was built on a knack for turning famous names into headline-makers, long before social media transformed the publicity game.

He struck out on his own in 1992 at just 22, quickly building an agency around personal publicity and an increasingly glittering roster of household names.

By 1997, he was representing stars including Jonathan Ross, Michael Flatley, Jack Dee, Lee Evans and Ben Elton, while also working with clients outside showbiz.

His agency went on to become a formidable force behind some of Britain’s biggest entertainment launches.

In his 1997 Independent interview, he described personal PR as his “first love”.

Clive Masters has officially arrived in Walford, and while he gets to know Linda Carter, let’s take a look at the actor’s family life off-screen

EastEnders newcomer Jason Durr has a famous wife who television and gardening fans will know.

During Wednesday’s (July 22) episode of the BBC soap, Jason officially arrived in Walford as Clive Masters, a local Councilor and potential love interest of Linda Carter (Kellie Bright).

As the local community centre is at risk of closing down and being redeveloped, Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt) put Linda in touch with Clive, who might be able to help with their fight to save the venue.

During their first meeting, it was clear that there was romantic chemistry between Linda and Clive as they opened up about their former partners, and they were set to grow closer in forthcoming episodes.

Will the pair take a chance on a little romance? The former Queen Vic landlady is yet to find love following the presumed death of her beloved husband Mick, played by Danny Dyer, who disappeared at sea on Christmas Day 2022.

Speaking about joining the cast of the BBC soap, Jason, 58, said: “Few shows command their place in the national conversation quite like EastEnders, so I’m delighted to be joining the cast as Clive Masters. Working with the wonderful Kellie Bright has been an absolute joy and pleasure from day one.”

He added: “All the cast, crew and production staff have been incredibly generous, welcoming and good humoured. I’m excited for audiences to meet Clive and see what’s in store.”

Who is Jason Durr married to?

Former Heartbeat star Jason has been married to TV presenter Kate since 2004, after they met while in Majorca, Spain. Kate, a former actor and model, is a garden designer and has even won a Royal Horticultural Society gold medal for her expertise.

In 1984, Kate enjoyed a brief stint in the children’s drama Grange Hill and starred in the television series Perfect World and Sam’s Game, both of which aired in 2001.

She has had success presenting, hosting Dream Ticket, Night Fever, and An Audience with Lennox Lewis, and is best known for her Guinness World Records presenting work.

The couple lives together in Wiltshire, and Kate often shares pictures on her Instagram of her stunning garden and many gorgeous outdoor designs.

Jason and Kate have three children together, two daughters and a son, and they usually keep their family out of the spotlight.

On Wednesday afternoon (July 22), Jason appeared on This Morning to talk about his latest acting role on EastEnders and paid a sweet tribute to his “lovely” wife.

Speaking to ITV daytime hosts Dermot O’Leary and Alison Hammond about learning his scripts, he said: “You’ve got to be absolutely pinpoint perfect with your dialogue, and it’s just a joy to be working with other regulars, who get it.”

Jason added, “Keep reading it. It’s one of those things, repetition, parrot fashion, you know, that kind of thing. The kids help me, my lovely wife helps me.”

Before marrying Kate, Jason was married to an Australian named Jeanine between 1995 and 2000. She was a singer-songwriter, and the pair were together for five years before splitting.

EastEnders airs Monday to Thursday on BBC One and iPlayer

EastEnders is set to welcome a new face to Walford later this summer as Casualty’s Jason Durr makes an appearance and is set to strike up a close bond with Linda Carter

EastEnders is set to welcome a Casualty legend in the coming weeks. Actor Jason Durr, who starred in the BBC medical drama as David Hide, will be making his first appearance in Walford later this summer.

But his arrival in Albert Square will see him cross paths with local businesswoman Linda Carter [Kellie Bright], and it’s fair to say that the pair will see sparks between them both. Durr is taking on the role of Clive, a local councillor, when things start to heat up in the Square.

Local residents will be joining forces to save the Community Centre, Walford’s hub, which is at risk of redevelopment. Linda, who’s known for not shying away from airing her thoughts, leads the charge as things start to heat up.

But while planning to save the Community Centre, she and Clive strike up an instant friendship as he backs the campaign. But both Linda and Clive soon realise that there is more than just a feeling of friendship between them both.

Speaking about joining EastEnders, Jason said: “Few shows command their place in the national conversation quite like EastEnders, so I’m delighted to be joining the cast as Clive Masters.

“Working with the wonderful Kellie Bright has been an absolute joy and pleasure from day one. All the cast, crew and production staff have been incredibly generous, welcoming and good humoured. I’m excited for audiences to meet Clive and see what’s in store.”

And it’s set to be an exciting time for Linda, who has endured her fair share of heartache in recent years. Her soulmate and husband, Mick Carter (Danny Dyer), died after Janine Butcher’s (Charlie Brooks) secrets were unravelled, resulting in a feud on the coast. She also battled alcoholism and murdered Keanu Taylor (Danny Walters), following a fight at the Queen Vic as she attempted to save her best friend, Sharon (Letitia Dean).

The Mirror understands that Jason has already started filming his scenes, which will air later this summer. His role comes three years after Jason walked away from Casualty, having left Holby City three years prior.

His character, David, left Wyvern’s emergency department after the death of his colleague, Robyn (Amanda Henderson). At the time, Jason said he was planning to spend more time with his family, as well as explore other opportunities in the industry. His role was open for a possible return in the future.

Confirming his exit on social media, he shared a snap of himself, alongside the caption: “After 6 yrs playing the wonderfully complex #NurseDavidHide @bbccasualtyofficial I’ve hung up my scrubs.

“I’ve forged firm friendships, learnt to pronounce Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty & had my squeamishness thoroughly challenged! Here’s to new adventures (hopefully with less blood & guts).”

Over the course of his time on the show, Jason’s character David was at the centre of a string of huge storylines. One included the death of his teen son, Ollie, who, with a friend, Rob, set out to carry out a mass shooting at their school.

He’s also appeared in the likes of Lewis, Midsomer Murders, Above Suspicion and Shakespeare & Hathaway.

Like this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Threads.

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Grant Govel was good, but Jason DeCaro was almost perfect.

USC baseball lost 4-0 in Game 2 of the NCAA Chapel Hill Super Regional, meaning its season and quest to break a 25-year College World Series drought will come down to a single game on Sunday.

North Carolina (49-12-1) turned to DeCaro with its season on the line, the seventh career NCAA tournament start for the veteran right-hander. DeCaro delivered a complete-game masterpiece, allowing just two hits — singles in the first and fifth innings — with eight strikeouts and one walk on a career-high 117 pitches.

Outside of giving up a solo home run to Colin Hynek in the second inning, Govel had a strong performance. After throwing 153 pitches across two appearances in the NCAA regionals, including 64 pitches in Monday’s clinching win over Texas A&M, he gave up just five hits and struck out three over five innings and 83 pitches to keep the Trojans in the game. His final pitch was a crucial one, inducing an inning-ending double play with runners on the corners to hold the game at 1-0.

But for all of his great work, the day was all about DeCaro’s dominance.

North Carolina found success against the Trojans’ bullpen in the sixth. Erik Paulsen hit a 339-foot home run over the left-field corner wall to double the Tar Heels’ lead, just the second home run given up by USC’s Sax Matson all season. The Tar Heels added two more on sacrifice flies in the sixth and seventh innings, but failed to drive in more with the bases loaded in the seventh and ninth innings.

Game 3 will be Sunday, with time and broadcast information still to be determined.

Jason Bateman could snag limited series Emmy nominations for his lead role as a deep-in-debt barman on Netflix’s “Black Rabbit” and supporting role as a sexually adventurous weatherman on HBO’s “DTF St. Louis.” Drawing more than one nomination in a year has been the norm for Bateman.

14

Bateman’s previous Emmy nominations encompass acting, directing and producing.

1

His lone Emmy win came in 2019, for directing an episode of his Netflix crime drama “Ozark.”

21

The former child actor’s first nomination, as lead of the Fox (later Netflix) comedy “Arrested Development,” came in 2005. Bateman’s adult “comeback” has lasted 21 years and counting.

4

Times he has received multiple nominations in a year, most often for acting in, directing and producing “Ozark.”

2

“Black Rabbit” and “DTF St. Louis” would mark his second time receiving acting nominations for different shows in the same year.

2020

Bateman competed for drama lead for “Ozark” and guest actor for HBO’s “The Outsider.”

0-for-7

Bateman is overdue for an acting Emmy. His brilliant straight-man work in “Arrested Development” lost out to Emmy juggernauts Tony Shalhoub (“Monk”) in 2005 and Jim Parsons (“The Big Bang Theory”) in 2013.

3-for-13

The Actor Awards have been kinder: Bateman won three lead actor statuettes for “Ozark.”

2026

The guilds already have spoken on “Black Rabbit,” with Bateman receiving Actor, DGA and PGA nominations.

5

Also a producer on “DTF St. Louis,” Bateman has a shot at five Emmy nominations this year.

Week by week, freshman left-handed pitcher Sheriff Hall of Loyola High has gotten better and better. It sets up for an intriguing Southern Section Division 2 baseball final on Saturday when Hall goes against Ganesha at 5:30 p.m. at the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes’ diamond.

He’s expected to face unbeaten left-handed pitcher Logan Schmidt after the Pomona Unified School District indicated that issues about top Ganesha players participating in an out-of-state camp have been resolved.

Whatever happens, Hall is ready. Coach Keith Ramsey has been preparing him for this moment. Hall is 7-3 with a 2.53 ERA while pitching mostly in the tough Mission League.

If Hall ever needs someone to put together a highlight tape, he knows whom to ask. His father, Jason, is a screenwriter and director who also played a recurring character in “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.”

Let’s see if Hall can be his own slayer on Saturday.

This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.

Castleford: Laulu-Togaga’e; Valemei, Cini, Mapapalangi, Qareqare; Asi, Weaver; Stimson, Golding, Dupree, Lane, Mellor, Lawler.

Interchanges: Atoni, Greacen, Hall, Robb.

St Helens: Sailor; Dagnall, Cross, Percival, Murphy; Welsby, Hastings; Klemmer, Clark, Delaney, Sironen, Whitley, Shorrocks.

Interchanges: Lomax, Walmsley, Wright, Stephens.

Referee: Liam Rush

JASON ISBELL is a song writer’s song writer. You can tell by the company he keeps.

He’ll never forget the moment some years ago when he heard a certain person singing one of his choruses back to him in unmistakeable tones.

“I’ve grown tired of travelling alone. Won’t you ride with me? Won’t you ride? Won’t you ride? ”

Isbell recalls: “At first, I thought it was somebody doing a Bruce Springsteen impersonation of singing my song. And then I realised, ‘No, that’s actually him!’

“It was a huge deal for me to meet Bruce, and for him to know who I was.”

Turned out that one of Springsteen’s sons had brought to his dad’s attention Isbell’s breakthrough 2013 solo album Southeastern, complete with the track Traveling Alone.

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To the 47-year-old born in northern Alabama, two miles from the Tennessee state line, it was validation — just like his six Grammys and the fact that Southeastern appears in Rolling Stone magazine’s list of greatest albums of all time.

“I’m a punk but I’m not that big of a punk to pretend something’s not an honour,” the one-time member of Drive-By Truckers decides in his Southern drawl.

“I met Randy Newman and it was the same kind of thing,” he continues, casting his mind back to the 2021 Newport Folk Festival when both artists were on the same bill.

“I was so nervous to talk to Randy but I said to him, ‘Man, your songs are very important to me as a musician, as a human being’ — and he leaned in and said, ‘I like your songs, too’.

“I knew Randy was probably not the sort of person to bulls**t you.”

I’m speaking to Isbell as he prepares to hit these shores with his ace band, The 400 Unit, for a tour of the UK and Ireland which culminates with a night at London’s hallowed Royal Albert Hall on June 11.

But on this day, the hard- working singer is in Dallas for a solo acoustic show, showcasing last year’s captivating, intimate Foxes In The Snow album, when we’re connected via video call.

“My flight was cancelled last night because of bad weather so I drove here — took me nine and a half hours,” he reports from his hotel.

It’s 10am US Central Time and 4pm UK time and, despite the previous day’s exertions, Isbell seems fresh and focused for a deep dive into his life in music — and the songs that define him.

It’s clear from talking to this thoughtful soul that his career can be divided into two distinct categories — before and after he got sober — which he describes in depth later.

But first, we go back to his early life as the son of teenage parents, the subject of his song Children Of Children, and his early introduction to music.

Mom Angela was 17 and dad Mike was 19 when he was born so “I got to spend a lot of time with my grandad, who preached in a Pentecostal church in Alabama, and played guitar, mandolin, fiddle, banjo.

“And my uncle, my dad’s little brother, played guitar in a rock band.

“When I was around four, my parents would take me to band practice in his friend’s garage, and I would fall asleep, usually when they did Neil Young’s Like A ­Hurricane.

“Though my dad and mom didn’t play music, pretty much everybody else in my family did, at least as a hobby. It was seen as a birthright thing.

“I know this sounds like down-home Southern horses**t, but my grandad would make me play gospel music with him for a ­couple of hours a day.

“Then if I could get through it without getting lazy, I could play rhythm guitar. The guitar was huge, and I was small, and it would take a lot of work.”

Isbell became “obsessed” with blues after hearing Robert Johnson’s recordings and “this little white kid from a hillbilly town” would bombard his music teacher with questions about the Mississippi Delta pioneers.

“My teacher was a big rock and roll guy who had a different Rolling Stones T-shirt for every day of the week,” he says.

“He would call me out of class on the loudspeaker in a really gruff voice, so it sounded like I was in trouble. But I knew that he had made me a mixtape.

“There were a lot of people who took an interest in me early on. I got very lucky that way.”

As a teenager in the Eighties, “radio was huge” for Isbell, who singles out Crowded House and Elvis Costello in particular.

“As my parents were not much older than me, we listened to a lot of the same music,” he says.

“In those days, it was big arena bands like Journey and Foreigner, My dad liked country music, too, so he had Merle Haggard and Hank Williams records.”

At this time, Isbell started playing bars in the Southern music mecca of Florence and Muscle Shoals, which, “because of the liquor laws”, also had to sell food.

He says: “They would check the receipts to make sure you sold more food than alcohol, which was terrible for any kind of music scene — but really good for a 15-year-old kid because they couldn’t kick me out!”

In these places, he got to see legendary session men like Spooner Oldham, Donnie Fritts and, crucially, bass player and trombonist David Hood, father of Drive-By Truckers frontman Patterson Hood.

In 2001, Isbell joined the Truckers and hit the ground running by contributing two outstanding songs to their 2003 album Decoration Day, the title track and Outfit.

He says: “I liked playing guitar and singing background vocals, but I had a lot to prove.”

He describes how his dark, Southern gothic magnum opus about a multi-generational family feud came into being: “I wrote Decoration Day on the road, in Carbondale, Illinois, I think.

“We were staying at a friend’s and everybody else was asleep in the house.

“One person always had to sleep in the van to stop people stealing our gear. That night, it was me.

“I woke up early — around eight o’clock in the morning. So I had a couple of hours before everybody else started moving and I came up with Decoration Day.”

Another memorable Drive-By Truckers effort by Isbell is Danko/Manuel, his tribute to roots rock icons The Band, which appeared on the 2004 album The Dirty South.

He says: “At the time, Rick Danko and Richard Manuel were the only two not still alive. Now, none of them are.

“I was reading [drummer] Levon Helm’s book, This Wheel’s On Fire. He talked about having to siphon gas out of cars in parking lots while the rest of them were on stage. They were a bunch of feral kids in the early days.”

In 2007, largely thanks to heavy drinking and unreliable behaviour, Isbell left the Truckers and went solo.

It’s good to report that he’s on friendly terms with his old bandmates these days and joined them on stage last year for Stephen Colbert’s The Late Show.

He says: “We were very close at one point. It’s not easy to make friends in general so I try to keep the ones that I can.

“Even after I got sober, I didn’t quite know why I’d had drinking problems to start with.

“At first, you’re just hanging on for dear life and trying to stay sober. Eventually, if you do it right, you do repair the parts of yourself that you were ignoring.

“Once that happened for me, I was able to reconnect with those guys. We were able to be friends again and they’ve continued to make really valuable music.”

When it came to Isbell making his first solo album, Sirens Of The Ditch in 2007, highlighted by a couple of fan favourites, Dress Blues and The Magician, he had a lot to learn — and fast.

“I didn’t know what the hell I was doing,” he sighs. “I know I had to argue a lot, which actually turned out to be a good thing.”

A big moment for him arrived with a yearning composition on his third album, Here We Rest (2011), his second with his band The 400 Unit and the last before he went into rehab for ­alcohol addiction.

To this day, Alabama Pines is one of his most performed live songs.

“When I wrote it, everything else in my life sucked,” he says. “It was a very dark time. I was in physical and psychological pain. Working on it was the most relief I got.”

He adds: “The complication in that song adds a lot of value to it — the fact that you’re yearning for a place that isn’t perfect.

“It’s a dynamic that finds its way into a lot of Drive-By Truckers’ work and a lot of my own. It’s very possible to miss a place that wasn’t necessarily all that good to you.

“That song doesn’t have a chorus, it never gets huge so it’s not an anthem. But it stands out in my solo work and I still like it. It has never let me down.”

Everything changed for Isbell after rehab and first notice of his sober approach is 2013’s breathtaking Southeastern with its enduring keepers, Cover Me Up, Stockholm, Elephant and the aforementioned Traveling Alone.

“I wasn’t in the same type of pain,” he says. “Recovering from addiction heavily involved dealing with myself — my life, my emotions, my situation — not postponing it.

“When I was drinking, I would write until the sun went down and then I’d think, ‘I need a drink’.

“With Southeastern, I would stay working for hours and hours at a time because I didn’t have anything else to do. It’s not like I was going to the bar.”

The record proved a big commercial success even if a song like Cover Me Up, recently covered by Morgan Wallen, is about recovering from addiction and the healing power of love, while Elephant is an unflinching study of mortality and the impact of cancer.

Today, Isbell performs such tracks from a slightly different perspective.

“With a room full of people cheering for these songs, we get to celebrate the fact that these horribly sad songs exist,” he smiles.

Next, we rattle through a few more Isbell staples like 24 Frames from 2015’s Something More Than Free with its sparkling electric ­guitar passages.

“I may have doubled up two exact same slide-guitar parts on that. It’s the old George Harrison trick from My Sweet Lord and it works every f***ing time.”

He sees guitar playing as his “hobby”. “My girlfriend paints very seriously and that’s her work,” he says by way of example.

“Lately she started working with miniatures and building doll houses, and that’s her hobby. It’s very close to painting but it’s not a commercialised part of her life.

“That’s how I look at guitar playing. Singing, songwriting, touring — that’s my job. If left alone for a couple of hours, I just sit and play guitar — that’s my hobby.”

There’s a profound Isbell song on 2017’s The Nashville Sound, If We Were Vampires, a big favourite of his friend, the late, great singer John Prine, who he describes as “thoughtful, witty, highly intelligent and emotionally open”.

“There’s some magic in that song,” he says. “Everything else on the album was written when I thought, ‘There’s so many f***ing love songs, why would I bother to do another one?’

“By the time I got to the chorus of If We Were Vampires, something hit me — the reason you love somebody, go through all that effort and pain, is because you’re going to die.

“Without death, we wouldn’t be motivated to live. It was one of those moments where I was like, ‘Wow! Thank God I weaved my way to that path’.”

A telling Isbell insight is revealed by It Gets Easier with its line, “it gets easier, but it never gets easy”, from the 2020 album Reunions.

It addresses his sobriety and brings this reflection: “I don’t think about drinking as much as I used to, but I do sometimes, not necessarily when things are bad.

“When it is going badly, the first thing you do is you make a plan – talk to friends, talk to a therapist, go to a meeting.

“For quite a few years, the hardest times have been to not think about drinking when things are going really well.”

Isbell’s consistently fine recorded output includes 2023’s Weathervanes, with standouts like reflective acoustic ballad Cast Iron Skillet and gritty rocker King Of Oklahoma, about the downward spiral of a blue-collar worker who turns to prescription meds.

Mention of them is cue for him to offer a warning to those attending his upcoming shows.

“When I’m writing a record, I think, ‘How am I going to make these people hold their pee for four more minutes?’

“Because when the new material comes out, that’s usually when everybody heads to the bar!”

• Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit play Belfast June 2, Dublin June 3, Bristol June 5, Gateshead June 6, Glasgow June 7, Manchester June 8, Birmingham June 10 and London’s Royal Albert Hall June 11

Hi, and welcome to another edition of Prep Rally. I’m Eric Sondheimer. Jason Collins, who combined with his brother, Jarron, to bring San Fernando Valley high school basketball to an unprecedented level during their days at Harvard-Westlake in the 1990s, died at the age of 47 because of brain cancer. Here are some recollections.

Legacy of Collins twins

In 1997, Jarron (left) and Jason Colllins.

(Los Angeles Times)

I’ve written so many stories on the Collins twins, Jason and Jarron, that I seriously considered writing a book about the family after their days at Harvard-Westlake in the 1990s. Their mother always told me the secret to their success was “greens and genes.”

With great sadness, when word was released last week that Jason had passed from his brief fight with brain cancer at the age of 47, I needed time to accept the news. I knew it was coming but the outcome remains unacceptable. He and his family sought every possible consultation and treatment. Unfortunately, a cure for glioblastoma remains undiscovered.

Rather than dwell on the tragedy of an illness taking away someone so young, I intend to celebrate his courage and the family’s courage. When Sports Illustrated put him on its cover in 2013 and quoted him, “I’m a 34-year-old NBA center. I’m black. And I’m gay,” the world of sports changed.

Except he and his brother had already changed high school basketball in Southern California forever. Their arrival at Harvard-Westlake as freshmen in 1994 put the Wolverines on the basketball map and eventually led to what the Wolverines are today — one of the best programs in California.

They were the twin towers who grew to 7-feet and 6-11. They won two state titles and had a combined record of 123-10. One of their teammates was backup center Jason Segel, who’d become one of the best comedy actors in the world and received attention for his dunks.

Here’s a story from their freshman season in 1994, turning around a team that had gone 5-20 before their arrival. In 1995, Jason was named to the All-Southern Section super team that included Schea Cotton and Paul Pierce, two legendary high school players. On that same team was Doug Gottlieb, who’d go on to a media and coaching career.

They played at Stanford and in the NBA. They were good people guided by parents who taught them to be respectful and help others. Because of their size, they could never hide from the spotlight or walk around a campus without being noticed. It was tremendous pressure on two teenagers, but they had each other to lean on.

The years went by, and incredibly, Jarron now has two high school age daughters and a seventh-grade son playing basketball at Harvard-Westlake. Jarron has been an NBA assistant but insisted on his family staying in Southern California.

It was a privilege to see them develop before anyone knew their name and watch them mature and make a difference in little ways and big ways. Jason is gone, but Jarron and his children will keep Jason’s memory alive with their own contributions.

Baseball

Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, St. John Bosco, Harvard-Westlake and Orange Lutheran all earned spots in Friday’s Southern Section Division 1 baseball quarterfinals by going 2-0 in the new pool play tournament. The four other spots will be decided Tuesday in elimination games: Sierra Canyon at Cypress, Norco at Ayala, Corona at Corona Santiago and Huntington Beach at La Mirada.

Notre Dame plays winner of Corona-Corona Santiago. St. John Bosco plays winner of Huntington Beach-La Mirada. Harvard-Westlake faces winner of Sierra Canyon-Cypress. Orange Lutheran plays winner of Norco-Ayala.

Among the best individual performances in Division 1, James Tronstein went three for three with his 10th home run, drove in two runs and scored three runs in Harvard-Westlake’s win over Huntington Beach. Brady Murrietta of Orange Lutheran hit three home runs in a win over Corona. Jacob Madrid of Notre Dame hit his 12th home run in a win over top-seeded Norco. Here’s a report.

The City Section will hold an Open Division semifinal doubleheader Wednesday at Cal State Northridge, with El Camino Real playing Granada Hills at 2 p.m., followed by Birmingham taking on Carson at 5:30 p.m. The winners advance to play at Dodger Stadium on Saturday at 1 p.m. Here’s a report.

Two schools in the City Section, Jefferson and King/Drew, were forced to forfeit playoff victories when it was discovered pitchers exceeded the maximum allowed pitches in a game.

Softball

Kelsey Luderer is all smiles after a fourth-inning home run helped propel Sherman Oaks Notre Dame to a 6-3 win over Anaheim Canyon in a Division 1 playoff opener.

(Craig Weston / For The Times)

Sherman Oaks Notre Dame entered the Southern Section Division 1 playoffs as a 91-1 longshot. At least coach Justin Siegel was having fun about a 91-1 longshot winning the 1913 Kentucky Derby, The Knights won twice last week over Anaheim Canyon and Oaks Christian to advance to a tough Wednesday quarterfinal matchup against defending champion and No. 2-seeded Norco.

The big surprise was La Habra beating top-seeded Murrieta Mesa 6-4. And how about Orange Lutheran defeating Chino Hills 17-14.

Here are Saturday’s scores.

Here are the City Section playoff pairings.

Track

Corona Santiago senior Braelyn Combe won her third straight 1600 meter title at the Southern Section finals on Saturday, May 16, 2026.

(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)

From Braelyn Combe of Corona Santiago breaking records in the girls’ 1,600 to Servite’s outstanding 4×100 relay team, there were lots of top performances at the Southern Section track and field championship.

JJ Harel of Sherman Oaks Notre Dame set a school and Division 3 record by clearing 7-1 in the high jump. There were top performances in the boys 100, 400 and girls distance races.

Here’s a report on the finals.

The Masters Meet, which involves qualifying for next week’s state championships, will be held Saturday at Moorpark High.

The City Section championships will be held Thursday at Birmingham. There’s been a considerable drop in top talent this season, but hurdler Jayden Rendon of Carson is one to watch in the 110 and 300 hurdles.

Lacrosse

Loyola won its second consecutive Division 1 boys lacrosse championship with a 14-6 win over Santa Margarita.

Here’s the report. Mira Costa upset top-seeded Santa Margarita to win the girls title.

Going on without Dad

Sophomore outfielder JJ Rodriguez of Birmingham is back playing after the death of his father, Anthony, last month.

(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)

Sophomore JJ Rodriguez of Birmingham lost his father last month and turned to his baseball family for assistance after the death. Here’s a look at how coaches and teammates came to his support.

Volleyball

Mira Costa’s Mateo Fuerbringer spikes the ball over Loyola’s JP Wardy and Xander Tangri in the first set of the Southern Section Division 1 playoffs on May 15, 2026.

(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)

From start to finish, Mira Costa showed it was the best boys volleyball team in the Southern Section, winning the Division 1 championship over rival Loyola on Friday. Here’s the report.

Chatsworth defeated West Valley League rival Granada Hills to win the City Section Open Division title. Here’s the report.

Tennis

Harvard-Westlake won the Southern Section Division 1 tennis title on Friday.

(Harvard-Westlake)

Harvard-Westlake ended the four-year reign of Irvine University as Division 1 tennis champions with a 10-8 victory in the final. Here’s the report.

The state playoffs begin this week. Here’s the schedule.

Pride in her son

Kaden Tennyson (right), a Riverside Notre Dame shotputter, with his mother, Janet, who has been battling cancer.

(Tennyson family)

The mother of shotputter Kaden Tennyson from Riverside Notre Dame is so proud of her son that she wrote a letter detailing her pride while she dealt with cancer.

Here’s the family story.

Notes…

Santa Margarita’s boys’ swimming team has won the state championship….

Defensive back Gavin Williams of Damien has committed to USC…

Junior Kylee Yeh of Mira Costa has committed to Hawaii for women’s basketball. Senior teammate Jada Martin has committed to UC Merced….

Standout center Braiden McKenna from Los Alamitos has committed to UC Davis for football….

Former Norwalk, San Diego State and NFL running back Rashaad Penny is the new football coach at Long Beach Jordan….

Vince Peralta has resigned as softball coach at La Habra….

Junior water polo standout Liv Taub of Laguna Beach has committed to UC Santa Barbara….

St. John Bosco won its own passing tournament championship over Edison and Bishop Amat won the Charter Oak tournament over Tustin. San Juan Hills won at Dana Hills.

From the archives: Easton Hawk

Easton Hawk during his sophomore season pitching for Granada Hills

(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)

Easton Hawk, a former Granada Hills pitcher, has become one of the key pieces to the rise of UCLA’s top-ranked baseball team this season.

Hawk has 14 saves and a 1.62 ERA in his second season serving as a closer. He did some relief pitching at Granada Hills but was primarily a starter. His ability to throw strikes with good velocity has made him an effective pitcher when a save opportunity is at hand. He hasn’t given up any earned run in his last 22 innings.

Here’s a story from 2023 of Hawk getting into shape for Granada Hills.

Recommendations

From SI.com, a story on a high school football coach in Texas is under investigation for alleged misconduct.

From the Los Angeles Times, a story on how the mother of AB Hernandez is ready for any protests this spring.

From the Boston Globe, a story remembering the life of former Harvard-Westlake star Jason Collins.

Tweets you might have missed

Until next time….

Have a question, comment or something you’d like to see in a future Prep Rally newsletter? Email me at eric.sondheimer@latimes.com, and follow me on Twitter at @latsondheimer.

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