Rickie Jennings, retired, resides in Florida with Barbara, his life partner for the past twenty years, and Heidi, their beautiful 13-year-old Australian Blue Heeler/Daschund mix. Originally from Lebanon, TN, Jennings graduated from Middle Tennessee State University in 1991 with a Bachelor of Science in Mass Communications. While there, he was the guitarist for MTSU’s 20-piece Blues Crusade Jazz Ensemble and worked as a Recording Tech for the school. Rickie was a reporter, photographer, and eventually the news editor for the Sidelines school newspaper. Before MTSU, he attended Volunteer State Community College (VSCC), where he worked for 18 months as a cameraman for their cable TV station. Later, he worked as a reporter/cameraman for TV 66 in Lebanon, TN. Also at VSCC, Rickie was a DJ for WVCP, the school station; he worked as a DJ for WAMG radio in Gallatin and at WGFX Nashville before moving to WCOR radio in Lebanon as the sales manager. Following an MTSU summer class in London, Rickie traveled to England, France, and Holland, “busking” as a street performer. He can be found playing his Gibson ES 175 in Marty Stuart’s 1991 Tempted video. He also appears in NFL Football promos with Hank Williams, Jr, a national Toyotathon commercial, and an extra in the Universal Studio movie I’ll Fly Away with Sam Waterston. Internships at Milsap Music and Billboard International magazine led him to start Word Wise Publishing, which still operates today. He is a long-time member of the American Federation of Musicians Local 257. Rickie became a licensed pilot in 1993 and loves reading, flying kites, traveling, photography, playing music, especially the ukulele, and his new hobby, wood carving/woodworking. He’s an author with this first book published and two more in the works.