We would love to hear from you on any subject: lhurley@otmj.com Vol. 35, No. 11
All Hail the King!
One of the perks of this job is the opportunity to sneak peek cool things going on in town. So, after confessing to being a bit of a sucker for art museums, imagine my glee at getting to preview the new Monet to Matisse exhibition at the BMA. Y’all I was blown away! This is a coup for our city, and kudos to Dr. Graham Boettcher, Dr. Maggie Crosland, and the rest of the staff who made this happen. And thanks to PNC Bank for stepping in as the presenting sponsor and the long list of other supporting organizations and individuals as well.
Speaking of supporting organizations, the Beaux Arts Krewe is one that deserves recognition. In remarks at the media preview, Boettcher thanked the Beaux Arts Krewe for their longtime support of BMA through the Krewe Ball. “It has always been a party with a purpose,” Boettcher said. “The Krewe has been steadfast in its support of the Museum and our acquisitions for decades.” I recently had the pleasure of talking to Ree Sherer and his wife Val at their Mountain Brook home. In that short time, it was very clear to me how much Ree cares about the work of the Beaux Arts Krewe, of which he has been a member for over 40 years. Having served as a co-captain, captain, president and on the board of directors, it should come as no surprise (except to him) that Ree was selected as the 2026 Krewe Ball King. With his grandchildren as his train bearers, and his daughters, their husbands and his wife there with him, it will truly be a family affair. Read all about Ree on page 22, and All Hail King Ree!
I’m also excited to share Brent Thompson’s story about local-boy-made-good Mitch Prewitt! Mitch is a talented musician who got his start in Homewood. Today, he’s the touring drummer for sombr—you may have caught him playing on a little broadcast called the Grammy’s last week (or on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, Saturday Night Live or Jimmy Kimmel Live!). Mitch graduated from Homewood High School with my son Hardy, and they played music together when they had time. Hardy had the pleasure of seeing Mitch perform live at the sombr show in Austin, Texas, in October. It was so cool for Hardy to see Mitch on stage and the crowd cheering. So proud of Mitch!
From music to the museum and so much more, I hope you enjoy this issue of OTMJ! And go see Monet to Matisse immediately if not sooner!
–BARRY WISE SMITH
from left: Sawyer and boyfriend Atreyu: “I’m going to give him chocolates for Valentine’s!”
SOCIAL Birmingham Museum of Art VIP Night: Monet to Matisse: French Moderns 1850-1950
On January 29, the VIP opening of Monet to Matisse: French Moderns, 1850-1950 presented by PNC Bank marked the exhibition’s debut with an evening centered on French-inspired food, music and décor. Guests were welcomed with live piano music and enjoyed passed hors d’oeuvres prepared by Clay Chalkville Culinary School students, along with desserts from Michelle Chocolate Lab and French cheeses from Brie Mine. The space was styled with décor by Prophouse and floral arrangements by Petal Pushers, while caricature artists Tim Rocks and Ed Abernathy offered guests a memorable takeaway. Throughout the evening guests enjoyed the expansive exhibition of more than 100 works across three gallery spaces. OTMJ
Andrew and Catherine Loveman
Kelsey Alvis, Ginger Hopper and Jen Dent
Andrea Walker and Jestina Howard
Kay Blount and Ashley Miles
Frank and Pardis Stitt and Graham Boettcher
David Loper, Will Aston, Kate Mayfield, Lori Dixon and Tom Barnett
Anne Wrinkle, David Veenstra and Virginia Smith
Jordan Thompson and Levi Levinson
LAKESERVINGMARTIN, LAY LAKE, LOGAN MARTIN & SMITH LAKE
VULCAN PARK & MUSEUM EXHIBITION OPENING RECEPTION
On January 29, an opening reception was held at Vulcan Park & Museum for the new 2026 exhibition Revolutionary Roots: Celebrating Alabama’s Unique History and Natural Beauty, presented in honor of the United States’ 250th anniversary as part of America250.
The exhibit honors individuals from across Alabama whose courage, resilience and leadership have helped shape both our state and the country, including Calvin McGhee, who helped establish the Poarch Creek Indians; educator Carrie Tuggle; voting rights activist Virginia Durr; NASA scientist Clyde Foster; and contemporary leaders, including Alabama Poet Laureate Ashley M. Jones and HICA! CEO Dr. Carlos E. Alemán.
Guests enjoyed wine and hors d’oeuvres as they explored the new exhibition. OTMJ
Michelle Inman, Esther McDaniel and Alicia Johnson Williams
Carole and Lawrence George Sawada
Mercedes and Carlos Aleman
Alabama Poet Laureate Ashley Jones and Jermaine Thompson
Sheila Chaffin, Gary Bostany and Alice Bowsher
Tim Parker, Guin Robinson, Debbie Ramseur and Mark Kelly
John Charles, Michelle, Elizabeth and Chris Nichols
Katy Knauss and Nicole Klein
TUESDAY, FEB 24, 2026 | 6- 9 PM | THE CLUB
TUESDAY, MARCH 18, 2025 | 6-9PM | THE CLUB
JOIN US FOR AN EVENING OF FINE CUISINE, LIVE MUSIC & COMMUNITY IMPACT
SING THE SEASONS with JAMES SPANN, EMCEE
Join us as more than 30 of Birmingham’s finest restaurants compete for various people’s choice awards: Best Savory Dish, Best Sweet Dish, Chorister’s Choice, Second Skillet, and the coveted Iron Skillet Award.
As the BBC’s biggest fundraiser, this treasured annual event brings together 400+ people for an evening of feasting, singing, fellowship, and fun. And there’s a place for everyone, as we need restaurant vendors, table sponsors, attendees, and volunteers to accomplish this special event each year!
SCAN COD E FOR TICKETS
GAIETIES CHRISTMAS BALL BRINGS SCOTTISH SPLENDOR TO THE COUNTRY CLUB OF BIRMINGHAM
The Gaieties Christmas Ball returned in grand style on December 12, transforming the Country Club of Birmingham into a festive Highland celebration. This year’s event embraced a warm and spirited Scottish feast theme, with the club adorned in lush greenery, gleaming brass accents and elegant red plaid that set a richly traditional holiday atmosphere. Guests enjoyed a lively cocktail hour, mingling among candlelit arrangements and tartan-trimmed décor before moving into the ballroom for a seated dinner. The menu honored the evening’s Scottish inspiration, complementing the visual spectacle upon the tables.
Music filled the night as Just Friends took the stage, keeping the dance floor full with a lively mix of hits. A special highlight of the evening was a performance by Joseph Morrison on the bagpipes—an unmistakably Scottish touch that delighted attendees and added to the charm of the celebration.
Co-chairs Elizabeth Outland and Cindy Barr insured the Gaieties Christmas Ball would once again prove to be a cherished holiday tradition, bringing friends and members together for a night of fellowship, music and festive elegance. OTMJ
Lori and Axel Bolvig
Jennifer Ard and Terri Archer
Leslie and Blevins Naff
Barbara and Richard Thompson
Patrick and Donne Toomey Randy and Jenny Reed and Susan and Mark Waggoner
Katherine and Bill Cox Kenny and Jeannie Cobb and Ry Bailey
GirlSpring Winter Party
On January 29, GirlSpring celebrated 15 years as an organization at their Winter Party at the Clubhouse on Highland. The party honored several former Springboarder teen leaders who are pursuing their dreams, breaking barriers and changing the world, including: Lydia Bloodworth, Maya Kitchens, Emma Lembke, Kiana Perkins, Ayona Roychowdhury and Ariel Zhou.
Guests enjoyed cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, live music, a silent auction and remarks from esteemed guests. The host committee includes Tarika Bhuta, Ginger Busby, Annie Butrus, Wimberly Comer, Anna Craft, Lisa Flake, Holly Gunn, Dagney Johnson, Scarlotte Kilgore, Elena Leonard, Manisha Mishra, Melanie Pounds, Janet Skinner and Kari Wilbanks. OTMJ
A Safe Home Is Easier on the Heart
When we think about heart health, we usually focus on diet, exercise, and doctor visits. But for many seniors, the home itself plays a major role in daily stress and safety.
Worrying about falls, poor lighting, loose railings, or repairs that never seem to get done adds anxiety—and chronic stress is hard on the heart. A safe, wellmaintained home helps reduce that stress and allows seniors to stay independent longer.
Simple home safety modifications can make a meaningful difference: installing grab bars, improving lighting, securing handrails, fixing trip hazards, and handling small repairs before they become emergencies. These updates don’t just prevent injuries—they create confidence and peace of mind.
“During our final walk-through, you can literally see the stress melt away,” says Benny Wink, owner of TruBlue Home Service Ally. “It shows on their face. Once the home feels safer, there’s a visible sense of relief—for both se-
niors and their families.”
Just as important is having help you can rely on. Knowing someone will show up, do quality work, and stand behind it removes another major source of worry.
A safer home supports independence, comfort, and confidence—and that’s easier on the heart for everyone.
Call 205-839-3818 or visit TruBlueCanDo.com to schedule your free consultation today.
Tarika Bhuta and Rachel Fry
Jennifer McEwen, Amanda Flavin and Lindsay Whitworth
Wimberly and Gorman Comer and Molly and Emily Wikle
Katherine Houston, Linda Verin, Shayla Brown and Jalah Brown
Manisha Mishra and Meena Ram
Ashley Gooding, Alice Jackson and Leigh Anne Fleming
Michele Arwood and Aleks Arwood
Becky Holt and Tarike Bhuta
HOMEWOOD HIGH SCHOOL SOCCER KICKOFF PARTY
Derek and Heather Stignani
Abba and Jimmy Harris and Sam Giffin
John and Mary Reed Durkin and HHS Head Soccer Coach Julian Kersh
Justin and Amy Yurkanin
•Easy
•No
ARTS
Working the Clay Brantley Sanders is reshaping her life with a pottery wheel.
BY CISSY JACKSON
PHOTOS BY JORDAN WALD AND COURTESY OF BRANTLEY SANDERS
All pottery starts out the same—as a block of clay. Every day starts out the same—you wake up. From that point, what you make of the clay or your day is up to you.
For Brantley Sanders, most of her days involve spending time quietly, patiently shaping blocks of clay into beautiful works of art.
Three years ago, Sanders didn’t even know how to use a pottery wheel. Her days were much more active. She was living with friends and working in Denver, climbing fourteeners, biking, skydiving, backpacking, running and skiing on weekends.
November 8, 2022, began like other days, but not long after she woke up, Sanders could tell it would be a day she would remember. In the morning, she learned she had earned a raise and a bonus at work. In the afternoon, she and a friend began training for a marathon. In the evening, she went with friends to a Noah Kahan concert they’d been looking forward to. Only at the very end of the day did anything go wrong, and even that seemed at first to have been a bullet dodged.
In the car on the way home from the concert,
Sanders and her friends were waiting at a stoplight when a drunk driver ran the light and smashed into the car. Shaken and shocked, the girls climbed out of the wreckage. Although the car was totaled, the girls had no apparent injuries. In fact, they all seemed so okay that neither the firemen nor the police officers who responded to the scene summoned an ambulance. Instead, they simply suggested the girls call an Uber and go on home.
Shortly after the accident, Sanders developed a headache, but she didn’t think that was unusual for someone who’d been in a car accident. Days later, when she was still suffering from severe pain, Sander’s roommates finally convinced her to see a doctor. The doctor’s diagnosis—a concussion—seemed to Sanders like no big deal. She had been diagnosed with a concussion two years earlier after a bike accident, and that one was no big deal.
The doctor advised Sanders to take a few days off work and rest, but her symptoms did not abate. Noise and lights made her headache worse. Her vision was affected. Making even small decisions was challenging. She forgot to eat. She couldn’t drive. Sanders’ roommates had to walk her to the gate to make sure she boarded the right flight home for Thanksgiving. After Thanksgiving, Sanders returned to Denver, but her headaches and vision problems made doing her computerbased job impossible—she had to call her mom for help drafting even the simplest emails. When Brantley forgot her own birthday on December 4, she and her family realized they needed to do more than simply wait for things to improve, and she moved back to Birmingham to focus on her recovery. Because Birmingham did not have a comprehensive concussion treatment center, it took time to assemble a treatment team.
Sanders credits her parents for tirelessly pursuing specialists and treatment programs across the country. Her condition, called Post Concussion Syndrome (PCS), is a complex combination of physical, cognitive, emotional and sleep-related issues stemming from traumatic brain injury. For a very small percentage of concussion patients like Sanders, the symptoms, including dizziness, confusion, headaches and difficulty concentrating, do not resolve within a few days or weeks. The reasons are not well understood, and because each brain and each injury is unique, a treatment that helps one patient may not help another. “My parents have been really great, because I can’t do the research,” she explains. Over the past three years, Sanders has traveled to Nebraska, Pennsylvania, Utah, Chicago and Denver for treatments. Some, she says, were experimental and frankly, pretty crazy, but she remains patient, optimistic and willing to keep trying.
On the other hand, Sanders alone deserves credit for discovering and developing her talent with clay. Unable to work, Sanders’ doctor recommended she find something to do with her days besides going to medical appointments. Following his advice, Sanders decided to look for a consistent activity she could not just tolerate but enjoy. She found an opening in a pottery class on Wednesday mornings, which she says is a perfect time for her. Sanders enjoys learning not just from the teacher but also from the community of artists she has come to know through the class.
left: Wheel-thrown cake plates in an assortment of colors.
left: Brantley Sanders, sitting at her pottery wheel, displays examples of her work. below: Gunmetal vases commissioned by a local interior designer.
above: A variety of glazed and marbled ceramic vases.
“Pottery is so unpredictable! Sometimes when you sit down, you have a strong idea, but usually I just start making the walls and follow the movement of the piece.” –brantley sanders
Although Sanders may not be doing complex math problems right now, she experiments with physics every day. Not content to stick to making coffee mugs and ring dishes, Sanders likes to see how high she can coax the clay before the walls threaten to collapse. She has also begun making two-part vessels, which requires making the top piece upside down and matching its edges precisely to the edges of the bottom piece.
Metaphors abound in a conversation with Sanders about pottery. She seems to have happened upon the perfect outlet for this time in her life. As she explains, “You never know if something is going to turn out. It’s not like when I sit down at the wheel I can see the end, what it’s going to look like. There are so many decisions along the way, so many steps, you touch it so many times, and there are a lot of opportunities for something to go wrong. The glaze could react weirdly with your clay, the piece could explode in the kiln, or somebody else’s piece in the kiln could explode and break yours. Pottery is so unpredictable! Sometimes when you sit down, you have a strong idea, but usually I just start making the walls and follow the movement of the piece. I try to push the clay to be as interesting as possible, but I also try not to overthink it, which is kind of nice. Sometimes you push it too far, and you really have to get creative if you want to save it. Sometimes you smash it, but I don’t do that very often. Another thing I like about clay is that you can recycle or re-use it as long as it doesn’t
Her heart is in good hands
get fired. So, if a piece doesn’t work out, it’s not the end of the world.”
This is Sanders’ personality in a nutshell: she turns negatives into positives.
Meanwhile, Sanders and her parents continue searching for and trying treatments that might help. She knows it’s difficult for people to understand what she’s experiencing, because her injury is invisible. Indeed, people often exclaim, “But you look great!” as though they expected to see her pale-faced and grimacing in pain.
When asked to describe how she feels, Sanders says she’s basically had a very severe migraine for three years—the pain ebbs and flows but never truly goes away. There has been progress—the problems with her vision have improved, and she is figuring out how to manage larger social settings. As she says, life keeps moving, and she is determined not to be left behind. She keeps in touch with friends from high school and college, and in November she and childhood friend and painter Frances Rebula collaborated in a joint exhibition that was very well received.
Here, everything we do comes from the heart. Every child is surrounded by our team of compassionate caregivers who treat them as if they were their own. From the smallest patients with the biggest spirits to the families who stand beside them, we’re inspired by their strength and courage. Helping kids heal, grow and live their best lives possible, it’s at the heart of everything we do. ChildrensAL.org/heart
Some people tell Sanders that everything happens for a reason, but that’s not exactly how she sees it. For Sanders, it’s another chapter in her life’s story, and while she works through it, she’s using her gifts to make something beautiful. OTMJ
You can follow Brantley Sanders’ art on Instagram at @madebybrantley
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TRAVEL
A South American Misadventure in a 75 VW Beetle
BY D.T. CARMICHAEL II
You may have heard of Murphy’s Law, which states that anything that can go wrong will go wrong. It’s a reductionist way of saying that things will break. Did you know it has corollaries? For example: nothing is as easy as it looks, everything takes longer than you think, left to themselves things go from bad to worse, and nothing is foolproof— because fools are so ingenious.
We set off for South America in the summer of 2024 because, the winter before, I called Grant and told him, “I’m going to South America, but I’m not going unless you go with me.”
We rendezvoused in Peru with a half-worked plan, a bare-bones budget and every intention of figuring it out as we went. I had already been there for a month, learning Spanish, gathering contacts and making a plan. It must be said that we were not looking for the adventure of a lifetime, nor were we searching for El Dorado. We wanted experience—in essence, we wanted a test worth taking.
A hostel in Lima, Peru, was our headquarters, and we searched for three days for the right
car. Confined by a tight budget, we bought a beautiful blue Volkswagen Beetle we named Judith. The locals simply call the car an Escarabajo. It took another two days to cut the seats lower so we could sit properly, buy spare parts, change fluids and give ourselves the go-ahead to begin our travels. Our plan:
travel north via the Pan-American Highway to Ecuador and rendezvous with a small team of missionaries.
The first two and a half days were seamless. We encountered minor issues, but nothing Grant couldn’t fix. The writing was on the wall when we heard a slight ticking sound in the
motor on day three. We pulled over for Grant to check it out, and I noticed the skeleton of a horse. I kicked it with cynical irony, knowing at that point we were kicking a dead horse. A system—in this case, an engine—is designed to consume its resources at a certain rate. Ours consumed itself when the oil pump failed, frying the motor and leaving us stranded in the Sechura Desert.
It took eight hours to haggle for a tow—and that’s a generous description for a four-foot strap pulled by a sedan. They brought us to the closest city, where we would remain “washed up” for a week. The day after our catastrophe, the motor was disassembled and diagnosed. We wanted to leave soon, and we attempted to leave sooner—and, in all fairness, we should have. It is said that a mechanic’s job is to combat the continual increase of entropy during the operational lifetime of equipment. The life of our first motor had come to an end,
lef
left: The travelers with their blue ‘75 VW Beetle near the archaeological site of Caral. On a two-hour round-trip to see the famous ruins they bought a watermelon from some men in a field.
below: The church in the picture is considered the oldest standing Catholic church in South America built in 1535. A trip to the beach was a test run for the Beetle’s second new motor. The travelers visited the town of Cabo Blanco because Ernest Hemingway had visited it in 1956 to go fishing for Marlin.
t: The Beetle’s original motor after the mechanics dropped it out of the car and disassembled it in 75 minutes discovering that the fuel pump had broken and destroyed the motor.
“Nothing is as easy as it looks, everything takes longer than you think and nothing is foolproof— because fools are so ingenious.”
–D.T. CARMICHAEL II
and the mechanics replaced it with a new one. It’s a sad time when that’s the best option. It was a severe blow to our budget, but we wore smiles at the prospect of still making it to Ecuador. We left after four days of waiting and returned that same night with our tails between our legs. In the foothills, just before the border, Judith began losing power—again. We barely made it back. On the bright side, for the price of one new motor, we got two. The mechanics were at a loss for words when they discovered the replacement engine was losing compression. In one week, they had replaced two motors for two gringos in the desert. After that week, we were nearly broke, nearly out of time and unsure what to do next.
We decided to head west, and this proved to be the most dangerous route we’d ever taken. One-lane roads with blind corners in the Peruvian mountains, goats in the street, buses practicing combative driving on mountainside roads without railings—and Judith continued to fight us the whole way up and the whole way down.
We eventually reached a high-jungle city that didn’t seem to sleep until sunrise. The morning was dreary. There we were—waking up in a muggy jungle hotel room. An all-night cockfighting ring, a nightclub and barking dogs had allowed for zero sleep. The staff told us there were two beds; we found only one. The other guests didn’t appear to be travelers at all. The exotically dressed women in the hallways and the men who were decidedly not the social type made it clear we were in no ordinary hotel.
Our vehicle, which had already stranded us twice, had broken down once again. We were in a high-jungle city only days away from
above: Forced to rest the car every two hours, Carmichael and friend explored along the Pan-American Highway climbing to the top of a massive sand dune on the side of the road.
our flight home. Zero sleep, a broken car and stranded in South America—again. It occurred to me then that we were not the first two guys to hit rock bottom in a South American brothel.
The constant trouble distilled the excitement out of us until all that remained was the will to get home. What began as our worst day soon became our best. While broken down, we met a wonderful family who took us in. That same day, Grant got Judith running properly, and it was smooth sailing after that. We made it to the jungle and rested for a night. The journey back to Lima was long, but we caught our flight.
Eighteen months later, I returned to sell the car—meeting familiar faces, seeing familiar places and reflecting on journeys of yesteryear. In hindsight, it was an exercise in teamwork, perseverance and learning what we needed by not having it. It was an extreme gesture of adventure, but it forged a formidable team and planted the seeds for a lifetime of driving stories. The trip was deemed Desert Rats, Pt. 1. It was intended as a pilot episode—dipping our toes into the unknown and seeing how we would adapt.
During this round, Murphy’s Law was right. One finds out after the fact what one should have known to begin with. Intelligence may just be the fine-tuning of stupidity through experience, and we’re all pretty stupid until proven otherwise. And all of that is just a complicated way to say: explore like your life depends on it. OTMJ
To: Ryan
MUSIC
Serendipity
sombr drummer Mitch Prewitt is in the right place at the right time.
BY BRENT THOMPSON
Though Homewood High School graduate Mitch Prewitt has performed on Saturday Night Live, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel Live and the MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) as the touring drummer for the crazy popular act sombr, Prewitt has a ritual that keeps him tethered to his Birmingham roots. “Right before I go on, I text Homewood’s drumline instructor Darren Holbrooks and tell him I’m about to perform,” Prewitt says in our interview at O’Henry’s Coffee. “When I do those kind of shows, I’m picturing my dad, Holbrooks and everyone else who coached me. Instead of thinking about all of America watching, I think, first I have to impress my teachers.”
And in that brief vignette, Prewitt gives a more revealing self-assessment than he probably realizes. He is a musician staying grounded while performing in remarkable settings.
Surrounded by music since birth, Prewitt had drumsticks in his hands for as long as he can remember. His dad, Tommy Prewitt, is also a drummer, perhaps best known for his time in Month of Sundays and currently with Old City Champs. “I got my first drum set when I was two,” Prewitt recalls. “Most of my friends were throwing footballs, I was playing drums in the basement.”
Prewitt’s hobby became his passion through his involvement with Mason Music. “I signed up for Mason Music’s Rock Band League when I was in the fifth grade,” he says. “Before then, I hadn’t done anything musical with real instruction. That summer, I decided ‘this is what
“When I do those kind of shows, I’m picturing my dad, Holbrooks and everyone else who coached me. Instead of thinking about all of America watching, I think, first I have to impress my teachers.”
–mitch
I want to do for the rest of my life.’ We played at Iron City in a battle of the bands. Playing on that huge stage and feeling everything in your chest made me want to do it for real and forever. (Program director and founder) Will Mason is one of the kindest people I’ve ever met in my life. He’s doing so much for the music scene in Birmingham,” Prewitt says.
Once he joined Homewood High School’s renowned marching band, Prewitt’s future as a drummer was further cemented. “I credit so much to that program,” he says. “Not the technical ability, but the leadership skills you learn, falling in line, doing what you’re told and the high standard.”
After graduation, Prewitt followed his instincts by enrolling at NYU to study music.
“I took a gap year right after high school,” he recalls. “My parents were leaning toward Auburn and playing it safe, getting a degree to fall back on, but that felt wrong to me. I moved to Nashville and tried a trade school program
while I was doing drum sessions and working for a drum company. Then I applied to NYU for jazz—a shot in the dark—I didn’t think I’d get in, but I did. It’s an audition-based program, and I got a full-tuition scholarship.”
While at NYU, Prewitt shifted his studies from jazz drumming to the school’s Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music program. It also brought his first encounter with sombr (the professional name for Shane Boose). “It’s the best recorded music program in the world and the best community,” Prewitt says with excitement in his voice. “Clive Davis funds that school, and he comes and talks—it’s incredible.” Prewitt continues, “I met sombr, Shane, through a mutual friend before he was big. He’s from the Lower East Side, and I was living on the Lower East Side. His parents lived across the street from me. We were just hanging out, playing music and rehearsing without having any shows planned. One day, he signed this deal and moved out to L.A. I saw him occasionally when he came back home. Two years later, he called and said he had a tour coming up and asked me to join. We started that tour, and over the course of four months it skyrocketed.”
prewitt
Did it ever. Currently, sombr is a Grammy nominee in the “Best New Artist” category. With Prewitt on drums, sombr performed at the televised awards show on February 1. Meanwhile, sombr’s song “back to friends” has over 1.4 billion streams on Spotify. “I’m not part of the recording process,” Prewitt explains. “(sombr) keeps those two aspects of his career separate. I’ve been on tour with him since March of last year, and we’re booked through 2026. We’re going to Europe next month, playing Coachella, Lollapalooza, then a North American tour and some European festivals.”
Currently, sombr is playing venues of varying capacities. I ask Prewitt to explain that further. “Right now, we’re under-playing because it’s all been booked so far in advance,” he says. “It can’t keep up with how fast it’s moving. One night, we played to 10,000, and the next night we played to 1,000.”
The biggest crowd Prewitt has played for to date? “40,000 in Australia,” he offers nonchalantly. “In my experience, playing to a crowd that big feels like I’m playing in my basement. When we’re playing to 1,000 people, it feels super personal, and I get nervous. There are no nerves playing to an arena crowd.”
But, along with the excitement of traveling the world and performing, the realities of constant motion and strange locations are present as well. While Prewitt admits that the regimen can be unsettling, he is embracing touring life. “I’d never been to any of these places before,” he says with a laugh. “Now that I have a backline tech, I can just show up, so I get to hang out and check the cities out. It’s kind of jarring—you fall asleep on the bus and wake up and step off and you have no idea where you are. You have to figure it out every morning. It’s a big adjustment, but they take care of us, and it’s fun.”
With ties to Birmingham, New York and Los Angeles, I ask Prewitt what he considers his current home. “Birmingham really. I love New York, but you can’t play drums in a New York apartment. In Birmingham, I have access to everything I need—it’s affordable and people can make a living and create cool art. But I’ll be moving to L.A. soon because I’m constantly getting flown there. It’s just easier to make that home base for now.”
Does Prewitt have any advice for aspiring musicians? “I get DMs from musicians asking me how I did it,” he says. “It’s not savant-level skill, and it’s not practicing for extreme hours. The one thing I preach is meeting as many people as you can, maintaining those relationships and constantly checking in. sombr was someone I met at a restaurant. Out of all the people I met that semester, he just happened to be the one that hit. We worked well together, and he took off. At this point, Instagram is your resumé. The first thing people look at is your Instagram to get a gauge on who you are, how you dress and what you do.” OTMJ
above: Mitch Prewitt and Shane Boose AKA sombr explore Amsterdam while on tour.
Prewitt laying down the sombr groove.
Rock Band League practice in 2015. Prewitt’s band was called Wide Eyes.
Better Selection, Better Prices, Better Service
IN THEIR OWN WORDS
How do you celebrate Valentine’s Day?
We asked some of the Kindergarteners in Mrs. LeeEllen Sharp’s art class at Vestavia Hills Elementary School East how they celebrate Valentine’s Day.
BY TALLY DETTLING PHOTOS BY JORDAN WALD
“Cupid—who’s that? Never heard of him!” —WILL
“Mommy and Daddy decorate the house with flowers, balloons and candy for Valentine’s Day. Daddy makes a special breakfast, and Mommy gives us gifts.” —CLAIRE
“My mommy and daddy kiss, and Daddy gives me candy!” —MAGGIE
“Valentine’s Day means I get to celebrate with my family, give each other cards, wear red and eat heart-shaped Sour Patch Kids!” —LEELA
“I’m going to give my girlfriend Sawyer ‘I love you!’ heart balloons for Valentine’s Day! Our favorite candy is ring pops. Maybe I’ll give her one of those too!” —ATREYU
“My mom cuts out a big heart and writes a bunch of words in it for me! She writes she loves me real big.” —FRANCES
“My mommy and daddy kiss on Valentine’s Day. It’s disgusting! I close my eyes!” —MILES
“My boyfriend Atreyu and I like to play tag! I’m going to give him chocolates for Valentine’s! I call him my husband!” —SAWYER
“My mom and dad give each other chocolates and balloons, but they don’t kiss!” —JACK
“Mommy and Daddy give each other cards, and I get Legos on Valentine’s Day.” —OWEN
“My mom makes LOTS of heart cookies for Valentine’s Day! They’re really good!” —COLLIER
“Love means giving each other cards with hearts on them and stuff like that!” —JONAH
“Daddy gives Mommy pink and purple flowers, and Mommy makes my favorite breakfast—pancakes!” —TRIPP
“Valentine’s Day means joy and spending time with my mom and dad!” —ABBY
Sherer
King Ree Takes the Throne
Ree Sherer Reigns as the 59th King of the Beaux Arts Krewe Ball.
BY BARRY WISE SMITH PHOTO BY JORDAN WALD
For Ree Sherer, the Beaux Arts Krewe Ball has been the backdrop for some very important life moments. His first “official” date with his wife Val was to the Ball in 1980, and both of their daughters were presented as ladies in waiting—Val Sherer Noble in 2008 and Elizabeth Palmer Sherer Bray in 2010. Now in 2026, Ree has been selected as the Krewe’s 59th King, and his four grandchildren—Raymond Harris Bray; Robert Mobley Bray, IV; Andrew Jackson Noble, V and Virginia Beeland Noble—along with George Nicholas Byrum, Junior and Henry Sprott Long, IV will serve as his trainbearers. Sherer has been an active member of the Beaux Arts Krewe for 42 years and has served in numerous leadership positions including Ball Co-captain in 1990, Captain of the 1991 Ball, President of the Krewe in 1992 and on the board of directors. “He loved all of it,” Val says. “He got to know everybody, the older members and the new boys.” Sherer
agrees, saying, “There was such camaraderie amongst Krewe members.”
Despite his many years of service, Sherer was genuinely surprised when he got the call from a fellow Krewe member asking if he would serve as king. “It was a total surprise,” Sherer laughs. “You get to be a certain age, and you figure you’re past your due date. I figured if I was going to be invited to be the king, it would have been a few years back; I thought that train had left the station. It was a truly exciting surprise and such an honor. I’m so grateful for the volunteers whose hard work have made this year’s Ball possible and for the Krewe’s continued support of the Birmingham Museum of Art.”
The 59th Annual Beaux Arts Krewe Ball will take place on Friday, February 13, at the Boutwell Auditorium with decorations in an elaborate circus theme. The ball will feature the presentation of 21 princesses, with one being named Queen of the Ball and one Lady in Waiting. The King’s Dukes include Kenneth
“I’m so grateful for the volunteers whose hard work have made this year’s Ball possible and for the Krewe’s continued support of the Birmingham Museum of Art.”
–ree sherer
him regularly to Canada, the United Kingdom, France and South Africa. “I think the job whet his appetite for international travel,” Val says. “I can hardly keep him at home. He loves to GO.” The Sherers usually do a couple of overseas trips every year. “I would do more if she’d let me,” Sherer laughs.
Sherer met Val through mutual friends and her first cousin who just happened to be Sherer’s roommate after they graduated from college. “I knew her parents and her family before I knew her,” Sherer says. “We had a bunch of mutual friends who all lived in the same apartment complex, and when she moved to Birmingham after college, they all wanted me to meet the new girl in town.” The Sherers first official date was to the Krewe Ball in 1980. “We became really good friends at first and then started dating,” Val recalls.
THE KING’S CONSORT
Bruce Botsford; Joseph Lee Bynum; James Milton Johnson; Donald Bradford Kidd; William Anderson Legg, Junior; Claude Beeland Nielsen; John Windsor Seymour and William Burr Weatherly. The royal court also includes 31 boys and girls chosen to serve as pages.
A VENERABLE HISTORY
Sherer is a lifelong resident of Mountain Brook, growing up with his parents Dr. Raymond and Barbara Sherer and his three older sisters in the family’s home on Salisbury Road. After graduating from Indian Springs School, Sherer attended Washington and Lee University before transferring to the University of Alabama and graduating with a degree in Economics.
After starting his career in the mortgage banking industry, Sherer moved to EBSCO Industries, where he remained for 37 years until he retired in 2019. “It was a great company and a great family [the Stephens], and I had a lot of opportunity for travel.” Sherer’s role took
Being married to the King comes with duties of its own. Val is responsible for organizing the King’s Box during the ball and co-hosting the King’s and Queen’s Dinner the night after the Ball with the Queen’s mother. “It’s been fun working with the Queen’s mother,” Val says. The private dinner, which will take place on Valentine’s Day, will be at The Country Club of Birmingham, where the Sherers are longtime members. “She’s managed two weddings and two wedding receptions there, so she has some good experience,” Sherer says of his wife. The King’s wife also assists the next year’s King in the planning. “Heather McWane has been amazing,” Val says of her predecessor.
A LIFE OF SERVICE
In addition to his long career at EBSCO and serving as President of the EBSCO Federal Credit Union, Sherer made time for active involvement in the community as well. He served on the boards of Girls Inc. and the Boys and Girls Club of Central Alabama. He served on the President’s Advisory Committee at Birmingham-Southern College with Dr. Neal Berte and on various United Way committees. He is a long-time member of Canterbury United Methodist Church and The Country Club of Birmingham. OTMJ
Val and Ree
Partners
BY BARRY WISE SMITH
PHOTO BY ERICA DORTCH PHOTOGRAPHY
Virginia Brady received her first autoimmune disorder diagnosis when she was in just fourth grade. In middle school, she got another autoimmune diagnosis, and “it just seemed to cascade from there,” Brady says. “It was a neverending string of autoimmune diagnoses.” Brady was born and raised in Mountain Brook, graduated from Mountain Brook High School and went to the University of Alabama where she graduated with a degree in psychology and went on to obtain her master’s degree in counseling from Regent University. “I always had a passion for health and wellness due to my own personal journey,” she says.
In dealing with her own health issues, after seeing numerous doctors, Brady decided to take ownership of her health and went to see a functional medicine doctor who, “I felt
like was the first person who saw me, heard me and was willing to help on a deeper level to get my health under control,” she says. Brady began studying integrative medicine and implemented lifestyle changes “that felt overwhelming at the time. It took a lot of time and research to implement a sustainable lifestyle change that was doable and workable for me.”
As Brady continued to see therapy clients, she realized that much of what her clients were struggling with were the same issues that she had dealt with. “I felt like I was missing a vital piece of the puzzle in helping my clients, and I knew from my own journey how much it helped to have someone walking me through those lifestyle steps and how much it would help to set people up for success,” she recalls.
Brady got certified as a health coach through the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and
added that layer to her counseling clients. As her health coaching business grew, Brady transitioned to Brady Wellness Solutions, adding pharmacist and functional medicine practitioner Dr. Derek Dean to her team. Today, Brady, who had her first child last year, serves as a full-time health coach working with clients virtually to develop health and wellness protocols based on testing that Dr. Dean performs. Brady focuses on holistic wellness addressing her clients’ lifestyle, mental, physical, and emotional health. “We do a deep dive with our clients and provide accountability, sustainable lifestyle change and functional practices for everyday health,” she says. “I have seen people make significant changes and have amazing testimonies from people changing their health and their lives.”
VIRGINIA WAHLHEIM
Virginia Wahlheim also grew up in Mountain Brook—several years behind Brady—and also went to the University of Alabama where she majored in PR and Communications. “I’ve always been drawn to people-centered work,” Wahlheim says.
Unlike Brady, Wahlheim had never had so much as a stomachache. But after graduating from UA in 2023, she went to work in medical sales, a job that meant extensive travel and training. “It was a very intense transition and one of the most challenging times of my life,” she recalls.
job and her constant travel, Wahlheim tried to manage. But by summer 2024, “my symptoms were out of control.” Wahlheim saw doctors who just couldn’t seem to understand her symptoms and how to manage them.
Then Wahlheim’s father, who worked with Brady’s father at a Birmingham law firm, suggested that Wahlheim might want to talk to Brady about what was going on with her. Wahlheim became a Brady Wellness Solutions client and after six months, Wahlheim declares her results as, “lifechanging. It was almost immediate. I started working with her (Brady) in September 2024, and I felt
By Fall 2023, Wahlheim began experiencing symptoms like unexplained rashes, inflammation, bloating, headaches and fatigue. Chalking it up to the stress of her
Wahlheim continues, “That experience gave me the clarity I had been looking for and propelled me into a deeper dive into functional medicine.” She enrolled in the Integrative Health Practitioner Institute and was certified in October 2025. “I want to help women the same way Virginia helped me,”
After receiving her certification in October, Wahlheim joined Brady in helping clients through Brady Wellness Solutions. Through their virtual coaching platform Practice Better, Brady and Wahlheim offer their clients bio-individual support with gut health, hormone health, nutrition, weight loss, exercise and more. “We use our personal experience to help our clients,” Brady says. “We get to know our clients very well and use our own experience to bring them results.” OTMJ
For more information, visit bradywellnesssolutions.com.
Virginia Wahlheim and Virginia Brady
ABOUT TOWN
Fri., Feb 6-Fri., Mar 1
THE WIZ
Ease on down the road with Dorothy, Scarecrow, Tinman and Lion on their way to see the Wiz in Emerald City with a nonstop party of rock, gospel and soul music to accompany them on their adventure.
When: Various Times
Where: Red Mountain Theatre
Sat., Feb. 7
CANDLELIGHT: TRIBUTE TO FLEETWOOD MAC
A candlelit concert experience featuring the music of Fleetwood Mac in an intimate museum setting. When: 8:45-10:00 p.m.
Where: Birmingham Museum of Art
Sat., Feb. 7
ArtBLINK
The UAB O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center will bring together art and philanthropy at the 41st annual ArtBLINK Gala. Artists will create original works of art during the gala, and guests will be able to bid on them in a silent auction.
When: 6:30 p.m.
Where: The Kirklin Clinic.
Sat., Feb 7
MARDI GRAS ON THE MOUNTAIN
Guests will enjoy a festive Mardi Gras celebration with a nine-piece band, a New Orleans-inspired buffet dinner, beverages, an auction and more. All proceeds benefit Easterseals.
When: 6 p.m.
Where: The Club
Lenten Lunch Preaching Series
The Cathedral Church of the Advent will host its annual Lenten Preaching Series and Lunches, beginning on Ash Wednesday, February 18, through Maundy Thursday, April 2.
Preachers from across the country, and several familiar local faces, will travel to the Advent to preach every weekday during Lent. Services start at 12:05 p.m. and last about 25 minutes. Livestream and audio recordings of each sermon are available on the church’s website. Following the services, attendees are invited to stay for lunch. The full-service lunch is available from 12:15-1 p.m. The to-go line also opens at 12:15 p.m., allowing attendees to skip the full-service line to pick up their favorite daily special or other menu item and return to work. Attendees can look forward to a full slate of beloved hot entrées, including chicken tetrazzini and chicken and cornbread dressing. The menu also includes a selection of sandwiches, as well as tomato aspic, bing cherry salad and assorted desserts. New this year will be Friday’s chicken enchilada casserole and white bean chili!
All proceeds benefit Restoration Academy, Maranathan Academy and Lovelady Center.
All are warmly invited to be spiritually and physically fed at the Advent this Lenten season. For more information, visit AdventBirmingham.org/Lent.
Thu., Feb. 12
VALENTINE’S COUPLES COOKING CLASS
A hands-on pasta-making experience with Chef Lindsey featuring champagne, wine pairings, dinner and dessert.
When: Doors 6 p.m./Cooking begins 6:30 p.m.
Where: All Things Parties Events; 2400 1st Ave. N.
Thu., Feb. 12
GALENTINE’S CANDLE MAKING
Celebrate Galentine’s Day with a hands-on candle-making experience in The Sour Room.
When: 6:30-8 p.m.
Where: Avondale Brewing Company
Thu., Feb. 12
CLAY STREET UNIT
A live performance presented by Code-R Productions featuring Clay Street Unit.
When: Doors 7 p.m./Show 8 p.m.
Where: Saturn
Thu., Feb. 12
DIRTY DANCING IN CONCERT
Experience the classic film on a full-size cinema screen with a live band and singers performing the iconic soundtrack, followed by an encore sing-along party.
When: 7:30 p.m.
Where: BJCC Concert Hall
Fri., Feb. 13
SWEETHEARTS SPECIAL
An evening Valentine’s train ride at Ozan Winery in Calera featuring wine tastings and a romantic rail excursion.
When: Departures at 4:30 p.m., 6 p.m., & 7:30 p.m.
Where: Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum
Sat., Feb. 14
VALENTINE WITH VULCAN
A romantic indoor Valentine’s celebration with dinner, drinks, live music, dancing, a silent auction and access to the museum and observation tower.
When: 6-8 p.m.
Where: Vulcan Park and Museum
Sat., Feb. 14
CASABLANCA
Celebrate Valentine’s Day with a classic film screening featuring a sing-along with the Mighty Wurlitzer, specialty Valentine’s cocktails and open movie captions shown on screen.
When: Doors 6 p.m./
Show begins 7 p.m.
Where: Alabama Theatre
Sun., Feb. 15
A TASTE OF IRELAND
The World Champions of Irish dance bring this high-energy production to Birmingham for one afternoon only.
When: 3 p.m.
Where: Alabama Theatre
Wed., Feb. 18
LUNCH & LEARN: SOUTHERN FOODWAYS AND ALABAMA POTTERY
Join Art Bridges Curatorial Assistant Nat Sorscher for a Lunch & Learn exploring craft, creativity and community through the lens of Alabama pottery.
When: 12-1 p.m.
Where: Birmingham Museum of Art
Sat., Feb. 21
9TH ANNUAL POSTERS, PINTS & PIES PRE-PARTY
A live music fundraiser benefiting The Alabama Center for Architecture’s dreamARCHITECTURE program.
When: 9 p.m.
Where: Mom’s Basement
Members of the Cathedral Church of the Advent Lenten Lunches Leadership Team (front left to right): Kate Kiefer, Rosemary Ham, The Rev. Canon Jay Garner, Gretchen Williams, Sallie Pradat and Ann Campbell. (back left to right) The Very Rev. R. Craig Smalley, Gail Braswell and Anne-Marie Brown.
VESTAVIA HILLS SPORTS HALL OF FAME CEREMONY HONORS
SENATOR JABO WAGGONER WITH STADIUM DEDICATION
BY LOYD MCINTOSH
The Second Annual Leadoff Dinner and Vestavia Hills Sports Hall of Fame ceremony drew a star-studded crowd, including keynote speaker Paul Finebaum, to the Vestavia Hills Civic Center on January 15. The evening culminated with the dedication of the new Vestavia Hills High School baseball complex in honor of longtime Alabama State Senator and Vestavia Hills resident J.T. “Jabo” Waggoner. The event was spearheaded by Vestavia Hills City Councilman Rusty Weaver and emceed by longtime local sports television and radio personality Jim Dunaway. Also speaking was Gene Hallman, legendary sports entrepreneur responsible for the annual Senior PGA event at Greystone Golf and Country Club and for transitioning Birmingham into a viable sports event destination.
Hallman introduced Finebaum, recalling their first meeting during an interview at WAPI MAM 1070 in the early 1990s. He highlighted the humble environment from which Finebaum broadcast his show in those days, in contrast with his national success on ESPN, while having a little good-natured fun at his friend in the process. “I went into the studio, and literally, Paul had to turn sideways so I could sit down. The walls of the broadcast booth were soundproofed by shag carpet from the 1970s,” said Hallman. “Now, he is the face that’s made for radio, that’s the face of the ESPN’s SEC college football coverage. “When I first met Paul, he
lived in a one-bedroom apartment in Irondale. Now, he lives in the biggest house in Mountain Brook.”
The first speaker of the night was current Vestavia Hills head baseball coach Jamie Harris.
A 1996 graduate of Vestavia Hills, Harris played on several of the Rebels’ state championship teams in the 1990s under the late legendary coach Sammy Dunn.
Standing at the podium with images of the new baseball complex on the screen behind him, Harris said the new baseball stadium will carry on Dunn’s tradition of excellence while also honoring Senator Waggoner for his efforts representing Vestavia Hills during his long and distinguished career in the Alabama legislature.
“When it’s done, it’s going to be fantastic. It’s going to be a great building that you’ll be
proud of, and, even better, we’re getting to name it after a special man and a special family,” said Harris. “What has he not done for our community?
We’re honored that you’re here and that we’re getting to name a building after you. So, thank you for all you’ve done for us.”
Finebaum spun yarns from his 40-plus-year career covering sports. He remarked about his time covering Paul “Bear” Bryant during the twilight of his tenure at the University of Alabama, bookended by the Nick Saban era, and how lucky he has been to witness two of the greatest coaches in action. “I covered Coach Bryant at the very beginning of my career, and I remember saying to some people that I knew that it would never be like this again. I will never cover anyone as great as Paul Bryant,” said Finebaum. “Just about two years ago, I was sitting in my studio in Charlotte, when my producer started screaming in my ear. We
went to the break, and when we came back, we had broken the story that Nick Saban was retiring at Alabama. I was wrong. I was actually able to cover the two greatest coaches in college football history.”
He went on adding anecdotes about his time covering former Auburn head coach Pat Dye, the craziness of the phone call with Harvey Updyke, in which he admitted to poisoning the oak trees at Toomer’s Corner, the 1984 “Wrong Way Bo” Iron Bowl and the collapse of the Crimson Tide on New Year’s Day to Indiana in the Rose Bowl. He added that the unpredictability of sports has been a hallmark of his career in sports media. “What is great about athletics? Unlike the WWE, it’s not staged,” Finebaum said. “You never know what you’re going to get. You don’t know if the greatest football player I’ve ever seen is going to run the wrong way at the end of the Iron Bowl. If you had told me at any point in my career that you will be able to cover the University of Alabama losing by 35 points in the Rose Bowl to Indiana, I would not have believed it.”
At the end of the evening, Dunaway introduced Waggoner, who kept his comments brief but poignant as he spoke from the heart about his love for Vestavia Hills and what this honor means to him and his family. “I was asked before the dinner tonight if I wanted to make a few remarks, and I said, ‘Well, I’m not going to make a speech, I simply want to thank the people in this room,’” Waggoner said. “The City Fathers, the Board of Education, the coaching staff, there are so many people I could thank tonight to make this possible. I’ve lived on Mission Road right behind this building since 1968, and I would not want to live anywhere else. What a great community.”
FAR LEFT: The new Vestavia Hills High School baseball complex will be named in honor of State Senator and Vestavia Hills resident J.T. “Jabo” Waggoner who remarked “I’ve lived on Mission Road since 1968, and I would not want to live anywhere else. What a great community.”
left: Rendering of the VHHS baseball complex Press Box.
right: Emcee Jim Dunaway with sports entrepreneur Gene Hallman and SEC Network’s Paul Finebaum.
SPORTS
Thursday, February 5, 2026
LOYALTY IN THE PORTAL ERA: THE SHAWS, THE RAZORBACKS AND WHAT COLLEGE FOOTBALL FORGOT
BY ANDREW COTTEN
Every morning at Mountain Brook Junior High, Karen Shaw takes her place at the crosswalk. Rain or shine, she shows up all the same, long before most of her colleagues arrive.
Karen could do the job quietly, with nothing more than a watchful eye, but she never does. A stranger to none and a mother to all, she offers a quick hug or a kind hello to anyone who needs it, even holding traffic for a brief exchange with parents. She greets shy seventh graders by name and picks up conversations with ninth graders she’s come to know.
As a paraprofessional, she doesn’t get enough credit, but she should. She’s the kind of colleague who helps hold the building together in many ways: remembering birthdays or sharing supplies; spotting mistakes and offering solutions; showing up early and staying late. An anchor amidst the turbulence of teenagers, her determined steadiness has a way of settling the ship.
And if you know (or know of) her son Bradley Shaw and all that he did to keep the Arkansas Razorbacks afloat this past season after losing their head coach, you can see where the sophomore linebacker learned the value of steadiness: the same stability Karen brings to our school is the very quality her son carried into the Arkansas locker room navigating change, uncertainty and the long aftermath of a coaching transition.
For nearly two decades, the Shaws’ weekends have been a routine rotation of sporting events, long drives and late dinners under the glow of stadium lights. Three of Bradley’s older siblings were college athletes, so Bradley “was brought up in it,” Karen says. “He was a ballpark boy.”
When it came time for peewee football, Bradley was no stranger to the sport and took to it immediately. Even at a young age, Bradley was bigger than the other players. He could have phoned it in and still physically dominated, but he didn’t: he was dedicated to bettering himself. “As others were playing,” Karen says, “Bradley was out there practicing.”
The coaches knew what to expect when Bradley joined Hoover High School’s powerhouse program—the same one his brothers proudly claim. Karen says they’d see him on the field for the first time and say, “You a Shaw,” half warning, half praise. The name carried weight, and Bradley lived up to it. In 2023, he was named 7A Region 3 All-Region First Team and selected to play in the All-American Bowl. The following year, he was awarded Class 7A Lineman of the Year by the ASWA.
When it came time for recruitment, Bradley
was an elite prospect—listed consistently as a top-20 linebacker and top-200 overall. By the end of recruitment, he’d earned more than 25 Division I scholarship offers.
Long before the transfer portal and Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) economics reshaped college football, recruiting operated more patiently. It was rooted in trust, relational. Coaches visited homes, sat on couches, met with players and parents and promised development over time.
That’s the model the Shaws followed, even amid the sport’s seismic changes. “We kept in touch,” Karen says. “Some of these coaches, we’d been talking to for over a year.” Where Bradley chose to play was less about business and more about relationships, even if that meant passing up prestige, larger programs or more lucrative NIL offers.
Bradley’s recruitment brought visits from dozens of major programs. His final three came down to Clemson, Notre Dame and Arkansas. Compared to Clemson’s national profile or Notre Dame’s storied legacy, Arkansas seemed quieter, less glamorous.
For Bradley, the people in charge and the
promises they made were more important than the merits of the past. Recruitment was full of slogans and promises, but sincerity mattered more than salesmanship. Ultimately, Arkansas’ authenticity convinced Bradley that it “was the right fit,” and Karen agreed: “I didn’t have to worry—the coaches got him.”
Bradley’s freshman season confirmed he’d made the right decision. Coaches saw enough potential to forgo redshirting him. Seniority limited his initial playing time, but when linebacker Xavian Sorey was injured, Bradley stepped in. By year’s end, Bradley had 13 tackles and one sack.
Hopeful the next season would be better, optimism surrounded the young defensive core in the off-season, but it didn’t survive the following fall. After three straight non-conference losses, Arkansas fired Head Coach Sam Pittman on September 28. Within days, much of the defensive staff, including Defensive Coordinator Travis Williams and Defensive Line coaches Deke Adams and Marcus Woodson, was gone, too. These were the same coaches who had sat in Karen Shaw’s living room, the ones who had earned the family’s trust.
Bradley’s response to the reality of losing a coach mid-season has been exactly what his upbringing predicted. In a sport now defined by quick exits, Bradley chose to stay. What’s more, he stepped up to help “keep the team together.”
By encouraging teammates who were exploring
the transfer portal to stay and stand by their commitment, Bradley helped stabilize an Arkansas roster that’s weathered three staff overhauls in two years.
Bradley chose to stay at Arkansas—not out of comfort, but out of conviction. Karen has always told her son, “When you don’t have it, you make your own way.” With a team in flux and a season wobbling, Bradley did exactly that.
When Missouri quarterback Beau Pribula fumbled, Bradley reacted instantly, scooping it up, returning it 32 yards for a touchdown. It briefly shifted momentum in a rivalry game during a season defined by loss after loss.
The scoop-and-score wasn’t just Bradley’s defensive highlight; it was a metaphor for commitment. The fumble didn’t create the moment—it revealed it. The habits Bradley formed long before Arkansas—practicing when others played, staying when leaving was easier—had already prepared him. When the ball came free, he was ready because he’d never stopped preparing.
The day after Bradley scored, Arkansas announced its new head coach: Ryan Silverfield. Before he met with the players or evaluated a single drill, his first snapshot was of No. 7 scooping up a ball most would fall on and outrunning an SEC offense to the end zone. Bradley’s biggest moment was earned in the old-fashioned way: by being where he said he’d be and doing what he said he’d do. It’s impossible to know whether transferring could have boosted Bradley’s national profile. But it’s equally impossible to ignore that the play of his season only existed because he stayed rooted in Arkansas’s chaos instead of running from it.
We talk about the long game in football—the slow work of development. But it isn’t slow anymore, and the trust feels obsolete when rosters can reset in weeks, and coaches can vanish mid-season.
Somewhere back in Alabama, though, a mother believes the old truths still matter. There’s something remarkable about that kind of assurance. The confidence of a mother who knows she’s done her part. It’s not ignorance. It’s faith that traits like loyalty and leadership, patience and presence still mean something, even in a sport that seems to forget.
Who knows what next season will bring for the Razorbacks. But, Bradley, whom Karen says has “unfinished business,” will be there, lined up on the strong side, loyal to the team, possibly to a fault.
left: Bradley Shaw on National Signing Day at Hoover High School on February 7, 2024.
From Left: Karen Shaw, Bradrick Shaw, Bradley Shaw, Brada Shaw, Brad Shaw Sr., Brad Shaw Jr.
left: Bradley and mom Karen at the Arkansas-Tennessee game in Fayetteville, which the Razorbacks won 19-14.
