Joan Jett & the Blackhearts performed at the 22nd annual Tennessee Soybean Festival in 2015.

UT Martin music faculty member and alum to interview Joan Jett and Kenny Laguna

Dr. Julie Hill, professor and music department chair at the University of Tennessee at Martin, and 1982 UT Martin alumnus Ed Sargent will interview legendary Rock and Roll Hall of Famers Joan Jett and Kenny Laguna on “Keeping the Beat Hosted by TNMEA” at 7 p.m. CDT Tuesday, July 7. The program will be livestreamed on the Keeping the Beat Facebook and YouTube pages.

Jett and Laguna have produced music together for over 35 years, including her top hits “I Love Rock N’ Roll,” “Crimson and Clover” and “Bad Reputation.” Jett and Laguna will discuss how they have used their musical platform for advocacy with Hill and Sargent during the interview.

The Keeping the Beat interactive educational series began March 15 as an expansion of the UT Martin Department of Music’s “Corona Connection” program. Since its beginning, Keeping the Beat has hosted 62 programs through the sponsorship of the Tennessee Music Education Association and the Country Music Association Foundation with the support of UT Martin Music.

The last Keeping the Beat program will air July 15.

For more information, contact Hill at jhill@utm.edu or 731-881-7418.

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Photo ID: Drs. David Coffey (left) and Julie Hill (’94) (second from right) are pictured with Ed Sargent (‘82) and recording artist Joan Jett in October at a fundraiser held in Gotham Hall, located in New York City, for the National Parks Conservation Association. Coffey and Hill were guests of Sargent, tour manager for Jett and other well-known artists. Sargent often returns to visit the university and was featured in the 2009 summer/fall edition of Campus Scene. Coffey is chair for the university’s Department of History and Philosophy, and Hill is the university’s director of percussion studies and Department of Music chair.

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