Stars Volta Podcast

Ellory Smith is an Emmy nominated Writer and Standup Comedian in Los Angeles. Original from Upstate New York, Ellory got into comedy over a decade ago cutting her teeth in New York and Boston before moving to LA where she's been performing and writing for the last 7 year. Smith got her big break in writing when she was noticed by the creators of Robot Chicken, a stop-motion animated sketch comedy TV show on Adult Swim. Ellory's elite writing has earned her 3 Emmy nominations and we believe the best is yet to come.    

Bryce Walker is a former Notre Dame lacrosse player who won back-to-back National Championships with the Irish in 2023 & 2024. Bryce sat down with us to talk about his lax journey from West Lake High School in Austin, TX to winning the first two lacrosse titles in school history at South Bend.  

Michael Turner is a stand-up comedian who's known for his Road Warrior Tour where he travels to Cincinnati Bengals road games, does standup in that city and then interacts with NFL fans on game day. Turner has been on Netflix is a Joke Radio and his stand-up special can be seen on Don't Tell Comedy. In this episode we talk to Michael Turner about his beloved Bengals, his comedy career and hilarious experiences he's had on the Road Warrior Tour. 

Pug Johnson is a rising country artist who's opened for Midland, Clint Black, Steve Earle and the Eli Young Band. The Beaumont, TX native's sound is a mixture of old school country and swamp pop. We talked with Pug about his journey to the big stage and the impact his wife/manager, Mindy, has had on his life/music career. Pug also shared the meaning behind his lyrics included the songs off his new album "El Cabron" which drops on March 28th. 

Jackson Woodard is an All-American Linebacker from UNLV, he was 4th in the nation in tackles (135) and was named Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year. The two time captain led the Rebels to a 11-3 record in the 2024-2025 season which concluded with a bowl victory over Cal. Woodard is now preparing for the 2025 NFL combine which will take place at the end of February in Indianapolis. 

Sarah Halpin is an award winning Presenter & Content Creator for Everton FC. She's our first international guest who joined us from Liverpool, England to talk about the history and current state of Everton football (soccer). Later this year, we'll be crossing the pond to join Sarah for one of Everton's final matches at historic Goodison Park. For more content from Sarah follow her on Instagram @sarahhalpin_tbib   

Jax Biggers returns to the podcast to talk about his last two seasons in the Texas Rangers organization. Jax is an infielder who spent 2024 at AAA Round Rock where he won Texas Rangers Minor League Defensive Player of the Month and the True Ranger Award. Biggers shared his experiences with the new Robo Ump, challenging balls/strikes and what it was like squaring off against Cy Young award winner Clayton Kershaw. 

Fozzy Whittaker is ESPN college football analyst and former running back/kick returner who played in the National Championship (2009) with the Texas Longhorns and Super Bowl 50 with the Carolina Panthers. We talked with Fozzy about playing football at an elite level and the experiences he shared with teammates Colt McCoy, Cam Newton and Luke Kuechly. We also talked about the current state of college football pertaining to the transfer portal, NIL and burnout. Whittaker shared his thoughts on the current Longhorn squad and we chatted about his new gig calling college football games for ESPN. If you want to hear more from Fozzy, go check out his podcast 3rd & Longhorn, streaming everywhere. 

Joe Maldonado aka Joe Exotic aka The Tiger King is a reality personality best know from the Netflix documentary, Tiger King. Joe operated the GW Exotic Animal Park in Wynnewood, OK from 1999-2018. Exotic was arrested in 2018 on suspicion of hire for murder of his depicted rival and the owner of Big Cat Rescue, Carole Baskin. Joe talked to us from prison in Fort Worth (TX) about his case for innocence, who he would vote for in the 2024 election and the news about his recent engagement to his partner Jorge. 

Conor Enright a 6'2" 180 pound (RS) Junior G on the DePaul University basketball team. Enright played the first half of his college career at Drake University where he help the Bulldogs reach the NCAA tournament in back-to-back seasons ('22-'23 & '23-'24). We sat down with the Mundelein (IL) native to talk about playing under the bright lights in March, off-season training and hitting the transfer portal.

Noah West and Alee are both solo Country Singers/Songwriters base in Nashville. Alee is a 3x CCMA Female Artist of the Year winner who released her third solo album, "Love, Again" earlier this year (2024). Noah is making his 4th appearance on the show and has released two new singles "Almost Heaven" and "If it Was Easy." We sat down with the two Country stars live in Nashville to talk about the writing process, performing on the road, relationships and the meaning behind their lyrics.

Will Pruitt is a 6'3" 195 lbs. Guard at Lipscomb University. Pruitt averaged 15 PPG in the 2023-2024 season and led the Bison in rebounds and minutes played. The MT. Juliet native dropped 24 points on Florida State last season to help Lipscomb upset the Seminoles in Tallahassee. We sat down with the Grad-Senior at Lipscomb's campus in Nashville to talk about his basketball journey and expectation for the 2024-2025 basketball season.    

Tanner Morgan is a former college and NFL QB who holds multiple school records at the University of Minnesota including most passing TD's in a season (30) and career wins (47). Morgan helped the Gophers beat #4 Penn State in 2019 and led the Gophers to 4 bowl wins during his time in Dinkytown. We sat down with Tanner to talk about his record breaking career and people who help him along the way. 

Jake Butt is a former college and NFL Tight End who played at the University of Michigan and the Denver Broncos. In college he was a 2x All-American, 2x Big Ten TE of the Year, Ozzie Newson and John Mackey award winner. Jake was drafted by the Denver Broncos but his career was cut short due to multiple ACL injuries. After retirement Jake joined the Big Ten Network and is currently the lead College Football Analyst heading into the 2024 season. We sat down with the Pickerington, Ohio native to talk about his record breaking career at Michigan, lessons from Jim Harbaugh, playing through injuries, getting drafted by the Broncos and his current role with the Big Ten Network.  

Conor Matthews is a singer/songwriter from Chicago who moved to Nashville after high school. Matthews caught the attention of Keith Urban with his raw vocal talent which led to a publishing deal in 2014 at just 19 years old. Since then he's worked with artist like Sam Hunt and Surgarland while also developing his solo career in Pop/R&B. Recently Conor has been pumping out hits such as Snowing in Miami, You Became me, Burn My Bed and Monster You Made Me.  We sat down with Conor to talk about his career and the story behind the music.

Jett Bush is a 6'2" 242 lbs Linebacker who walked-on at the University of Texas in 2019, earned a scholarship in 2020 and was a key part of the Longhorn defense under HC Steve Sarkisian. In 2023, UT beat #3 Alabama, won the Big 12 Conference and earned a birth to the College Football Playoff. Bush finished the season with 17 tackles, 2 sacks and a 43 yard pick six. We sat down with Jett to talk about his career highlights at Texas and his potential in the NFL.

Sadie Bass is a Singer/Songwriter that has opened for Hardy, Brantley Gilbert, Chase Rice and Tyler Farr. The Bath, Michigan native gained fame from her appearance on The Voice where she rocked the audition and got Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani to smash the red button of approval. Not long after, Sadie planted her roots in Nashville where she's turned out hit song like Wake N' Bake, Holy Ground and Don't Pick Up. We sat down with Sadie and fellow Singer/Songwriter, Noah West, in Nashville to talk about writing together, new music, lyrics, music videos and upcoming tour dates.

Thomas Rowland is a 22 year old singer/songwriter from Georgetown, SC. Now based in Music City, Rowland's sound can be described as a soulful mixture of indie rock, folk and blues. We sat down with Thomas in Nashville to discuss his journey as a young artist and the story behind his lyrics.  

We sat down with Country artist, Noah West and Austin, live from Lucky's 3 Star in Nashville. The two singer/songwriters discuss new music, lyrics, women, recent concerts and the struggles they've faced as independent artist. This was Noah and Austin's second appearance on the podcast but first time together.  

Jacob Lacey is a 6'1" 282 pound defensive tackle at the University of Oklahoma. As a senior at South Warren High School (Bowling Green) Lacey won the 5A state championship and was named the #1 prospect in the state of Kentucky (2018).  Jacob started his CFB journey at Notre Dame where he played three seasons under Brian Kelly helping the Irish go 32-6 and earning a birth in the College Football Playoff. Lacey transferred to Oklahoma prior to 2023 season but was hospitalized with blood clots in his lungs and was told by doctors he would never play football again. Listen to our interview with Jacoby Lacey to learn how he overcame the odds and what he has planned for his final season at Oklahoma.

Ayo Adeyi is one of the most explosive running backs in college football today. He averaged 7.11 yards/carry in 2023 at the University of North Texas which was 4th in the country. Ayo will put his big play talent on display at James Madison University as a grad transfer in 2024. We sat down with Ayo to talk about his college football career, his experience hitting the transfer portal twice and what the future holds for him at JMU.

Austin is an up and coming solo musician that is changing what it means to be Country by infusing punk, pop and indie rock into classic country music story telling. The Hopkinsville, KY native graduated from Murray State University which is where he formed the duel group SixForty1. After a successful 8 year run that included performing for thousands as Brantley Gilbert opener, the band decided to split up in 2023. Now a solo artist signed to a publishing deal in Nashville, Austin is making waves with his unique sound. We sat down with Austin to talk about his journey in country music and the story behind his lyrics.

Cooper Greer is a Country Music singer/songwriter originally from Hyde County, North Carolina. With a voice like Jason Aldean and a country-rock vibe similar to Koe Wetzel, Greer has become an artist to watch in 2024. The tar heel native was named 2022 CCMA Songwriter of the Year and CMT showcase the music video for his single "Drugs." We talked with Cooper about his journey in country music and the meaning behind his lyrics. 

Jaxson Lavender is a Freshman Slot Wide Receiver at Southern Methodist University. Prior to SMU Lavender was catching touchdowns at Lovejoy High School just 30 minutes NE of Dallas in Lucas, TX. In the off-season you can find him training with the likes of Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, Cole Beasley and 2023 Heisman winner Jayden Daniels. We sat down with Jaxson in Dallas to talk about recruiting, NIL, the transfer portal, his first season at SMU, training with Dak and SMU joining the ACC. 

Thomas Gordon is a 6'5" 245 pound senior TE at Northwestern University. We sat down with the Houston native to talk about his roller coaster career in Evanston which includes the highs of winning the Big Ten-West and the Citrus Bowl followed by lows of losing 20 games in 2 years and the firing of head coach Pat Fitzgerald. Gordon's career got back on track this season with a successful 7-5 rebuild and birth to the Las Vegas Bowl. Press play to learn more about Thomas Gordon's wild ride.

Akeem Hunt is a former NFL running back who played with the Houston Texans and Kansas City Chiefs. Prior to the pros, the Covington, Georgia native racked up 4,600+ all-purpose yards and 20 TD's at Purdue University. We sat down with Akeem in Dallas to talk about his journey to the NFL, the current state of college football and his amazing stories with JJ Watt, Raheem Mostert, Arian Foster and Tyreek Hill. 

Tracielynn is a country music artist with a powerful voice and commanding stage presence. The Chesapeake, Virginia native moved to Nashville in 2019 and since then has opened for Morgan Wallen, Sam Hunt, Brooks & Dunn, Jon Pardi, Sara Evans, Kenny Chesney, Brad Paisley and Cody Johnson to name a few. In August of 2023 Tracielynn dropped her debut album 'More Than a Bad Habit' which features her hit single "Broadway Cowboy." We sat down with Tracielynn to talk about her recent concert tour, the new album, song lyrics and the country music gender gap that no one seems to be talking about. Slap that play button and enjoy.

Tim Dillard is former MLB pitcher who is currently the Pregame and Postgame Analyst for the Milwaukee Brewers. Dillard made his MLB debut in 2008 and got his first strikeout against current Yankees Manager, Aaron Boone. We were lucky enough to talk baseball with the funniest man in sports and hear about his journey which may or may not include hilarious stories about Bob Uecker, Jason Kendall and Gary Sheffield.

Conor Darvid is a New York based singer/songwriter who jumped on the music scene in 2017 when he collaborated with internationally ranked DJ, Morten. Their hit single "Ride Around" currently has over 12.3 million streams on Spotify. You can listen to his latest single "Sad Song for the Summer" everywhere you get your music but before you do that, slap the play button to hear about Conor's journey and the story behind his lyrics.

Former ESPN SportsCenter Anchor sits down with us to talk about Week 1 of the 2023 NFL season. Jay Crawford brought America their sports news and updates as the midday SportCenter Anchor on ESPN from 2007-2017. Crawford joined ESPN in 2003 when he launched his show Cold Pizza, which eventually became First Take. The Sandusky, Ohio native has won 4 Regional Emmy Awards, hosted the Little League World Series and was a guest host on NFL Live. Jay is currently a News Anchor at WKYC Channel 3 in Cleveland where he also host the Ultimate Cleveland Sports Show.

Our panel of former/current QB's analyze the top Quarterbacks in college football entering the 2023 season. In Part 3, our experts looked at two transfer QB's, Sam Hartman who transferred into Notre Dame this offseason via Wake Forest and Bo Nix who transferred to Oregon in 2022 via Auburn. Both have Heisman hopes and National Championship dreams, but do either have what it takes to turn hopes and dreams into reality? .........Watch the video version of the podcast on our YouTube page @starsvolta and reels on Instagram @starsvolta Our QB Panel:1. Kevin Anderson - Current Pro QB who just won the XFL Championship with the Arlington Renegades and played his college ball at Marshall and Fordham.2. Warren Arnold - Former D1 starting QB for Valparaiso where he played against Jim Harbaugh (Coach) and Josh Johnson (QB) at San Diego.3. Jeff Supernah - Former D3 QB at Loras College and High School football coach in the Madison, Wisconsin area.

Our panel of former/current QB's analyze the top Quarterbacks in college football entering the 2023 season. In Part 2, our experts looked at Washington's Heisman hopeful Michael Penix Jr. and reigning Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams Watch the video of the podcast via YouTube @starsvoltaOur QB Panel:1. Kevin Anderson - Current Pro QB who just won the XFL Championship with the Arlington Renegades and played his college ball at Marshall and Fordham.2. Warren Arnold - Former D1 starting QB for Valparaiso where he played against Jim Harbaugh (Coach) and Josh Johnson (QB) at San Diego.3. Jeff Supernah - Former D3 QB at Loras College and High School football coach in the Madison, Wisconsin area.

Our panel of former/current QB's analyze the top Quarterbacks in college football entering the 2023 season. In Part 1, our experts looked at UNC sophomore sensation Drake Maye who finished 3rd in Heisman voting last season. They will also analyze Tulane's junior play-caller Michael Pratt who shocked the world last year with an incredible comeback win over USC in the Cotton Bowl....Video version of the podcast can be found on YouTube @starsvoltaOur QB Panel:1. Kevin Anderson - Current Pro QB who just won the XFL Championship with the Arlington Renegades and played his college ball at Marshall and Fordham.2. Warren Arnold - Former D1 starting QB for Valparaiso where he played against Jim Harbaugh (Coach) and Josh Johnson (QB) at San Diego.3. Jeff Supernah - Former D3 QB at Loras College and High School football coach in the Madison, Wisconsin area.

Tulsa siblings Caleb, Hannah, Cody and Jacob make up the country band, Voth (VOE-TH).  Their debut single "I choose Us" (2018) and their self-titled EP (2020) made waves in the country music world by hitting major playlists on Spotify. Since then they've opened up for acts like Walker Hayes, Priscilla Block and have signed a global publishing deal with Warner Chappell Music. We sat down with Caleb, Hannah and Cody to talk about their journey to Nashville and how they feel about their new album "Memories of You" which drops on September 14th...... After you listen to the podcast go download their new singles "92 Bronco" and "You Own it" available everywhere you get your music. 

Cam Allen is a singer/songwriter who's shared the stage with country music headliners, Dustin Lynch, Chris Cagle, Randy Roger and Corey Kent. Later this year Cam will be opening for Carly Pearce and Tyler Hubbard. Prior to his singing career, Allen played college baseball at one of the top Junior Colleges in the country. While in college, Cam found his voice, and a talent scout for American Idol found his voice as well. Listen now to learn about Cam Allen's journey to the stage and download his debut album, "In a Home Town" .......available everywhere. 

Colt Graves is a singer/songwriter from Owensboro, KY. His hit single, "Dirt on Me" has climbed to #2 on Amazon Music Charts and #13 on iTunes. Recently, the Hollywood Independent Music Awards nominated Colt's single, "Word Around Town" for best Country (Classic) song. The Graves family aren't strangers to the music industry, Colt's grandfather, Josh Graves, is a member of the Bluegrass HOF and his father, Josh Jr, played with Jeannie C. Riley (Harper Valley PTA) and Ronnie & the Daytonas (Little GTO). Colt's sound is more unique than the Graves that came before him and his blend of Country, Rap and Rock is getting notice by big names in the music industry....Listen now to discover which big Artist/Producer is collaborating with Colt Graves.  

Ryan Borucki is an MLB pitcher currently with the Pittsburgh Pirates. As a senior at Mundelein High School (IL), the Toronto Blue Jays selected Borucki in the 15th round of the 2012 MLB draft. Ryan made his Major League debut as the Blue Jays starting pitcher on June 26, 2018 in Houston vs the Astros. He became the Blue Jays 2018 Rookie of the Year and pitched for Toronto until 2022 before getting traded to Seattle. A long shot 15th round pick, Ryan and his older brother Matt Borucki talk about the journey to The Show.

Tank Ledger is a professional wrestler in the WWE. You can find Tank on the USA Network every Tuesday night wrestling with his tag team partner Hank Walker. Prior to WWE, Tank Ledger AKA Joe Spivak was a defensive tackle at Northwestern University. In his 5-year career, Joe won 3 bowl games and was a part of 2 Big Ten West Championships. As a 5th year graduated student, Spivak was named Mr. Wildcat and given the #1 jersey for the 2021 season. This honor goes to the player who best embodies the values and character of the Northwestern football program. 

Kevin Anderson is a quarterback in the XFL currently playing for the Arlington Renegades. He played college football at Fordham University where he still holds the school record for career passing touchdowns (73). Prior to the XFL, Anderson played professionally with the Orlando Apollos (AAF) and the Conquerors (TSL). In the off-season you can find the 6 foot 210 pound QB in South Florida running the Kevin Anderson Passing Academy. 

Jax Biggers is an Infielder/Utility player in the Texas Rangers organization. In 2022 he played 2B for AA Frisco where he helped the Roughriders win the Texas League Championship. Biggers got drafted by the Rangers in 2018, the same year he took his Arkansas Razorbacks to the College World Series. We joined the Missouri City native at Texas Rangers Spring Training to talk about his path to the big leagues. 

Taylor Lee is a country music singer/songwriter who recently signed with a major label in Nashville. Originally from Northern California, Taylor got into music by signing in the church and when he was just 19 years old, he was on Season 6 of the The Voice. Driven to make it in the music business, Taylor and his wife risked it all and moved from California to Nashville. His sacrifice, talent and hard work has recently been recognized by the right people. Taylor Lee is a Country Star on the rise. 

Coach Ray Birmingham is a former head baseball coach who collected 1,200+ wins and helped 200 players get drafted in MLB over 43 his year career. Birmingham was the head man at Mayfield HS, College of the Southwest, New Mexico Junior College and the University of New Mexico. Coach Birmingham has won a high school state championship, College National Championship, 7 Mountain West Championships, National Coach of the year, 3 Mountain West Coach of the year titles and was inducted into the NJCAA Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame. 

Sean McGrath is a former NFL Tight End who played for the Seattle Seahawks, Kansas City Chiefs and the San Diego/LA Chargers. In this episode we talk about McGrath's journey to the NFL as an undrafted free agent, his experience being coached by Pete Carroll and Andy Reid + we highlight Sean's time playing with Russell Wilson, Alex Smith, Philip Rivers and Antonio Gates. 

Noah West is a singer/songwriter born and raised in West Virginia. We sat down with Noah in Nashville to talk about his journey to stardom, the process of writing country music, his debut EP Last Man Standing, the meaning behind his lyrics and what the future holds for this rising star.