Mount Healthy High School alumni win 2 Grammys with HBCU marching band

MOUNT HEALTHY (WXIX) - Two Mount Healthy High School graduates won in two categories at the Grammys in February as members of Tennessee State University’s marching band, Aristocrat of Bands.

Led by TSU band director Dr. Reginald McDonald, Jierre Franklin (’18) and Ravon Key (’20) and their bandmates won Best Gospel Roots Gospel Category and Best Spoken Word Category.

Mount Healthy City Schools’ website congratulated alumni Franklin and Key on Wednesday for their wins.

“Jierre and Ravon were both active in band and athletics during their time at Mount Healthy. We’re proud of their achievements and wish them all the best in their future endeavors!” the announcement said.

The pair both won awards for their collaboration on “The Urban Hymnal,” which won in the category of Best Roots Gospel Album and was co-produced by TSU assistant professor, Larry Jenkins, recording artist/songwriter, Sir the Baptist, and TLC/Madonna producer, Dallas Austin.

Rolling Stone reported that TSU’s band was the first collegiate marching band ever to earn a nomination and win a Grammy in this category, beating renowned artists like Willie Nelson and the Gaither Vocal Band.

Franklin and Key also won Grammys for their contributions to J. Ivy’s “The Poet Who Sat By the Door” which won in the Best Spoken Word Category.

A video posted to TSU’s Twitter showed the Aristocrat of Bands’ members and TSU students celebrating at a Grammy watch party when the wins were announced.

According to BET.com, Professor Jenkins thanked his students after the Grammy win, telling them, “Your hard work and dedication created the pen that allowed you to write your own page in the history books.”

Grammy winner Lizzo co-signed the Aristocrat of Bands on social media when they performed her hit single, “Truth Hurts” at HBCU’s Battle of the Bands in 2019.

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