Jeff Lee, the general manager of WBIR-TV Channel 10, took the podium at a recent Elegant Dining event to benefit the Knoxville Symphony. (He serves on the Symphony Board.)
“Many times you see people on TV and you think you know them,” Lee said to the group gathered for hors d’oeuvres and cocktails at the stunning lakefront home of Randy and Jenny Boyd. “But trust me. You really DO know these two!”
He was referring to the evening’s guests of honor, news anchors Abby Ham and Russell Biven. You may wake up in the morning to the pair as they anchor 10News Today, the station’s morning show, which goes on the air at 4:30 a.m.
Ham laughed that she and Biven are like the “bratty brother and sister” of a family, while WBIR’s evening anchors, Robin Wilhoit and John Becker, are “the very responsible parents.”
It’s clear that Ham and Biven, who have worked together since 2009, are a very close team. Ham said they are “soul mates.”
“I love you. Will you marry me?” she quipped to Biven. Actually, the two are very happily married — to other people.
The purpose of the evening was to hear some behind-the-scenes stories of the news business, and we heard some funny ones. Unfortunately, they can’t really be repeated here.
OK, maybe a couple can.
The station’s homespun agriculture reporter Neal Denton, who also works for the University of Tennessee Ag Extension Service, was reporting one time from the Tennessee Valley Fair. Unbeknownst to him, in the background as he gave his report, two cows began to have sex. When he heard people laughing, he turned around and saw what was going on. He was nonplussed. “Well, everybody has fun at the fair,” he deadpanned.
On another occasion, to celebrate Easter, two rabbits joined the reporting team on the anchor desk. During the newscast, well … Click here to see what happened.
That clip made the New York Daily News and Al Jazeera, among others!
It was a fun evening with the approachable down-to-earth pair and their hilarious tales.
The Elegant Dining series is a project of the Knoxville Symphony League, which supports the Knoxville Symphony by raising about $200,000 per year for the orchestra’s budget. Although the Elegant Dining series is winding down, the League does have another fun event coming up May 15. It’s dinner, wine pairings and fireworks at the Tellico Village Yacht Club. Also on the program: a Chamber Orchestra performance conducted by Concertmaster Gabriel Lefkowitz. Click here for info on that great evening and make plans to attend. I’m getting a table of eight.
The Boyds purchased this piece, carved out of one tree, in Tanzania. Members of the tribe carve images of people in the tribe into the wood. Isn’t it amazing?
Click here for some more information about Makonde carvings.
If you come to the Symphony League’s wine event on May 15, you can taste some, too, thanks to the generosity of Randy and Jenny.
It was such a wonderful evening with Russell and Abby. Of course it couldn’t have happened without Jeff Lee giving them permission to tell some of those stories and the beautiful Boyd home as a setting. Funny, funny night!
Becky: I agree! One of the best Elegant Dinings ever! Thanks so much to Abby, Russell, Jeff and the Boyds.
Another nice evening for support of the Symphony thanks to the League, Randy and Jenny Boyd and Abby and Russell.
This was a fun event. We were genuinely laughing out loud the whole time.
Sounds like a great evening and a beautiful setting….but I was a little confused – 2 COWS having s–? Don’t they know that there are cows and then there are bulls? But I guess they hadn’t spent much time on a farm. Just had to chuckle at some obvious “city slickers”. But, yes, funny stories!
Bette: Hahaha! Good point! What’s going on with sex education today??
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