WSSU graduate Jason Freeman arranges music for Kentucky Derby this weekend
The 150,000 spectators expected at Saturday’s Kentucky Derby will be treated to a unique musical arrangement courtesy of Winston-Salem State University alumnus Dr. Jason Freeman.
Freeman’s arrangement of rock musician Ozzy Osbourne’s “Mr. Crowley” will be performed by the University of Louisville’s Marching Band in the prelude to the running of the 152nd annual Kentucky Derby at Churchill Park in Louisville.
A former member of WSSU’s Red Sea of Sound Marching Band, the 38-year-old Freeman is assistant director of athletic bands at the University of Louisville. He joined the staff in 2025 after completing his doctorate in music education at Florida State University.
Though his arrangement won’t be televised, NBC will show the Louisville band performing “My Old Kentucky Home” at 6:46 p.m. Saturday as the horses and jockeys make their way from the paddock to the starting gate.
Last fall, University of Louisville band colleagues suggested a tribute to Osbourne, who died in July 2025. So, Freeman listened to Osbourne’s catalog and chose "Mr. Crowley," one of Osbourne’s most iconic and enduring hits, for an arrangement.
“It’s turned into a band favorite,” Freeman said. So, we’re playing it at the Kentucky Derby.”
Freeman acknowledges his unfamiliarity with the pomp and circumstance of the Kentucky Derby – the first of three Triple Crown races for 3-year-old thoroughbreds – prior to moving to Louisville. But he said he’s looking forward to experiencing it, from the festive atmosphere to the extravagant women’s hats and mint juleps – staples at the Kentucky Derby.
“They shut down the city,” said Freeman, who went shopping earlier in the week for Derby-appropriate clothes. “Everybody’s coming in for the Derby. It’s a big deal.”
Television coverage of the Kentucky Derby on NBC and Peacock, which drew 17.7 viewers last year, is scheduled from 2:30 to 7:30 p.m. EDT Saturday.
