Former Titans star Chris Johnson revealed in an emotional interview with "Good Morning America" yesterday that he was diagnosed with ALS.

The big picture: Johnson, 40, told interviewer Michael Strahan, who is also a former NFL standout, he intends to fight the devastating disease with no known cure.

• "Honestly, I don't know if you ever fully process it," Johnson said, speaking with the help of a computerized device. "At first you're in shock, then you realize you have two choices. You can give up, or you can fight. I chose to fight."

Flashback: In a sport of super-athletes, Johnson was even more explosive than almost all NFL players. He recorded one of the fastest-ever 40-yard dash times at the scouting combine.

• After the Titans selected him in the first round of the 2008 draft, Johnson rushed for 9,651 yards and 55 touchdowns in his career.
• He was known for his blazing speed and ripping off explosive long runs.
• "Some people leave a mark on an organization that you just can't put into words," Titans owner Amy Adams Strunk said in a statement. "Chris Johnson is one of those people for us. Learning this news is extremely difficult, and we will support Chris every step of the way throughout his journey."

Zoom out: The shocking diagnosis is already familiar to the Titans family.

• Johnson's former Titans teammate Tim Shaw was also diagnosed with ALS, and has been living with the disease since 2014.

Zoom in: Nashville has become a hub of ALS advocacy and research, culminating in the state giving a record-setting grant to Vanderbilt's research center earlier this year.

Share this story ... Watch Johnson and his wife Brittany Johnson's full interview

An original musical developed in Nashville is debuting this week at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center, complete with a cast of local talent.

Why it matters: "One Step at a Time," which opens its two-night run at TPAC tonight, is giving many of its youngest cast members their first experience with a professional, paying stage production.

🎭 State of play: The homegrown show features a cast of 27 performers ranging in age from middle schoolers and teens to adults.

• The story centers on efforts to revive a struggling school. It explores how music and the arts can help uplift communities.

Between the lines: Producer Holly Shepherd, a longtime Nashvillian who cut her teeth performing in shows at the Opryland theme park, tells Axios the team has been intentional about giving this production a professional sheen.

• The production team held auditions last fall and first put the show on its feet during a workshop in January. They continued to refine it through months of rehearsals.
• The final product taking the stage this week is "10 times tighter" than the original, Shepherd said.

What she's saying: Shepherd stresses that while the cast skews young, the show isn't just for kids. It's aimed at anyone who has been — or has raised — a middle or high schooler.

• "It is not a recital or a high school quality show," she said. "It is a professional, ready-to-be-seen-by-an-audience show."

Between the lines: "One Step at a Time" was developed through the Music Row-based education technology company QuaverEd, which provides programs to help kids learn about music, health and other topics.

• Company founder David Mastran started writing the musical as part of a program that taught social skills and character development. It eventually evolved into a standalone musical.

The intrigue: Many of the younger cast members have never performed on a stage as large as TPAC's Polk Theater, which seats more than 1,000 people. That has added a spark of excitement to the endeavor.

• "You just don't even know until your toes are touching that stage how this is going to feel," Shepherd said. "There is nothing like an opening night."

If you go: Performances are at 7pm tonight and tomorrow. Tickets start at $22.50 with fees included.

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🌮 Taco Mamacita closed this month after 17 years in Nashville. The restaurant still has two locations in Chattanooga. (Nashville Business Journal)

⚽️ Team Japan lost to Brazil yesterday afternoon, ending the World Cup run for the team that was using Nashville as a base camp. The US team plays again tomorrow. (WPLN)

💼 The Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce elected Vanderbilt University chancellor Daniel Diermeier as its new board chair. (Nashville Post)

Nashville is facing several days of dangerously intense heat, with the heat index in some areas expected to reach up to 112.

Why it matters: Intense heat can be deadly, and it is important to take precautions if you are outside for long periods of time.

State of play: Middle Tennessee is under an extreme heat warning until Thursday night. High temperatures combined with humidity will create hazardous conditions.

• Temperatures could remain in the high 90s into the July 4th weekend, according to the National Weather Service forecast.
• The Nashville Office of Emergency Management is deploying heat patrols this week to check on vulnerable people, including the unhoused.

What now: You can protect yourself by drinking plenty of water, staying indoors and limiting strenuous activities.

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