Hearing his 'Spooky Rocky Top' at Neyland Stadium was 'pure elation' after personal tragedy

Around Halloween, when the Vols are in "dark mode," an eerie yet familiar song creeps over the Neyland Stadium speakers.

It starts slow with a haunting echo. The tension builds with string instrument screeches and jump scares that are more common in slasher flicks than football stadiums.

It's called "Spooky Rocky Top," and once you hear it, you'll never forget it.

The remix was created by 24-year-old Miles Kredich, and hearing it played again at Neyland this year was especially meaningful. His twin brother, Ben Kredich, was killed tragically in August, and they had a special connection through the song.

"It's been a really tough two months," Kredich said. "But this 'Spooky Rocky Top' thing, that's been one of the moments of pure elation that's kind of brought me out of like, 'OK, there's still a very spontaneous and fun life that exists while carrying Ben along next to you.' It's cool to be so involved in Tennessee and all of this going on during such a tough time for me and my family."

Kredich, a multimedia designer in Chicago, grew up in Knoxville and is a lifelong Tennessee fanatic because his dad, Matt Kredich, is the University of Tennessee's swimming and diving head coach.

Miles Kredich went to college elsewhere but considers himself an honorary Volunteer through his connection with Ben ‒ "the only member of the Kredich family who's a Tennessee alum."

The creation of 'Spooky Rocky Top'

Kredich dreamed up the remix in March 2022. During that time, he was supporting his dad at the NCAA Championships for the UT swim teams.

He was listening to "Rocky Top" over and over and over again. The song got stuck in his head until it clicked.

"I just remember having the thought that those lyrics ... kind of have a double meaning when you put new context around it, when you change the tempo, when you change the instruments and you make it feel like you're trapped in the woods instead of around a fun campfire," Kredich said.

Kredich composed music for horror short films during his time at the Savannah College of Art and Design. He remixed "Rocky Top" using instruments including a viola, a violin and a mandolin.

Most notably, he used the original recording from the Osborne Brothers for his spooky version.

"The Osborne Brothers' version is the first version of 'Rocky Top' that my dad played for me, Ben and Coleman (my younger brother). So that specific recording and that song mean a lot to us. It's very close to my heart and our family," Kredich said.

His "Spooky Rocky Top" didn't come out until October 2022 after the Vols announced the "dark mode" uniforms against Kentucky. He posted it on TikTok and it got reposted on X. From there, athletics department officials saw how fans loved it and played it at the Oct. 29 Kentucky game.

At the time, Kredich was in Chicago with his girlfriend Anna Kate McGinty. He was watching the game with her and her family when he started getting a ton of text messages.

"When I heard it was actually played, it was kind of surreal, because I had done a lot that day and I was exhausted and I was in a new city. So for that to happen on top of all that, it was all icing on the cake, and the fact that we beat Kentucky so badly, too, was awesome," Kredich told Knox News.

In the lead up to this year's game against Texas A&M, he was in contact with UT to get a newer, longer and more enhanced version of the song to play at the stadium. The new "Spooky Rocky Top" played Oct. 14, and this time he got to hear it on TV.

"I remember growing up wanting to add to the culture at Tennessee through creativity in some way, because I saw people like Renaldo Woolridge doing music videos and getting the crowd hyped up that way," Kredich said. "If this ('Spooky Rocky Top') can become a staple and something they like to play once a year or twice a year, then I'm honored. I'm honored to be a part of that."

What's next for Miles Kredich

Kredich has another collaboration coming with UT. He designed a commemorative cap to honor Ben Kredich for the Tennessee men's and women's swimming teams to wear throughout the season. They will debut Nov. 3 during the dual Florida and Kentucky swim meet.

He's pleased he can bring a little joy to Knoxville while preserving Ben Kredich's memory through "Spooky Rocky Top" and more.

"The Knoxville community and East Tennessee community ‒ the Volunteer community ‒ has just been fantastic, and we are so grateful for all of the Big Orange support we've received these past few months," Kredich said.

Keenan Thomas is a higher education reporter. Email keenan.thomas@knoxnews.com. Twitter @specialk2real.

Support strong local journalism by subscribing to knoxnews.com/subscribe.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Story behind 'Spooky Rocky Top' and meaning for creator; Tennessee