Reba on the cover of Cowboys and Indians Magazine

Sunday, July 18, 2010 - 06:43 PM, CDT | Joe Leydon | Cowboys & Indians Magazine | cowboysindians.com

Just another day in the life — at home, in Nashville, Tennessee — for Reba McEntire. It’s the morning after the CMT Music Awards, and she’s already fielded several calls and e-mails from fans and friends about her hilarious onstage “face-off” during last night’s show with her sometime impersonator, Saturday Night Live regular Kenan Thompson. (Reba: “You can’t be Reba! You’re too dark!” Kenan: “Um, pardon?” Reba: “I’m ginger with highlights! And you’re a solid auburn!”) Awaiting her attention in the afternoon: a conference with representatives from the Dillard’s department store chain regarding the December line of her Reba brand of fashions.

Sometime today she’ll have to look over the song list for tomorrow night’s appearance as a headliner at the sold-out CMA Music Festival extravaganza at Nashville’s LP Field. There’ll have to be some quality time, of course, with her husband and business partner, Narvel Blackstock. And she simply must find 30 or so minutes for her daily regimen of Pilates, walking, and lifting weights in her home gym, part of her highly disciplined diet and exercise program to remain fab and fit at 55.

Right now, however, Reba is devoting her full attention to visiting with a Cowboys & Indians interviewer. A proud daughter and granddaughter of champion rodeo steer ropers, the Oklahoma-born superstar has ridden tall on Broadway, where she reigned as queen of the Great White Way during her 2001 run as Annie Oakley in Annie Get Your Gun, and prime time television, where she enjoyed a six-season run as a wisecracking, hard-loving single mom in Reba, a popular sitcom still attracting viewers in internationally syndicated reruns. But as Reba will readily remind anyone who wants to talk shop, country music remains her prime concern and chief focus, so it’s only fitting that most of the conversation is devoted to her recent triumphs — Keep on Loving You, her most recent studio album, is among the top sellers of her nearly 30-year recording career — and enduring popularity as the uncontested Queen of Country.

Cowboys & Indians: So, Reba, did you have any fashion tips for Kenan Thompson last night?
Reba McEntire: Yeah — not to wear those pink boots with a green dress. That was too funny.

C&I: Do you remember your reaction when you first saw Kenan’s version of you on Saturday Night Live?
McEntire: Well, I have to admit: At first, I didn’t understand what was going on. I didn’t know whether to be flattered, or to be embarrassed, or insulted. And then I saw that the joke was on his character thinking that he really was Reba McEntire, and [he was] having a little mental problem. So it was really a funny thing. It did get a little risqué, which I didn’t appreciate. And a lot of fans didn’t, either. But it was all in good humor.

C&I: Billboard magazine recently ranked you as the third best-selling country artist of the last 25 years, right after George Strait and Garth Brooks. But Keep on Loving You actually was your first solo studio album in six years. You’ve been concentrating on other projects, like the Reba sitcom. Did you feel just a little bit nervous about returning to the recording studio after so long?
McEntire: No, not all. Because I’d been recording a lot of albums — the duet CD and the greatest hits CD, we did some new recording on that. So it wasn’t like I’d been totally away from the music. It was just that I had a contract to fulfill, and I had so many albums to do. But when I left MCA Universal, I went over to Valory [Music Co.], where there was a new regime, and that’s when I recorded Keep on Loving You.

C&I: The album has been one of your biggest hits, and “Consider Me Gone,” the second single from it, spent more time at No. 1 than any other single you’ve released. You can’t call this a comeback because you’ve never been away. So what’s the key to your resurgence?
McEntire: I think it’s because of [Valory Music Co./Big Machine Records president] Scott Borchetta. Scott and I had worked together at MCA Universal for many years and had lots of success. And then he went out on his own and formed Valory and Big Machine Music. So when my contract was up with MCA Universal, I went over to Scott and Valory. And the excitement of working with Scott, with his creativity and his team, is why this resurgence of my career happened. And also the wonderful songs. I have had bigger albums that have sold more and stayed at No. 1 longer. But I’ve never before had a single that stayed at No. 1 for four weeks.

C&I: How many new fans do you think you’ve drawn to your music because of your TV show?
McEntire: I would say a lot, because we did the TV series for six and a half years. And the people who watched it were very loyal followers — and still are today. I ran into some folks at the [CMT Music Awards] last night, telling me, “Oh, we love the show, we love the show.” Because the show is still on in reruns, and they’re just thrilled to death. It’s like, some people don’t realize we’re not still filming it.

C&I: The series has been a hit even in some foreign markets where you weren’t already known as a country artist.
McEntire: That’s true. We were on in the Pacific Rim, Australia, England, a lot of places in Europe. And now we’re being encouraged to tour there, which I’d love to do if the demand is big enough. But we’ve got a tour going on right now with George Strait and Lee Ann Womack that we’re committed to.

C&I: It’s been said that one reason why Reba has enjoyed such success is that, even though it was a situation comedy, it offered a realistic view of a contemporary family.
McEntire: Oh, yes. And that’s why I took the script in the first place. It was reality. It was handling and dealing with situations that weren’t always the most pleasant. Like your teenage daughter getting pregnant out of wedlock. But, you know, that sort of thing happens every day. The question is, How does this woman handle it? That’s what really drew me to this situation, because that’s an unborn child there — an innocent unborn child — and I wanted to stand the ground and make the statement of, “I support my daughter. I support my unborn grandchild.” Because there’s enough love in that house for everybody. That’s what I wanted to make a statement about.

C&I: There will always be those purists who’ll complain that this song or that artist isn’t “pure country.” And you’ve had to deal with some criticism from these folks from time to time. But, really, wouldn’t you say you’re one of the contemporary artists who has helped to expand the definition of country music?
McEntire: Definitely. Look, I’ve gone to both ends of the gamut. I’ve done the most traditional country music possible, and then I’ve gone way over the line on doing a lot of songs that were not traditional country music. I’m going on my 35th year in the music business. And I think always experimenting and trying to do something different has something to do with why I’ve been in this business as long as I have. What always appeals to me is the song. And whether it’s a little more traditional, or a little more contemporary, that’s what I’m going to sing. Because in my opinion, there’s only two kinds of songs, two categories: good and bad. Of course, when I sing it, it’s going to be country. The instrumentation is what changes it to something that’s more contemporary or traditional.

C&I: Jewel has recorded two albums that are “officially” designated as country releases. But she’s also said that, given the current state of the music business, if she was to release some of her early pop-folk songs now, they would be considered country, too.
McEntire: I agree with her 100 percent.

C&I: Actually, several country artists have said — not complaining, just noting — that a lot of what’s on the country charts today would have been on the pop and rock charts in the ’70s and ’80s.
McEntire: But it’s still the same as it always has been. There’s always been a very broad spectrum. It’s very traditional with Alan Jackson, Randy Travis, or George Strait. And it’s very contemporary with people like Rascal Flatts. That’s just like it was back in the days of Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers.

C&I: It’s also been said that there’s now a much wider interest in country music — that, really, country is today’s mainstream popular music. Why do you think that’s happened?
McEntire: I think it does help that we broadened our music genre just a little bit more than three-chord country songs. When I was growing up, that’s what we had, that’s how I learned to play the guitar. But now it’s much more aggressive and progressive. And you’re right, a lot of country now is like your pop music, your easy listening music of the ’70s. You hear some of the songs from back then now, and you think, Oh my God, that would be a great country song. That’s just what Brooks & Dunn did with “My Maria.”

C&I: You started out at a time in country music when it wasn’t common for female artists to tour as headliners on their own. In fact, there was something of a prejudice against it. Was it difficult for you to overcome that attitude?
McEntire: Very. It was hard to talk people into my touring as a headliner. When I started out, I watched Barbara Mandrell, I watched Dolly Parton, I watched Loretta Lynn. Loretta was sometimes headlining on her own, but she was also going out [on tour] with Conway Twitty, too. And I know that Dolly may have been headlining some shows, but she also went out with Kenny. But Barbara did headline. And that’s what I wanted. I wanted to be the headline act. And it was a long haul. I pretty much had to let some people go and start my own corporation with booking agents that would only deal with me and promoters who would only deal with me. I wanted that individual attention. And we just started building from there.

C&I: Like other contemporary recording artists, you’ve had to be digitally savvy, to master everything from maintaining websites and blogging to Twittering. Has this been fun for you? Daunting for you?
McEntire: Oh, it’s been lots of fun, not daunting at all. I’ve had a computer for a long, long time. And it’s helped having a son — he’s 20 now — who I could ask, “Show how me how to do this.” And he’ll say, “Here, mom, this is real quick and easy.” And then he’d do it so quick that I couldn’t keep up with him. [Laughs.] But, really, I’ve got the MacBook Pro, I’ve got the iPad, I’ve got the iPhone. Somebody last night was asking me, “Why do you need all three?” And I said, “Because I like gadgets.” I carry all three with me constantly. When I got the iPad, I thought, “Oh. Now I won’t need my MacBook Pro.” But yes I do, because I like to work on my pictures, I’ve got all my music on it. And you can’t take all the red eye out of your pictures and change them and stuff like that with an iPad. At least, I haven’t figured out how you can yet.

C&I: Would you say all the digital innovation has made it easy to maintain the uniquely close ties between country artists and their fans?
McEntire: Yes, but they’ve always been very close. I can remember back in ’83 when I opened for the Statler Brothers — after their show, the Statler Brothers would sit out at the edge of the front of the stage and sign autographs until the last person was there. I remember the days they stopped doing that, there was this huge turmoil. The fans were just in shock. Now, they probably already had something like 200 autographs each, because they kept coming back to the same show. But that’s what the artists in the early days used to do. Like, I remember when I’d open a show for Ronnie Milsap or Conway Twitty or Red Steagall or whoever. After my set, I’d go out in the lobby and they’d sell concessions and I’d sign autographs until the headliners went on. They don’t do that nowadays. But the fans are still so loyal. I remember once, I sort of jokingly wrote on my blog: “I wish you guys would wear T-shirts and write on them the number of how many concerts of mine you’ve been to.” And there was one guy from Pennsylvania — and I recognized him because he’d been to so many of my shows — he had “83” written on his T-shirt.

C&I: Ma’am, that is one loyal fan.
McEntire: Abso-dang-lutely. I couldn’t believe it. And there were others with “20” and “30.” I was in awe. Because, you know, these tickets are not cheap. And you have to pay to get there.

C&I: You recently mentioned during a Q and A with fans on Country Music Television that you were happy to be singing a love song on your latest album because you don’t usually do those — that, actually, you’re best known for songs about breakups and heartbreak. And the truth is, you weren’t joking. Why do you suppose that is?
McEntire: I’ve always been drawn to the hard emotional reality of life. And to sadder songs. The love songs always used to sound a little cheesy for me. But now I have found so many good love songs that I love to sing. “I Keep on Lovin’ You” is almost like an anniversary anthem. I know that “Strange” and “Consider Me Gone,” the first two songs on the latest album, weren’t love songs. But I don’t know — maybe the older I get, the more I’m leaning toward the sentimental. I’m very happy in my marriage and in my love life. So I guess now it’s easier for me to honestly sing the love songs. Well, not just to be honest about it, but to feel comfortable with it.

C&I: Rumor has it that you might be going back to Broadway in another musical, The Unsinkable Molly Brown. True?
McEntire: I’m not sure yet. We’ve already had a reading on it in New York, and I’m going back for another reading. But right now — yes, it is something I’m interested in. I haven’t made the decision yet. We know it won’t be this year for sure, because it takes so long to mount a play like that. But that is something we’re considering. See, we’ve got a lot of irons in the fire right now. Not only do we have the tour with George and Lee Ann and the possibility of doing another play. I’ve got a clothing line, a luggage line, a shoe line, and bed, bath, and table linen[s], and furniture — the Reba brand has expanded so much in the past five years, it keeps me very busy.

C&I: Before you established yourself as a singer, it looked like you might continue your family tradition as a rodeo competitor. Do you ever miss barrel racing?
McEntire: Well, I did it for 10 years. And there are times when I’d like to get on a horse and just run barrels sometime. I definitely would. I do miss it. And I miss the rodeo family. I think that’s the thing that tore my heart out more than anything when I quit. Running barrels was something I loved as much as my music. But I had to make a living. And the singing was definitely paying more than my [rodeo] winnings were. And I didn’t get that gene from my daddy and grandpappy being world champions, unfortunately. Daddy told me years later what my problem was: I didn’t take control of the horse. I thought the horse and me were one. I thought if I just pulled a little bit on the reins, he’d know to run around the barrels. I said, “Daddy, why didn’t you tell me that back when I was riding?” He said, “I thought you knew.” But evidently I didn’t. It’s like my daddy said: “You wound up where you needed to be in the first place.”

C&I: And how do you think you did wind up there?
McEntire: From the grace of God. It was destined to be is all I can tell you. It’s funny: My husband, Narvel, and one of my band members, Leigh Reynolds, always used to say, “Reba could ride into town on a truckload of crap and jump off smelling like a rose. We never could figure out how she always bounces back on her feet.” But it’s truly by the grace of God. I’ve had so much help from God, saying: “You need to do this. Take this path.” And I always listened. He’s always been my best friend, and He’s always guided me. He’s my best tour manager. He’s always directed me right.

Issue Date: September 2010

Posted by Kevin on 07/18/2010 at 06:43 PM