On today’s episode of “Daily Variety” podcast, country music superstar Reba McEntire discusses celebrating her golden anniversary in music this year with a series of EP releases that pair a newly recorded song with several vintage tunes. McEntire also weighs in on how she’s navigated a turbulent TV marketplace to get her NBC comedy “Happy’s Place” to a third season.
McEntire credits her manager, Justin McIntosh, with the concept behind the EP releases, which began in April and will continue through December via her longtime label, MCA. Next up is “Ring, Ring,” which bows on July 24. As part of the release plan, McEntire has assembled special playlists for fans that dive deeper into her vast catalog.
“It’s genius to be able to bring a new song to the fans along with five songs that are in the catalog,” McEntire says. “I think it’s a genius idea because even when you are at a concert, you say, ‘OK, I’m gonna play you a new song. Everybody goes, oh yeah, but they want to hear familiarity. They want to hear songs where they can sing along and they know the words and it takes them back to a place the first time they heard it, or with their best friend or someone they love. So to prepare a brand new song with older songs that they already are familiar with and they love is genius. And I’m so glad to be a part of this project.”
McEntire has pulled off a rare feat these days with a multi-camera comedy that has found traction with a broadcast TV audience. Her NBC sitcom “Happy’s Place” returns for Season 3 on Oct. 23. The show reunited McEntire with the team that produced her previous WB Network series, “Reba,” from 2001-2007. This time around, she co-stars with her husband, actor Rex Linn.
“There is something about a four-camera TV show. It’s nostalgic. It takes you back. It takes me back to my childhood when I was watching four camera television shows and absolutely loving it. It’s funny. It’s family entertainment. It’s great writing, great actors. Rex and I love to be on the show together for one thing. And then getting to work again with [co-star[ Melissa Peterman and then my showrunners Kevin Abbott and our producers Mindy [Schultheis] and Michael [Hanel] — everybody on that whole team. They are family. And we treat them like family. And, everybody knows that when you walk on ‘Happy’s Place’ set, we’re going to have a good time and you’re going to be treated well.”
Another project close to McEntire’s heart in recent years has been her investment in a retail and entertainment center in Atoka, Oklahoma, near her hometown of Chockie. It’s housed in a refurbished, 15,000 square foot building from 1907, and the complex includes a diner dubbed Reba’s Place. It’s infused with memories for McEntire and her siblings and a tribute to their mother, Jacqueline McEntire, who died in 2020 at age 93.
“Reba’s Place is a restaurant that serves great family food. And then we also have a stage where we have live music. My brother and sister, Pake and Susie, have performed on the stage as I have also,” she says. “On the second floor is more dining and with a cutout of the floor where you can look down and see the stage. The third floor is the little store where you can buy all kind of goodies, t shirts to wooden spoons. And then we’ve got a little speakeasy in the back and then we’ve got a library. When Mama passed away March of 2020, she had so many books in her house, we didn’t know what to do with them. We all took a bunch, but then we decided to put them in the restaurant there in Atoka. And so that’s Jackie’s Library.”
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