On today’s episode of the Daily Variety podcast, country music superstar Reba McEntire talks about celebrating this year’s golden anniversary in music with a series of EP releases that combine newly recorded songs with some vintage songs. McIntyre also talks about how he navigated a turbulent television market to get his NBC comedy “Happy’s Place” into season three.
McIntyre credits her manager Justin McIntosh with the concept behind the EP release, which will begin in April and continue throughout the year through her longtime label, MCA. Next up is “Ring, Ring,” which will be released on July 24th. As part of her release plans, McIntyre has assembled a special playlist for fans that digs deeper into her vast catalog.
“Being able to bring new music to our fans alongside five songs in our catalog is genius,” McIntyre says. “I think this is a genius idea, because even when you’re at a concert, you’re like, ‘Okay, we’re going to play a new song.’ People say, ‘Oh yeah,’ but they want to hear a song that they’re familiar with. They can sing along to it, they know the lyrics, and they’re where they were when they first heard it.” , or something that takes them back to a place they listened to with their best friend or loved one. So preparing new songs with old songs that they already know and love is genius. And I’m so happy to be a part of this project.”
McIntyre has recently pulled off the rare feat of multi-camera comedy, drawing attention to broadcast television audiences. Her NBC sitcom “Happy’s Place” returns for Season 3 starting Oct. 23. The show reunited McIntyre with the team that created his previous WB Network series “Reba” from 2001 to 2007. This time, she will co-star with her husband, actor Rex Lynn.
“There’s something about a four-camera TV show. It’s nostalgic. It takes me back to my childhood of watching four-camera TV shows and loving it. It’s funny. It’s family entertainment. Great writing, great actors. Rex and I love being on a show together for a purpose. And I get to work with my co-star Melissa Peterman again, as well as showrunner Kevin Abbott and producer Mindy.” (Schultheis) and Michael (Hanel) – the whole team is family and we treat them like family. And when you’re on the set of Happy’s Place, we all know we’re going to have a good time and you’re going to be treated well. ”
Another project close to McIntyre’s heart in recent years is an investment in a retail and entertainment center in Atoka, Oklahoma, near her hometown of Chockey. Housed in a renovated 15,000-square-foot building built in 1907, the complex includes a diner called Reba’s Place. The piece is a remembrance of McIntyre and her siblings, as well as a tribute to her mother, Jacqueline McIntyre, who passed away in 2020 at the age of 93.
“Reba’s Place is a restaurant with great family food, and we also have a stage with live music. My brother and sister, Paquet and Susie, performed on stage, as did I,” she says. “Upstairs there’s more dining, with a cutout in the floor where you can look down and see the stage. The third floor is a little shop where you can buy all sorts of goodies, from T-shirts to wooden spoons. And in the back there’s a little bootlegger, and then there’s the library. 202 When Mom passed away in March, there were a lot of books at her house. We didn’t know what to do with them. We all took a lot of them, but then we decided to put them in a restaurant in Atoka and call it Jackie’s Library.”
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