Reba McEntire is a busy, busy woman. The 69-year-old is serving her second season as a coach on The Voice, while also preparing to host the upcoming ACM Awards, getting ready to star in a new NBC comedy, Happy’s Place, and also working on new music.
She just isn’t about to complain about her busy schedule.
“I feel so blessed, so lucky, so thankful that I get to do what I get to do for as long as I’ve gotten to do it, at the level I’m getting to do it now,” McEntire told E! News. “So thankful.”
McEntire has hosted the ACM Awards 16 times already, and is eager to return for her 17th time. She admits one of her favorite parts is the multiple wardrobe changes, although getting ready for that is a grueling, time-consuming task.
“The first fitting was five hours,” McEntire reveals. “The second fitting was two hours. It’s going to be about four outfits for the show, one for the red carpet and one to perform.”
McEntire is not only hosting, but she will also perform a brand-new song during the live broadcast, one she will release immediately following the ACM Awards.
“Right after we get to perform it at the Academy of Country Music Awards, because we will be performing our new single there,” she says when asked when fans can expect new music from her.
Only the pilot for Happy’s Place has been filmed so far, but the Country Music Hall of Fame member is eager to return to the studio to record more episodes.
“It’s called Happy’s Place, and Melissa Peterman is gonna be with me. Rex Linn, my boyfriend, will be on it,” McEntire shares. “It’s about a tavern that me and my father own. His name was Happy. He passes, and so I am going to the lawyer’s office to sign the will and everything, so everything will be finalized, and then there’s a little hiccup there at the lawyer’s office.”
Peterman starred in the sitcom Reba, but she isn’t the only one returning from that hit comedy. McEntire brought along several other people from the hit TV show to join her on Happy’s Place.
“It’s the same showrunners, same writers and same producers as the Reba show,” McEntire tells Entertainment Tonight. “So it’s going to be that heartfelt, fun, funny, laugh at our silliness, but also be touched by the heart in the show. That’s what I really loved about Reba. Remember when you would watch Andy Griffith, and he always would have a lesson, about how he dealt with something that Opie was going through?
“So that’s what we were really looking forward to doing every episode on the Reba show, and now Happy’s Place,” she adds.
No word yet when Happy’s Place will premiere. The 2024 ACM Awards will air live on May 16 Amazon Prime from the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas. Tickets for the general public to attend the ACM Awards are available now, via SeatGeek. More information is available at ACMCountry.com.
Keep track of updates on McEntire’s career at Reba.com.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of NBC/ Art Streiber
