Catching Up With Reba McEntire
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At this point in her life and career, Reba McEntire doesn’t do anything she doesn’t enjoy. And apparently, she enjoys a lot.
The Grammy Award-winning singer, actress and entrepreneur just joined the cast of “Big Sky,” is about to kick off an arena tour, will release a Christmas album later this month, is executive producing a Lifetime movie, finishing a new lifestyle book and getting ready to open a restaurant, live music venue and retail store in her native Oklahoma.
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In her spare time, she also fronts the Reba apparel collection at Dillard’s and a boot line of the same name for Justin Boots.
In an interview from Albuquerque, New Mexico, where she’s filming “Big Sky,” McEntire said the location informed the design of the fall Reba collection. “It’s really New Mexico colors: the big blues, rusts, dusty browns that we used for the T-shirts and jeans, as well as the boots from Justin.”
Josephine DiMarco, chief executive officer of Soulstar Creations, the manufacturer of the Reba collection, said she approached the entertainer nearly 20 years ago with the idea of fronting a line for Dillard’s. “I thought it would be a good fit,” she said. After an initial meeting, McEntire sent DiMarco a “huge book” with photos of what she liked and what she wore and that set the ball rolling.
And the line has been a consistent seller since then. According to James Stockman, vice president of corporate merchandising, who oversees the line at Dillard’s: “We have enjoyed a great relationship with Reba for almost 20 years. Her multifaceted talents inspire all her pieces, and her line has a great following among our customers. They look forward to Reba’s signature looks every season.”
From the beginning, McEntire has approved every print, fabric, detail and silhouette — and continues to do so today. Top sellers, DiMarco said, include a denim jacket with knit sleeves, sweaters with fringe and a mesh dress that had a 24 percent sell-through the minute it hit stores this fall. “The customer responds to comfort and ease,” DiMarco said.
The fall collection features T-shirts and sweaters with landscape prints, reminiscent of the big skies of Montana.
In “Big Sky,” McEntire plays Sunny Barnes, a backcountry outfitter who owns Sunny Day Excursions and organizes glamping trips to the wilds of Montana. But she harbors a dark secret: a son who lives out in the wilderness and preys on hikers.
McEntire, who is known for her captivating smile and down-home charm, hasn’t traditionally played bad-guy roles, but she’s having a blast portraying Barnes, who will do anything to protect her son. “Sunny’s a good person — she’s just overprotective,” she said. “She’s like a mama bear and you don’t want to get between a mama bear and her cub. It’s a totally different character for me but loads of fun. And to have those mountains as my office and to work with Rex is amazing.”
Rex is Rex Linn, McEntire’s real-life boyfriend who plays Sunny’s husband Buck on the show.
McEntire said she signed on for the 13-episode season and in between breaks in filming will kick off an arena tour that starts in Lafayette, Louisiana, on Oct. 13. The tour, which will extend into next year, will include a stop at Madison Square Garden, a first for McEntire.
The singer said despite her success in music, she’s never fronted a show at MSG. “I’ve played there for specials, but this is the first time I’ll be headlining. But my granddaddy and my daddy rodeoed there for a whole month in 1946 and ’47. Can you believe they had rodeos for a month in New York City back then?”
Her holiday collection for Dillard’s will support her tour, DiMarco said, and will include some “stage Reba” pieces in bright red including a jumpsuit and fringed dress in addition to pieces with lots of “sparkle.”
“My lady loves sparkle and I do too,” McEntire said.
Sometime in December, McEntire hopes to open Reba’s Place in Atoka, Oklahoma. At this point, McEntire said she’s still pondering what the mix in the store will be and is leaning toward novelty items such as T-shirts, magnets, coffee cups and other collectibles. She’s also considering bringing her apparel collection to the shop, “but we’re not sure yet.”
What is certain is that her latest album, “Reba: The Ultimate Christmas Collection,” a compilation of favorites from her previous Christmas releases, will be released on Oct. 14, and she’ll be publishing a coffee table book next fall that will include recipes from the restaurant, unseen pictures of McEntire and stories about her family, friends and life experience.
Does she see herself as the next Martha Stewart? Maybe, just “not as fancy,” McEntire said with a chuckle.
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