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REBA CMA HISTORY

With her 2004 CMA Female Vocalist of the Year nomination, Reba McEntire becomes the fourth most-nominated artist in CMA history.

This being her 45th nomination, McEntire moves ahead of the 44-time-nominated Merle Haggard.

-assistant

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REBA RELATED

McEntire concert to benefit Concerned, Inc.

HARLAN -- Popular country music singer Pake McEntire, the brother of Reba McEntire, one of country music's finest stars, will perform a benefit concert in Harlan Saturday, Sept. 4 at the Harlan Community High School auditorium.

Proceeds from the concert will benefit Concerned, Inc., with its building fund drive. Opening for McEntire is the local duo Girls Nite Out. Concert time is 7-9:30 p.m.
McEntire is a former RCA recording artist who has toured the U.S. and parts of Canada since the early 1980s. He has had three Top-20 hits on Billboard's Country Charts. He continues to perform on weekends throughout the Midwest, and has performed in the past with entertainers such as Garth Brooks, George Strait, Vince Gill, Alabama, The Judds, Marie Osmond and Ronnie Milsap.
He has made numerous television appearances on Hee Haw, Nashville Now and A&E Biography. He is a singing fiddle player.
Concerned, Inc. is a non-profit organization assisting adults with disabilities in learning skills necessary to achieve independence in the community.
Concerned, Inc. currently is raising funds to remodel its new building, the former CDS, Inc. building in southwest Harlan.

Chance phone call
McEntire's performance in Harlan can be traced back to a March phone call to his ranch from Harlanite Gary Larsen.
Larsen, a local farmer with interest in cattle, had recently read the autobiography on Pake's sister, Reba, and learned of the McEntire family's long history in the cattle and music business. Larsen said he had been a long-time fan of Reba McEntire and her music, and especially enjoyed reading about the McEntire family in the book -- in particular that they had raised cattle.
It just so happened that Larsen was looking for some 400-pound cattle last spring, and decided on chance to give Pake McEntire a call.
"We had a long talk, and eventually he invited us (Gary and wife RoseAnn) down to look at the cattle and the ranch," said Gary.
So in April, on a trip to Missouri to buy cattle and to Texas to see old college friends, the Larsens made their way to Kiowa, Okla., population 718. There they met Pake, and the parents of Pake and Reba McEntire -- Clark and Jackie McEntire.
The Larsens were invited to stay overnight at the McEntire ranch, in Reba's room. They stopped at a restaurant in town and met Reba's old basketball coach. They went out to eat for supper in a nearby town with Pake, and had breakfast the next morning with Clark and Jackie McEntire.
They toured the ranches and looked at cattle before getting on their way to Texas.
"Eventually we found out that Pake does sing professionally on the weekends," Gary explained. "On our way back Rose Ann and I began to think about is there some way we could have him come up and do a benefit concert sometime?"

Concert
The Larsens thought Concerned, Inc. would fit the bill. "Our interest in Concerned stems from I had a cousin that was mentally challenged," said Gary. "We spent a lot of time with (Steven), and took care of him a lot.
"We thought that the community itself has had to support Steven (over the years), and we felt we could give something back to the community that has helped him."
Pake McEntire agreed to the Harlan performance and the benefit concert was set. "It will be a great concert," said Gary.
Besides the concert, Concerned, Inc. is hosting an auction that will include such items as two tickets to the Reba McEntire concert at the Qwest Center in Omaha September 25, and Pake's old ranch hat.
Modern Woodmen of America is providing matching funds up to $2,500, officials said.
Volunteers for the concert and auction besides the Larsens include Richard and Sharon Daberkow and Jim and Janet Goeser. Others donating their talents and/or services include Girls Nite Out, Pauley Auction Service, KNOD Radio, Mickels and Hy-Vee.

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