Owen reprises hits; devine Reba pleases

By Cathalena E. Burch
Arizona Daily Star

FLORENCE -- On Friday night, just as the evening was settling into its chill at Canyon Moon Ranch, Randy Owen played his first-ever solo show.

It was the first time we heard him step outside his role as lead singer of the legendary pop-country quartet Alabama.

The first time he did not have Teddy Gentry, Jeff Cook and Mark Herndon nearby to pick up the harmonies, blast out the melodies and share a wink, a smile and an attaboy pat on the back.

But Owen did not step far from his musical roots. He drew from the band's 70-plus charted singles for a 90-minute show that felt oddly yet comfortably like watching Alabama in all its glory.

The band has not been on the road since it retired from touring in 2003 with a spectacular, yet humble, farewell tour. Alabama bowed out gracefully, acknowledging that it had done all it could do -- sold 73 million records, landed 42 singles at No. 1, scored a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame and won so many awards that those doling them out would have been wise to just engrave the band's name in advance.

While the band has seemed content in its decision, Owen has kept his hand in the game, working tirelessly on the band's newly released disc of inspirational songs and keeping its music from getting dusty on the record racks.

So it was not entirely surprising that in his first-ever solo turn, Owen dipped back into that well. His show was a 90-minute rewind of Alabama's greatest hits -- "Tennessee River," "40 Hour Week," "Love In The First Degree," "Down Home," "Roll On (Eighteen Wheeler)," "Mountain Music" and the band's redneck anthem "Song of the South."

Owen sang those songs with conviction, a steady baritone that has weathered time's often cruel wear and a renewed energy that brought them back to the life they had a quarter century ago.

Owen, perhaps fueled by the crowd, did not let his 57 years interrupt his footwork. He danced -- as much as you could call his two-stepping, strutting and sliding dancing -- and strolled the lengthy catwalk out into the crowd of outstretched hands. He touched each of those hands, squeezing a few, slapping high fives with a few more. He confessed he was a bit winded.

But he reminded us of a golden era in modern country music and of a band that has forever informed the genre, allowing it to express itself in an ever-changing landscape of styles and ideals.

Owen was in good company Friday night. He opened for the divine Reba McEntire, who no doubt was the reason 35,000 people made the journey to the sprawling Canyon Moon Ranch.

McEntire, 52, returned to Country Thunder after a two-year absence, but her show seemed to pick up where she left off. Like Owen, she returned to the well of her string of hits -- "Fancy," "Whoever's In New England," "Is There Life Out There," "The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter," "Can't Even Get The Blues," "Why Haven't I Heard From You" -- and sang them with renewed intensity. She also threw in a few newer songs, including the ode to her two sisters "My Sister" and the triumphant "I'm A Survivor," the theme song for her recently ended namesake TV sitcom.

But unlike two years ago, McEntire seemed comfortably at ease. She dressed comfortably in faded blue jeans and a long-sleeved print shirt and carried herself with confidence that was gracious and a subtle elegance that was endearing.

Friday's concert was her second of 2007 and the kickoff of her "Key To The Heart" summer tour, which goes through August.

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New California date

I just added a new date for Kelseyville CA / Konocti Harbor Resort & Spa (Aug 26th, 2007).

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"Charlotte" DVD an Easter treat

By Thomas K. Arnold

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - "Charlotte's Web" has become the biggest live-action family film to be released on DVD since "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" in April 2006.

Consumers bought 3.5 million DVDs in the first week after the title's April 3 release, said Paramount Home Entertainment. By contrast, Disney's "Narnia" sold about 4 million copies during its first day of release last Easter. ("Charlotte's Web" earned $82.5 million in North American theaters vs. $292 million for "Narnia.")

Easter is the second-biggest retail traffic period behind Christmas. The National Retail Federation projects Easter 2007 spending to come in at a record $14.4 billion, up from $12.6 billion last year. Average spending per person is projected at $135.07, up 11% from the previous year.

"Easter is gaining more relevance as a retail holiday," said Phil Rist, vp strategy at BIGresearch, a consumer market intelligence firm.

The Easter holiday also is credited with keeping "Happy Feet" at the top of the Nielsen VideoScan sales chart for the week ending April 8. "Charlotte's Web" debuted at No. 2, but the difference between the two titles was less than 6% -- and sources said "Charlotte's Web" was No. 1 at Wal-Mart, the biggest retailer of DVDs, which does not report data to Nielsen VideoScan.

Two other kid-themed DVDs that have been out for a while -- "Peter Pan" and "Flushed Away" -- climbed back up the chart during Easter week. "Peter Pan," in its fifth week in stores, rose a notch to No. 7, while "Flushed Away," available for seven weeks, shot up eight places to No. 10.

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CD Release Date

By MusicTap

Lost Highway has a Lyle Lovett disc planned for September 25. The title is not determined as of yet. Also planned for distant releases are as yet untitled worked for Reba McEntire (MCA Nashville - September 18) and an as yet untitled disc from Mary Gauthier (Mercury Nashville - August 28).

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Reba & Kelly perform on ACMs

First Round of Performers Set for the Already Sold Out 42nd Annual Academy of Country Music(R) Awards Country Music's Party of the Year(TM)

TELECAST TO AIR LIVE FROM MGM GRAND IN LAS VEGAS TUESDAY, MAY 15TH AT 8:00 PM ET/PT ON CBS TELEVISION NETWORKBrooks & Dunn, Kenny Chesney, George Strait, Sugarland and Reba McEntire with special guest

By PR Newswire

ENCINO, Calif., April 13 /PRNewswire/ -- Today the Academy of Country Music is announcing that country music superstars Brooks & Dunn, Kenny Chesney, George Strait, Sugarland and Reba McEntire with special guest Kelly Clarkson will perform as part of the sold out 42nd ANNUAL ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS. The ceremony, which honors country music's top talent as well as the industry's hottest emerging talent, will be broadcast LIVE from MGM GRAND in Las Vegas on Tuesday, May 15th, 2007 at 8:00 PM ET/PT on the CBS Television Network.

Brooks & Dunn are nominated for seven awards including Top Vocal Duo and Album of the Year for Hillbilly Deluxe. They have previously won 21 Academy of Country Music Awards and are the 2007 recipients of the Academy of Country Music/The Home Depot Humanitarian Award.

Reigning and back-to-back Academy of Country Music Entertainer of the Year, Kenny Chesney, is slated to perform. Should he win Entertainer of the Year again, he will become only the 4th performer in the Academy's history to win the coveted title three or more times. One of the six elite ACM Triple Crown winners -- for Best New, Top and Entertainer -- Chesney's The Road & The Radio Tour in 2006 was North America's most attended concert tour in any genre. He is also nominated for Top Male Vocalist.

George Strait leads with eight nominations including Entertainer of the Year and Top Male Vocalist and is being recognized as an artist and producer for his album It Just Comes Natural. In his career, Strait has accepted 15 Academy of Country Music Awards including Entertainer of the Year. In 2003, he was honored with a Career Achievement Award from the Academy for having more #1 singles than any other country artist.

Sugarland is nominated for Top Vocal Duo giving them six Academy of Country Music Award total nominations over the last two years. Jennifer Nettles was also nominated for Vocal Event last year with Bon Jovi. In addition, they took home Top New Duo or Vocal Group honors.

Host Reba McEntire and Kelly Clarkson will perform their song from McEntire's upcoming album Duets. McEntire has hosted the show for a record breaking nine years and has previously won 11 Academy of Country Music Awards. Grammy-winning artist Kelly Clarkson performed for the first time on a country music award show last year with Rascal Flatts.

The 42nd ANNUAL ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS ceremony honoring country music's top talent as well as the industry's hottest emerging talent, will be broadcast LIVE from the MGM GRAND Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Tuesday, May 15, 2007 at 8:00 PM live ET/delayed PT on the CBS Television Network.

The ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC, an artist and industry-driven organization, exists to produce a world-class network television awards show, and its associated events, to provide the financial resources to ensure the on-going philanthropic work of its Charitable Fund. Academy of Country Music Charitable Fund promotes and supports music education and humanitarian programs that transform the human spirit. Through its charitable donations, the ACMCF works towards two main goals: encouraging Learning Through Music and Healing Through Music. The Academy, which is comprised of more than 4,500 professional members and more than 40,000 associate members, was established in 1964 and is headquartered in Encino, Calif.

For more information on the ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS and the ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC, please visit http://www.acmcountry.com/. For more information on the ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC CHARITABLE FUND, please visit http:/http://www.acmcf.org/.

SOURCE Academy of Country Music

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Reba taking the stage twice

Country singer will appear Saturday in Primm, Nev., and Sunday in Indio

By ARACELI CRUZ

Special to The Press-Enterprise

Country singer and actress Reba McEntire has sold more than 49 million albums. Her latest albums include "So Good Together," "I'll Be" and "Room to Breathe."

7 p.m. Sunday at the Special Events Center at Fantasy Springs Resort and Casino, 84-245 Indio Springs Parkway. Indio. Tickets: $59-$149. Information: 800-827-2946.

8 p.m. Saturday, Star of the Desert Arena, Primm, Nev. Tickets: $60.50-$79.75. Information: 702-382-4388, 702-382-1212.

Reba McEntire has performed many country music classics, including "Is There Life Out There" and "The Heart Won't Lie."

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You were spotted...

Reba McEntire driving her Mercedes in the Nashville area of Green Hills on Tuesday.

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Rockin' with Reba: Country crooning redhead returns to the desert

Alan W. Petrucelli

Special To The Desert Post Weekly
April 12, 2007

Some people call Reba Nell McEntire the "Queen of Country Music," though she thinks Loretta Lynn or Kitty Wells or Patsy Cline or Dolly Parton is more deserving of the title. She prefers "the Redhead from Oklahoma." We prefer the "Heiress of Heavy Metal" - McEntire, who turned 52 on March 28, has released 30 albums, in various coatings of platinum, gold and silver.

The recordings have spawned 33 No. 1 songs; Reba's resume also boasts two Grammys, two best-selling autobiographies, five fistfuls of various honors and hosannas and one handful of film and stage credits. Her hit sitcom, "Reba," wound down its sixth-season run in February, giving the country crooner time to promote her line of clothing sold exclusively by Dillard's.

She's also taken to the road on a multi-city concert tour, returning to the desert for the first time since 1989 when she appears at the Fantasy Springs Casino Special Events Center on April 15.

We caught up with McEntire at her Los Angles home, where she lives with her manager/husband Narvel Blackstock, and their 17-year-old son, Shelby.

DESERT POST WEEKLY: Have you been to the Palm Springs area before?

REBA McENTIRE: I recorded my 1989 live album in Palm Springs ... no wait! it was Palm Desert, at the Bob Hope Theatre (the McCallum). It was May, not too hot and I played golf during the day and did the show at night. Don't ask my handicap - you gotta be good to have a handicap. I remember how beautiful the desert was, but I haven't been back since.

DPW: You once said that your TV series has made you more comfortable doing silly things. What's the silliest thing done to date?

RM: Oh good man! That's tough. Hmmm … I once poured salt into (friend) Vanessa Foster's hair. We were in a bathroom south of Durant, Okla., near the border; she was in one stall and I was in the other. I stood up on my toilet seat and poured salt over into her stall and into her hair. That's real hard to get out!

DPW: The obvious question: How did you happen to have a salt shaker with you?

RM: I went into the stall with it, with the purpose of pouring it into Vanessa's hair.

DPW: Lucy, Carrot Top or Reba - who's the funniest redhead?

RM: Lucy. She would do anything and she did and pulled it off successfully. My daughter, Chassidy, my daughter-in-law, Melissa, and my niece, Lucchese, absolutely love Lucille Ball and need their Lucy fixes.

DPW: Who's on your iPod that no one would suspect?

RM: Annie Lennox. I really like her - not to where I put on her CDs, but I download her songs. I saw her at the Hollywood Bowl and loved the way she performed. She's a strong woman and I love her voice. I love 'Twisted.'

DPW: What was the last CD you bought?

RM: Kelly Clarkson's "Breakway."

DPW: Someone e-mailed me a little known Reba fact: that you and former President Bush have an e-mail relationship.

RM: We e-mail each other on our Treos all the time - nothing political, just passing jokes back and forth. He's really into e-mail and so are his buddies. Senior Bush invited my husband and I on a private cruise to the Greek islands about three years ago. We became very good friends, and that's when the e-mail stuff started. In fact, I just had lunch with him last Thursday.

DPW: How do you thank someone for such a luxurious gift?

RM: I went back to the States with him on his plane. I knelt by his chair and said, "I want you to know that nobody has ever offered me a trip like this before and I appreciate it more than you can ever imagine." I got real tears in my eyes and he did too. He reached up and touched my face and said, "I'm glad you came."

DPW: What one item of Reba clothing would you like to see Laura Bush try on?

RM: My jeans. They fit real good and are comfortable. I think I might just send her a pair!

DPW: What about George W. Junior?

RM: My orange Western shirt with the embroidery on the shoulders. It's nice and bright.

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Reba Launches Online Auction

Will benefit Habitat For Humanity
By Neil Haislop

Reba McEntire has joined forces with Whirlpool Brand during McEntire's summer concert tour to raise awareness for Habitat for Humanity. ALSO, Reba has partnered with CharityFolks.com, the leading online marketplace for nonprofit fundraising, to auction a pair of tickets with a backstage meet-and-greet to various stops on her Key to the Heart tour presented by Whirlpool. "The mission of our Key to the Heart Tour is to help raise awareness and funds for Habitat for Humanity. I'm thrilled to join forces with charityfolks.com to help us reach that goal," said McEntire.

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Reba Teams With Kelly Clarkson

Country Weekly has learned exclusively that Reba McEntire will debut a new duet with pop superstar Kelly Clarkson on next month's Academy of Country Music Awards

"Because of You," a remake of Kelly's pop smash, will likely be the first single from Reba's upcoming album of all-star duets. The idea to record the tune together stemmed from the pair's February taping for an upcoming episode of CMT's Crossroads series, during which Reba fell in love with the song. Kelly also appeared at the recent CMT Giants special honoring Reba, and even made a guest appearance on the country superstar's since-canceled CW-TV series, Reba. In addition to the planned performance, Reba will serve as host for the ACM Awards, set to be broadcast live on CBS from the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas, Tuesday, May 15, at 8 p.m. ET. Kenny Chesney, Rascal Flatts, Faith Hill, Ronnie Dunn, Justin Timberlake, Vince Gill, Trisha Yearwood, LeAnn Rimes are among the other stars expected to appear on the duets album, due in stores in late September or early October.

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Vote for Reba

Vote for Reba as "Country's Most Beautiful Woman" in Country Weekly magazine. VOTE!

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On schedule....

It's always possible that things could change, but Universal has announced Reba's upcoming (still untitled 'tba') duets project to be released September 18, 2007. I've heard the 1st single will be the duet with Ronnie Dunn and will be released in the next few weeks. More details will follow...

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Reba's co-star enjoys time here

By Beverly Keel

"Reba" co-star Melissa Peterman says she's enjoyed the time she's spent in Nashville as host of "CMT Comedy Stage."

"Everybody eats more than people in L.A.," she says. "I would much rather have friend green tomatoes, creamed corn and banana pudding any day than sushi."

She wasn't surprised by the city's attributes because Reba McEntire had bragged about Music City to her. "She said Nashville was a warm city that was full of a lot of really gifted people that foster a community of a lot of creativity.

"In the country music world, you definitely know where you stand right away. You know when you walk in if they like you or not. In L.A., they might not like you, but they'll be nice, then rip you when you leave."

She's taping four episodes of CMT Comedy Stage Tuesday and Wednesday at 7 p.m. For free tickets, RSVP to cmtcomedystagetix@cmt.com.

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Reba McEntire Set For Tour

"Keys To My Heart" begins Friday the 13th
By Neil Haislop

Reba McEntire is just wrapping up her annual family vacation (includes a lot of folks) to some exotic place in the world.

That means she'll be well rested and ready to kick off her KEYS TO MY HEART tour next week, Friday 13th. Whirlpool is again sponsoring the tour on behalf of Habitat for Humanity.

AND, REBA'S DUETS ALBUM SPORTS ECLECTIC ALL STAR CAST Reba is in the final stages of her DUETS album that will release its FIRST SINGLE NEXT MONTH and the CD will release this fall.

So far a potent mix of 11 country and pop artists have recorded with McEntire including: KENNY CHESNEY, RONNIE DUNN, JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE, KELLY CLARKSON, VINCE GILL, FAITH HILL, CAROLE KING, DON HENLEY, TRISHA YEARWOOD, LeANN RIMES and RASCAL FLATTS.

ALSO, DINNER WITH REBA BRINGS IN HALF MILLION DOLLARS Reba recently hosted agin the Celebrity Fight Night Dinner and Auction this year in Phoenix. During the live auction, one of the items up for bid was to have dinner with Reba and Narvel at their Los Angeles home, and the winning bid to do that was a whopping $250,000.

Two different bidders each paid another $250,000 for the opportunity. The same thing happened last year at this event. So, Reba has raised 1 million dollars via 4 small dinner parties at her home. WATCH for Reba host the ACM Awards again on May 15.

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