Month: March 2022

Reba McEntire steps into the spotlight Sunday at the 94th Oscars, performing an Original Song contender alongside Beyonce and Billie Eilish.

It’s not her first time, however: In 1991, she did “I’m Checkin’ Out” from Postcards from the Edge, at perhaps the most difficult time of her life: She’d just lost 8 members of her touring family in a plane crash.

“I was very emotional yesterday about the Oscars,” Reba explained Thursday, “because I said yes to the Oscars in ’91 and then the plane crash happened. And then I went ahead and sang the song because I felt [road manager] Jim Hammond talking to me, saying, ‘Go do it for us. We’re checked out of this heartbreak hotel.'”

“Everybody said, ‘Aren’t you excited?… ‘” she says of this year’s performance. “I don’t feel excited.”

“And so I finally figured it out yesterday,” she reveals. “I thought if I got too excited, something could happen. So I said, ‘God, I’m just gonna give it up to you.’ And it lifted like a hundred pounds. We went to rehearsal and I had a great time.”

Reba’s doing “Somehow You Do” from Four Good Days, written by 13-time nominee Diane Warren, who’s yet to take home the trophy. 

“Even if I wasn’t singing it, I’d hope Diane would win because she’s such a talented writer,” Reba observes. “What a gift she has.”

Already known for bringing the glam — whether she’s hosting or performing — Reba’s upping the ante for Hollywood’s biggest night, sporting two outfits by Dolce & Gabbana. 

“They flew in from Milan and we’ve never had this kind of treatment before,” she admits. “So it’s like, ‘Wow, so this is how they do it for the Oscars!'”

Tune in to watch the 94th Oscars Sunday at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.  

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In case you missed it, Chris Janson was a guest on The Kelly Clarkson Show this week. He performed his heartstring-tugging ballad, “Bye Mom.”

American Idol alumna Lauren Alaina will return to the show next week as a guest mentor for the country genre. You can tune in to watch her appearance next Monday night at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

Elvie Shane, who found breakout success with his hit “My Boy,” will release his debut album, Backslider, on vinyl. It's available to preorder now and will be out July 22.

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Maren Morris wrote “Hummingbird,” arguably the most tender song on her new Humble Quest album, the day she found out she was pregnant.

That was back in 2019. Its lyrics were written more around the idea of Maren's potential future child; it would be months before she learned she was having a boy, or finally met her son, Hayes.

But flash-forward to when she recorded the song, and Hayes was not only born, he was also starting to say “mama.” She decided to include his voice on the track.

Maren explains how it all went down in a new interview with Vulture, revealing that she recorded part of her record at Sheryl Crow's Nashville barn studio.

“I did bring Hayes one day when we were done recording to look at all the pianos, and there's horses in that barn that he was obsessed with,” she recounts. “It was crazy to me: I was pregnant the day I wrote Hummingbird,' but when I started recording it, he was starting to talk. Him saying Mama' was right during that moment in time, so that felt really full-circle, too.”

She adds, “He's the only feature on the project.”

Humble Quest comes out Friday.

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Little Big Town and Brad Paisley are two of the stars on an all-genre lineup paying tribute to Paul Simon next month. Called Homeward Bound: A Grammy Salute to the Songs of Paul Simon, the event will take place April 6.

Brandi Carlile is performing, too, as are Irma Thomas and Rhiannon Giddens. Outside the country and Americana genres, Dave Matthews, Billy Porter, Shaggy, Angélique Kidjo, Take 6 and Trombone Shorty are also on the bill.

The guest of honor will be there, too: Simon himself is making an appearance at his tribute show.

Held at the Hollywood Pantages Theatre, the event will be recorded to air as a special on CBS at a later date. Tickets to the show go on sale to the public on March 26 at 10 a.m. PT.

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Chris Stapleton is joining the bill for the 2022 Grammy Awards. He's part of a newly-announced, all-genre round of performers also including Jon Batiste, Foo Fighters, Nas and H.E.R.

Chris' latest album, Starting Over, is nominated for Best Country Album at the Grammys this year. Two of the album's songs, “Cold” and “You Should Probably Leave,” are also nominated this year, for Best Country Song and Best Country Solo Performance, respectively.

One of the country genre's most legendary voices, Chris has been a mainstay of the Grammy Awards over the last several years. He's won five trophies in the past, netting Best Country Album wins both for his major-label debut, Traveller, and From A Room: Volume 1.

This year's Grammy Awards will air on CBS on April 3 at 8 p.m. ET. Another just-announced performance segment is a tribute to Stephen Sondheim, performed by Cynthia Erivo, Leslie Odom Jr., Ben Platt, and Rachel Zegler.

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Country Music Hall of Famer Hank Williams Jr. is mourning the loss of his wife of over three decades, Mary Jane Thomas.

Thomas died unexpectedly earlier this week in Jupiter, Florida. TMZ reported the news, saying that a spokesperson for the Jupiter police department indicated that they responded to a call from the Jupiter Beach Resort & Spa at around 5 p.m. on Tuesday. Thomas was transported to a local hospital where she was pronounced dead.

Also per TMZ, early indications suggest that Thomas' death may have been the result of a complication, such as a blood clot, following a medical procedure.

People also confirmed the news of Thomas' death with the couple's son, country artist Sam Williams.

“My dear Mama Mary Jane was a beautiful soul who forever affected everyone who knew her. She had a smile and presence that lit up every room and she never met a stranger she didn't befriend,” Sam says in a statement. “Her spirit was gentle and giving. She could take down a ten-point buck and fix dinner for her grandchildren at the same time!”

Thomas' death comes in the wake of a difficult couple of years for the family. In 2020, Hank Jr. and his wife mourned the loss of their daughter, 27-year-old Katherine Williams-Dunning, after she was killed in a car crash.

Hank Jr. met Thomas, a former model for suntan lotion brand Hawaiian Tropic, in 1985. They married in July 1990. Katherine and Sam are their only children together, though Hank Jr. has three other children from previous marriages.

The couple's last public appearance together was in 2021, when Hank Jr. was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.

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