Dave's Diary - 9/12/03 - Reba McEntire

DAVE'S DIARY - 9 DECEMBER 2003 - REBA MCENTIRE

REBA MCENTIRE - MOVIES AND MUSICALS

Oklahoma oriole Reba Nell McEntire proved on her two Australian tours in the nineties that she was a multi talented artist.

She delivered superb live concerts - on her debut tour with Kenny Rogers at Rod Laver Arena in 1998.

And also in 1999 when she returned as headliner with Troy Cassar-Daley at the Palais in St Kilda.
It's a long way from her family's cattle ranch at Chockie, Oklahoma, to Nashville and Hollywood but Reba proved it was worth the journey.

The singer's brother Pake and sister Susie Luschinger also impacted as recording artists but neither had the longevity of Reba.

Although Reba performed the lead role, originally played by Ethel Merman, in Broadway musical 'Annie Get Your Gun' she was no fan of theatre musicals in her early days.

As a child Reba revealed she heard of but never wanted to see 'Oklahoma!' - the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical named for her home state.

Reba McEntire

"Because it was New York people writing about the place where I grew up, my attitude was kind of like, `what do you know about it?' Reba, 49, told Nu Country.

"I grew up on an 8,000-acre cattle ranch in Oklahoma. Me and my brother used to play a game we called `anything you can do I can do better.' At the time, I didn't even know it was a song."

BOOKS - MY STORY AND SEQUEL

Reba has sold nearly 50 million albums and had a swag of chart topping singles since being discovered by fellow Aussie tourist Red Steagall at a rodeo in Oklahoma City in 1974.

Texan rodeo and cowboy singer Steagall reported back to Nashville and Reba released her self-titled debut disc in 1978.

It was the first of 28 albums.

She detailed her struggle for success in her Tom Carter ghosted biography 'My Story' and also released a sequel - 'Comfort From A Country Quilt.'

NEW CD REVIEW
REBA - ROOM TO BREATHE (MCA-UNIVERSAL)

Oklahoma born rodeo graduate Reba McEntire broke from recording and touring when she played the lead in Broadway musical Annie Get Your Gun.
Reba also hosted her own TV show after a swag of movies and telemovies but returns to where she started with her self titled debut disc in 1978.
At 49 the singer may be unfashionable but has retained her main asset - the ability to jerk tears with credible passion on her 28th album in 19 years.

And she does that from regret tinged ruptured romance of entrée song Secret - where her character ponders the regret of ending a relationship.

It segues into another weeper, If I Had Any Sense Left At All from stone country writers Hank Cochran, Red Lane and Dale Dodson. the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical named for her home state.

The pathos is piled on thick in My Sister and Once You've Learned To Be Lonely - with fiddle from Alison Krauss who harmonises with Dan Tyminksy.

There's no optimism in her string heavy elegy to Alzheimer disease in Barry Dean song Moving Oleta.

But there's redemption and reprieve in Leslie Satcher-Marc Harris's Love Revival and joy in gospel laced Jerry Salley-Melissa Pierce hit I'm Gonna Take That Mountain with Sonya Isaacs and Curtis Wright harmonising and Sky Full Of Angels.

McEntire mines melancholia in her maternal He Gets That From Me and hand brake-on heart sentiments of the title track.

Reba returns to triumph in track 11 Somebody - the tale of a man's search for love being energised by a waitress - and finale It Just Has To Be This Way with fellow Oklahoman Vince Gill as her duet partner.

Sure, this doesn't break any new ground for Reba but it's a return to traditional country with little concession to crossover craving of hungry peers.

MOVIES

Reba has won wide acclaim for her roles in movies diverse as Tremors and North.
In Tremors the song 'Heart Of The Working Man,'- penned by California born, latter day Texan troubadour Tom Russell - landed on the soundtrack.

Here is a list of some of Reba's major acting roles.

The Little Rascals
The Man From Left Field
The Secret Of Giving
Is There Life Out There?
Buffalo Girls
North
Tremors
The Gambler Returns
One Night At McCool's
Forever Love
Maverick

DISCOGRAPHY

2003- Room To Breathe
2001 - Greatest Hits Volume III
1999 - So Good Together
Secret of Giving - A Christmas Collection
1998 - If You See Him
1996 - What If It's You
1995 - Starting Over
1994 - Read My Mind
1993 - Greatest Hits Volume II
1992 - It's Your Call
1991 - For My Broken Heart
1990 - Rumor Has It
1989 - Reba Live!
Sweet Sixteen
1988 - Reba
1987 - Merry Christmas To You
The Last One To Know
Reba McEntire's Greatest Hits
1986 - Whoever's In New England
What Am I Gonna Do About You
1985 - Have I Got A Deal For You
1984 - My Kind Of Country
Just A Little Love
1983 - Behind The Scenes
1982 - Unlimited
1981 - Heart to Heart
1980 - Feel The Fire
1979 - Out Of A Dream
1978 - Reba McEntire

Gold Albums

Best Of Reba McEntire, Greatest Hits Vol III, Have I Got A Deal For You, My Kind Of Country, Secret of Giving, What Am I Gonna Do About You
Platinum Albums
Whoever's In New England, Sweet Sixteen, Reba McEntire Live! The Last One To Know, Starting Over, Reba. If You See Him, So Good Together
Double Platinum Albums
What If It's You, Merry Christmas To You
Triple Platinum Albums
Greatest Hits Vol. 1, Rumor Has It, It's Your Call, Read My Mind.
Quadruple Platinum Albums
For My Broken Heart
Quintuple Platinum Albums
Greatest Hits Vol. 2

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