Reba McEntire highlights 'Not That Fancy' book, acoustic performances at Ryman appearance
In 2025, Reba McEntire will celebrate 50 years as a mainstream country artist.
If Sunday evening's Ryman Auditorium presentation "Not That Fancy: An Evening With Reba and Friends" proved anything, it highlighted that outside of her just-released cookbook and memoir, McEntire's entire life has been one uniquely prepared to engage in the level of humor and hysteria required to be a modern era country music legend.
"Fancy, schmancy, or fancy schmancy?" queried event host Melissa Petersen as the event expanded into its second hour. The comedian worked alongside McEntire from 2001-2007 in the role of Barbra Jean on the television comedy series "Reba."
Fans in the capacity-filled crowd were asked to decide whether eating food slathered in ketchup, wearing rhinestone-adorned or square-toed cowboy boots, or several notions long associated with the artist responsible for breathing a second life into Bobbie Gentry's 1970 classic "Fancy" were one of the three choices.
Often, instead of answering, the fans in attendance seemed to genuflect in the general direction of the seller of nearly 100 million records — they were too nerve-wracked by the moment to be bothered with having an answer to Peterson's humorous line of questioning.
Peterson and McEntire's almost sisterly-style friendship of 22 years was highlighted via quaint conversations onstage with Reba's brother and sister, Pake and Alice, her son, Shelby Blackstock, longtime friend Marti Fletcher and boyfriend, actor Rex Linn.
McEntire described her Oct. 10-released book as containing "good ideas to get in the kitchen, make a meal, invite over a friend, then [also] have a drink to laugh and feel good."
Via a news release, the Chockie, Oklahoma ranch-hand turned Country Music Hall of Famer added, "Okies know that the secret to a good life is to keep things simple and be thankful for what the good Lord's given you. Everything I'm doing in my life from here on out — personal or professional, doesn't matter — I'm going to have fun."
When asked to summarize the most relevant advice he'd received from his mother, Blackstock made a simple, statement:
"Be honest, show up on time, and if you say you're going to do something, do it."
The evening also involved McEntire and her former singing partner brother and her sister recalling numerous entertaining moments growing up as rodeo fanatics, ranch hands, singers and sons and daughters of Clark and Jacqueline McEntire.
About the red dress with a plunging neckline that McEntire famously wore at the 1993 Country Music Association Awards, Pake McEntire joked that his father, Clark, told the tabloids that he thought his daughter "had that red dress on backwards."
This event also highlighted that McEntire is as competitive about the rodeo as she is about Rummikub, a tile-based game combining elements of the card game rummy and mahjong. Also, the secret to McEntire's comfort while wearing seemingly impossibly outfitted garment and boot combinations onstage was revealed:
White or black men's athletic socks, frequently pulled as high as possible.
As well, numerous fans in the crowd — while also at a one-in-10 clip wearing either a red, sequined, or red and sequined outfit to match McEntire's frequent stage garb — perused copies of "Not That Fancy" included in the ticket price and handed out upon venue entry by employees of Nashville's Parnassus Books.
Over 50 recipes from McEntire's family traditions and her newly opened Reba's Place Restaurant in Atoka, Oklahoma, never-before-seen photographs and stories from Reba's personal and professional life — including how to achieve her signature hairstyles — were viewed during the onstage conversations. Also, photographic evidence of her first date with Linn — that included a drive-thru stop for fast food restaurant chain Sonic's tater tots — was provided.
Backed by a sextet playing in the round, McEntire performed intimate versions of a quintet of her favorites: "The Fear of Being Alone," "I'm A Survivor," "Seven Minutes In Heaven," "Till You Love Me" and show-closer "Fancy."
McEntire has paired with Grammy Award-winning producer Dave Cobb to record stripped-down versions of some of her favorites for an Oct. 6-released 14-track collection of music, including the new single "Seven Minutes In Heaven."
Reba's book "Not That Fancy: Simple Lessons on Living, Loving, Eating, and Dusting Off Your Boots" is also part of a limited-edition "Not That Fancy" box set that includes a copy of the new book and album, along with a Reba-branded apron and Reba-branded stationery in a custom-made album themed box currently available via https://albumstore.reba.com.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Reba McEntire highlights 'Not That Fancy' book, acoustic performances at Ryman appearance
