Legendary Songstress Reba McEntire Opens Up About Her Country Music Triumphs, Heartbreaking Losses, and Long Lasting Marriage in the December/January Issue of AARP The Magazine

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Nov 28, 2012, 04:26 ET

WASHINGTON, Nov. 28, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In a surprisingly candid interview with AARP The Magazine, country music sensation and star of ABC's new hit series "Malibu Country," Reba McEntire reveals that after 30 years in the business, she has no plans to slow down and she believes that the best is yet to come. Beloved for her thick-as-buttermilk accent and carefree attitude, McEntire tells it like it is, speaking on everything from what's on her bucket list, to what truly makes her heart sing.

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The following are excerpts from the December/January issue of AARP The Magazine cover story, available in homes today and online NOW at www.aarp.org/magazine.

On her marriage to husband and manager Narvel Blackstock:
"Narvel became my manager because everybody kind of patted me on the head and said, 'You've done it. Good girl.' They assumed I had peaked. Narvel was like, 'Oh, no, no, no, no, no. Here's what we could do.'"

"Narvel will go, 'OK, we've got three days; where do you want to go?' We keep it interesting."

On her best friend and son, professional race car driver Shelby Blackstock:
"From the minute I knew I was pregnant, he and I bonded. It's a special connection."

"When I found out I had interviews in L.A. the day he was running Indianapolis, I almost cried. You never quit worrying about your children."

On being comfortable with herself:
"I love what I'm doing, and I love me in my skin. Of course I'm still trying to figure out how to fix my hair, because I never learned that as a kid."

On the camaraderie of acting:
"It's something that's wanted to come out ever since I was little, at playtime with another person. That's what I absolutely love to do."

On trying new things:
"People said, 'Weren't you scared you were going to fail?' I'm not afraid of failure. I just want to try things. If they don't work out, I'll do something else."

On her early fame:
"All I knew is, you recorded a song and got on the radio, and you was a star. I thought 'OK, I'm ready.' I wanted to be Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton, Tammy Wynette, up there with that stature."

On comparisons to Dolly Parton:
"It's not that I'm a better singer. Dolly is still my idol. I still have not passed her in my eyes."

Family and friends on Reba:
"Reba totally makes it fun. There's no ego. She comes in like she's a teenager, laughing, going, 'How are yew?' Or, 'He's a mo-ron.' That accent is to die for. And that little impish grin of hers cracks me up. She's just normal, but you'd hardly call her average." – Lily Tomlin, Emmy Award-winning actress and "Malibu Country" co-star

"God gave her vocal cords of steel but he also gave her a sweet style that sounds like nobody else." "You don't want to be on her bad side…We used to do a lot of trap shooting, and she can hold her own when it comes to protecting herself" – Linda Davis, Singer

"We're best friends. We always get along. At least 99.9 percent of the time." – Shelby Blackstock, son

For the complete interview, check out http://www.aarp.org/entertainment/music/info-11-2012/red-hot-reba-mcentire-sparks-malibu.html.

About AARP The Magazine
With more than 31 million readers, AARP The Magazine is the world's largest circulation magazine and the definitive lifestyle publication for Americans 50+. AARP The Magazine delivers comprehensive content through health and fitness features, financial guidance, consumer interest information and tips, celebrity interviews, and book and movie reviews. AARP The Magazine was founded in 1958 and is published bimonthly in print and continually online. Learn more at www.aarpmagazine.org.

About AARP
AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, with a membership of more than 37 million, that helps people 50+ have independence, choice and control in ways that are beneficial to them and society as a whole. AARP does not endorse candidates for public office or make contributions to either political campaigns or candidates. We produce AARP The Magazine, the definitive voice for Americans 50+ and the world's largest-circulation magazine; AARP Bulletin, the go-to news source for the 50+ audience; AARP VIVA, a bilingual lifestyle multimedia platform addressing the interests and needs of Hispanic Americans; and national television and radio programming including My Generation and Inside E Street. The AARP Foundation is an affiliated charity that provides security, protection, and empowerment to older persons in need with support from thousands of volunteers, donors, and sponsors. AARP has staffed offices in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Learn more at www.aarp.org.

SOURCE AARP