CMT Blog: Reba McEntire

Although the song is 15 years old, and it never went to No. 1, Reba McEntire continues to include the dramatic ballad, "And Still," in her set list. For example, it was a highlight of her recent Invitation Only episode on CMT, which comes out on DVD on Tuesday (Feb. 9). In this vintage video, McEntire portrays a missionary in Central America who crosses paths with a former boyfriend. As the home movies flicker in her imagination, the old flame suddenly burns her with an unexpected twist. To this day, that devastating surprise ending gets me every time. When McEntire accepted CMT's Johnny Cash video visionary award in 2004, she was asked which of her videos stuck out most in her memory and she mentioned this one. It's a favorite of mine, too. Check out "And Still."

For every fan who thinks country music is all about hot shot newcomers, consider this. In a story that ran in the New York Times on New Year's Eve, the writer puts Nashville up on a pedestal for what he calls an "enduring pension plan for cherished acts," listing Reba McEntire, Tim McGraw, George Strait, Brooks & Dunn, Alan Jackson, Toby Keith and Kenny Chesney, who have proven their resilience over the years. They have all been releasing albums for a long, long time and continue to stay at the top of their game. There's not a has-been in the bunch.

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Zac Brown Band's "Toes" is No. 1 on a list of the most requested country dance club songs in 2009. I can't picture that, but then again, I can't really picture dancing to any of the songs on the list. There are a lot of mid-tempo songs on it, and I am from the generation that thinks there are two kinds of dancing: fast and slow. So this gray area in the middle? Not for me. But if you're looking for fun music that makes people feel like getting their groove on, here is the rest of the list ranked by popularity and compiled from club owners, DJs and dance instructors: "Boots On," Randy Houser; "She's Country," Jason Aldean; "Cowboy Casanova," Carrie Underwood; "Wild at Heart," Gloriana; "Honky Tonk Stomp," Brooks & Dunn; "People Are Crazy," Billy Currington; "I Want a Cowboy," Reba McEntire; "Cheater, Cheater," Joey & Rory; and "Barefoot and Crazy," Jack Ingram.

Photo credit: John Chiasson/Getty Images

Many of my top albums from 2009 are by some of my longtime favorite artists. So as we prepare to enter a new decade, I'd like to acknowledge the musicians who have been creating notable music since long before some contemporary country artists were even born. For example, Reba McEntire notched her first Top 10 hit in 1980. George Strait wasn't far behind when "Unwound" arrived a year later. In an astonishing feat of longevity, McEntire's Keep on Loving You and Strait's Twang both debuted atop the Billboard 200 this year, tracking sales among all genres of music. I can't even tell you how eager I am to see these two on tour together in 2010.

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Maybe a movie with Vince Vaughn? Or a new sitcom with Reba McEntire? Or an indie film in Nashville? The world is Lance Smith's oyster now that he has said his goodbyes at CMT, where he was the host of CMT's Top 20 Countdown for nearly a decade and what felt like forever. Entertainment Weekly got him to open up not just about his past (he cried on the final episode, he loved interviewing Blake Shelton and he recited one show entirely in Seussian rhymes) but also about what is next for him. "In January, my wife and I are packin' up the truck and movin' out West. Like the Beverly Hillbillies, I'm gonna have my grandmother on top of the car with a rocking chair, and we're gonna point at all the concrete ponds everybody has," he says. "I'm going to L.A. kinda as an unknown, but with a helluva resumé." We wish you all the luck in the world out there, Lance.

As a companion piece to a recent story about a dozen of my favorite country albums of the decade, I came up with this playlist representing my top tunes of the 2000s. To narrow it down to just 20 selections, I enlisted two requirements: That the song climbed to No. 1 on Billboard's country airplay chart and that I still enjoy hearing it whenever it comes on. I have personal stories tied to pretty much all of these tracks, and I bet they will trigger a lot of memories for you, too.

"I Hope You Dance," Lee Ann Womack
"Angry All the Time," Tim McGraw
"Somebody Like You," Keith Urban
"She'll Leave You With a Smile," George Strait
"Travelin' Soldier," Dixie Chicks
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It's really all about adoption. But the CBS special, A Home for the Holidays With Faith Hill, has plenty of music in store for country fans, too. Carrie Underwood, Reba McEntire and more will appear with Hill on the show airing Wednesday (Dec. 23) at 8 p.m. ET. And from the promos, it looks like there will be a combination of big hits and Christmas music. So be sure to set your DVRs for that and for all the special stories about families who have adopted and the kids who are still out there looking for a forever home. Any great country singer can put on a holiday special and invite big name guests to perform, but given Hill's own adoption back story, this 11th annual A Home for the Holidays special will come from the heart and get us all in the spirit of the season.

Want to hear Merle Haggard do "To All the Girls I've Loved Before" from a San Antonio show in 1984? Or the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band goofing around in 1983 on Rodney Crowell's "American Dream" at the Lone Star Café in NYC? Also from 1983, at the Appalachian Fair in Tennessee, you can hear Reba McEntire singing "There Ain't No Future in This." You could pretty much spend all day on this site and not hear one single bad country song. There are said to be more than 5,000 live recordings made between 1966 and 1999, that come straight (and legally) from the archives of Bill Graham Presents, the concert production company established by the iconic rock promoter who died in a helicopter crash in 1991. It's no big deal these days to stream music on your computer, but this is vintage, classic stuff. And it's live. And it's free. I can think of no better way to escape the family craziness this week than spending a little time in Wolfgang's Vault.

Reba McEntire always shows up in the most unexpected places. First in a hilarious Saturday Night Live skit with Andy Samberg a few weeks ago -- oh wait, that wasn't Reba? Well, there's no mistaking her distinctive voice on a new duet of "Blue Christmas" with stellar singer Andrea Bocelli. In the spirit of unexpected pairings, I've compiled a list of my favorite country Christmas songs with some selections that you probably haven't heard on country radio. Hopefully you'll find a few surprises.

"Let It Snow," Alison Brown Quartet
"Blue Christmas," Andrea Bocelli with Reba McEntire
"Last Night (I Went to See Santa)," Big Bad Voodoo Daddy
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After all those CMA Awards were handed out last month to Taylor Swift, Brad Paisley and Lady Antebellum, it looks like the real fun began when the lights went down. And finding these after-party photo galleries makes me wish I'd pulled a Michaele and Tareq Salahi. Had I crashed these exclusive celebrations like they did at the White House, I'd be right there in these pictures with Darius Rucker and Lady Antebellum's Hillary Scott, and the one with Jennifer Nettles and Vince Gill, or cozying up to Blake Shelton and Randy Travis. There are also good ones of Julianne Hough with Billy Currington, and of Taylor Swift and Reba McEntire. But even without me in them, it's fun to browse through and see how the stars look hours after the red carpet and performances and awards. And as long as I'm flipping through virtual photo galleries, I found another one on the Tennessean's site that shows Taylor Swift's year in pictures.

Photo credit: Frederick Breedon/Getty Images