Reba McEntire Is 'Thrilled' With Recent Career Achievements

Good things keep happening to Reba McEntire! The 63-year-old was recently one of the recipients of the Kennedy Center Honors, joining musicians like Cher, Lin-Manuel Miranda and composer Phillip Glass, among others, in receiving the honor. The blue dress she wore for the ceremony, along with the medallion, is currently on display at the Country Music Hall of Fame, as part of their American Currents exhibit, making both of them part of McEntire's biggest career achievements so far.

"Anytime I am getting to be a part of the Hall of Fame, I am thrilled to pieces," McEntire said (via ABC News). "And because it is the dress that I got to wear at the Kennedy Center Honors, it's even more special."

"That was a wonderful weekend, to get to sit up there with Cher," she continued. "And to be on that list of names, that's a big deal. It was really big to me. I think I'm the seventh of the country music family to be inducted, so I was really thrilled."

Part of the honor for McEntire was getting the chance to speak with Cher, albeit briefly, prior to the ceremony.

"The only time we really got to visit is right before the curtain went up," McEntire recalled, "and the beautiful lady came out and sang the national anthem. And [Cher] said, 'Oh my gosh, I wouldn't be able to do this. Have you ever sang the national anthem before?'"

"And I said, 'Well, to tell you the truth, that's where I got my start in the music business,'" McEntire continued. "And she said, 'Oh, okay.' That's about all we got to talk about."

The Oklahoma native is readying the release of her upcoming Stronger Than the Truth album, out on April 5.

"I grew up on an 8,000-acre family ranch singing at dance halls, honky-tonks and rodeos with my brother and sister," McEntire said of the record. "Stronger Than the Truth takes me back to that kind of country music that I grew up with. I haven't gotten to do that in a while, so I'm thrilled to pieces to release this new music."

McEntire's Stronger Than the Truth features two songs she co-wrote, including "No U in Oklahoma," which she penned with Ronnie Dunn and Donna McSpadden. The project will be out two days before McEntire returns to host the 2019 ACM Awards, which will air live on Sunday, April 7 at 8 p.m. ET, from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Photo Credit: Getty images/The Washington Post