REBA AND BLAKE, TV STARS

OCTOBER 25, 2012 - REBA AND BLAKE, TV STARS 

We talked earlier this week about Blake Shelton's interview in Cowboys and Indians Magazine, and how he was influenced by Reba's success.  With Reba growing up in Oklahoma too, Blake felt inspired that he could achieve success.  Reba's new TV sitcom Malibu Country begins airing in November, and Blake's show The Voice is currently airing.  They are both successful in their own country music venue, and are enjoying the added success that television allows.

ROCK STAR PROVIDED IDEA FOR NEW REBA TV SHOW

Reba's new sitcom, Malibu Country – which premieres on November 2 on ABC – actually stems from an idea from the Eurythmics' Dave Stewart. Reba tells Newsday, "Dave Stewart was on an airplane to L.A. from Nashville with my oldest son Brandon. They were asking each other what they do, and Dave told Brandon that he had a sitcom idea. He told it to him, and Brandon said, 'Why don't you get Reba McEntire to do it?' Dave said, 'Oh, she's already got a TV show.' Brandon said, 'No, that got canceled in 2006.' And Dave said, 'Well, email this idea to her!' And I fell in love with it." Reba also shares that her new show is something she's been looking for. She says, "I didn't want to leave television when ('Reba') got canceled. I was having so much fun, and we still had so many stories to tell, I was looking for a new show all this time."

COUNTRY STANDS OUT TO SHELTON

Country music has been gaining a lot of popularity lately, whether it's country singers starring on TV talent search shows or the new primetime drama Nashville showing on ABC, this genre is very much a part of today's pop culture. Blake Shelton is part of the country craze that's sweeping the nation as he coaches on NBC's The Voice and he recognizes a couple things about this genre that distinguishes it from the rest. Shelton tells Cowboys & Indians magazine, "Lyrically, country music is so in-depth. There are writers who spend days, weeks, months, sometimes a year on one song. And making sure they're writing something special. Sure, sometimes it might only take 15 minutes. But they're always making sure they're writing something that connects with people. It's not about a gimmick. It's about things that are relatable for people that they can understand -- it's not over their heads." And number two he adds, "It's easy to sing along to, and it's easy to understand. When you're in your car and you're driving from work back home, you don't want to think too hard about what you're listening to on the radio. You want to smile or have a moment when you go back to something in your life that you like to remember. I think with pop and rock these days the music gets away from that a little bit."