Garth Brooks interviews Reba McEntire about ‘Not That Fancy’ album, memoir and more

Reba McEntire may have wrapped her recent tour, but she’s already looking forward to her next project: a memoir and album, which will both be titled “Not That Fancy.”

While both her book and new music won’t be released until later this year, many are excited for McEntire, including fellow country singer Garth Brooks.

“I don’t think there’s anything you can’t do,” Brooks told McEntire in an interview he had with the singer on Talk Shop Live on Monday. “Anything with Reba McEntire, I’m just a fan. I’ve always been a fan. You’ve always been so sweet to treat me like an equal -- and I just love you.”

Along with McEntire’s upcoming book, the two discussed working in country music and more. Read on to see some of the highlights.

The connection they have with their mothers

Brooks’ conversation with McEntire was a special one because the “Friends in Low Places” singer wrote the forward in her upcoming memoir.

McEntire said that she and Brooks are alike in how much they both love their mothers. She said her memoir opens with a story about her mom, who died in March 2020.

“You and I are both very blessed to have had mommas that loved us, cared for us, and we loved them so much and we miss them so much,” McEntire said. “To go out and start talking about momma, it was momma that encouraged us kids to sing, taught us how to sing, took us to our singing jobs, 13 years old, playing beer joints and honky tonks… getting up there and singin’.”

“And people would say, you’re playin’ clubs at 13? I’d say yeah, momma and daddy are sitting right there. Took us home, encouraged us, and kept us out of trouble,” she added.

One of McEntire’s songs on the upcoming album, called “Seven Minutes in Heaven,” is a tribute to her mother, she said.

“It’s a great title,” McEntire said. “Momma had passed in 2020 and so hearing that song, I said I definitely want it, but I couldn’t record it -- I mean I couldn’t sing it in the studio probably the first two or three times through. I got so choked up because if I had seven minutes in heaven, I’d know exactly what I’d do.”

She went on, “I would pass by all the formal introductions and go find momma and sit down and ask her if she gets to go fishin’ up in heaven and then I’d tell her I’ll come back and see her soon.”

Brooks’ ‘Reba Talk’: ‘Just roll up your sleeves and work’

Monday’s interview wasn’t the first time the two country stars have worked together. McEntire and Brooks both toured together in 1997. Since then, Brooks said one of the greatest lessons he’s learned from McEntire was to work hard.

“If I learned from the best ever, I learned from you. Just roll your sleeves up and go to work,” Brooks told McEntire.

He added that whenever he mentors young country artists today, he gives them the “Reba Talk.”

“Here’s the deal,” Brooks began. “You know, girls have to work a thousand times harder in this business than guys to get half as much. They just do. But people like Dolly, Reba, Trisha, you’re not gonna hear them b---- or complain, you’re just gonna see them roll up their sleeves and go out and get it done. I say that’s what you wanna do.”

“So if you’re a girl in this business, work ethic, work ethic,” he added. “If you’re a guy in this business, it will pay off if you work like a girl because man, you guys work tough, man.”

“Love that!” McEntire replied. “You’re sweet to say that.”

In terms of making music together, Brooks and McEntire haven’t recorded a duet yet, but McEntire said she would want to sing a duet next with Brooks.

“How fun would that be?” Brooks said.

“A lot of fun, lots of fun,” McEntire replied. “We would record and then we’d go out and eat and visit Rex and Trisha would join us, and we’d just have a blast.”