The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts announced that Reba McEntire will be one of the four honorees at the 2018 Kennedy Center Honors. Reba will follow in the hallowed footsteps of past Kennedy honorees Merle Haggard, Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, Loretta Lynn and more.
“The Kennedy Center Honors recognizes exceptional artists who have made enduring and indelible marks on our culture,” said Kennedy Center chairman David M. Rubenstein. “Country songstress Reba McEntire has inspired us over four decades with her powerhouse voice and music that conveys heartfelt, heart-warming honesty.”
In addition to Reba, the 2018 class includes Cher, Philip Glass and Wayne Shorter.
The 41st Kennedy Center Honors ceremony takes place on Dec. 2 in Washington, D.C. The show will be broadcast on CBS on Dec. 26 at 9 p.m. ET.
Reba’s Kennedy Center Honors’ bio is below.
Multi-media entertainment mogul Reba McEntire has become a household name through a flourishing career that spans music, television, film, theater, and retail. She marked her 13th summit as Sing It Now: Songs of Faith & Hope topped both the Billboard Country and Christian/Gospel charts, bolstering McEntire’s successful record of 35 No. 1 singles and over 56 million albums sold worldwide across four decades. The double-disc collection earned McEntire her third Grammy Award® and first GMA Dove Award. The Country Music Hall of Fame, Grand Ole Opry, and Hollywood Bowl member has also won 16 ACM Awards, 15 American Music Awards, 9 People’s Choice Awards, and 6 CMA Awards. Her leadership and philanthropic endeavors have been recognized with the Andrea Bocelli Foundation Humanitarian Award, Leadership Music Dale Franklin Award, the Music Biz Chairman’s Award, the National Artistic Achievement Award from the U.S. Congress, and with joining the Horatio Alger Association.
McEntire returned for the 15th time to host the ACM Awards in April and led the 2017 ratings-high CMA Country Christmas television special. In 2005, she partnered with Dillard’s to launch her own lifestyle brand, and launched the REBA by Justin™ collection at select retailers nationwide for holiday 2017. The Oklahoma native is an acclaimed actress with 11 movie credits to her name, a lead on Broadway in Annie Get Your Gun, and starred in the six-season television sitcom, Reba. As part of the longest-running Country act in The Colosseum’s history, she will join with superstar pals for another round of Reba, Brooks & Dunn: Together in Vegas at Caesars.
photo by Tammie Arroyo, AFF-USA.com
