Reba McEntire to receive CMT's Johnny Cash Visionary Award

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- It seems a little thing, but it left a big impression on Reba McEntire.

Almost 20 years ago, McEntire was staying at a Holiday Inn in the Northeast when the video for her hit song "Whoever's In New England" came on HBO.

"In between movies they played music videos, and right after mine they played one by Aretha Franklin," she says. "I was floored by that, to even be in the same breath as Aretha Franklin."

McEntire went on to become one of country music's most successful singers -- as well as a successful actress and author. April 21, she'll receive Country Music Television's Johnny Cash Visionary Award.

The award -- renamed this year in honor of Cash, who died Sept. 12 -- will be presented during CMT's Flame Worthy Video Music Awards show. Hosted by Dolly Parton, the fan-voted awards show airs live from Nashville at 7 p.m.

"I'm very honored," McEntire told The Associated Press last week. "To be put in that category is a huge honor."

The award recognizes an artist's musical vision, innovative videos and pioneering initiatives. The Dixie Chicks won it two years ago, the first year it was given, and Cash received it last year.

McEntire is an easy choice. She's sold more than 50 million albums, played the lead role in the Broadway production of Irving Berlin's "Annie Get Your Gun," starred in movies and in her own hit TV series, and written two books including a best-selling autobiography.

"She's taken country music into places it wouldn't normally go," said CMT General Manager Brian Philips. "And she just handles it so effortlessly. If someone told me tomorrow that there's a new NASA program and we're sending Reba to the moon, I'd say 'Good, she'll be a fine astronaut.' Anything is possible with her."

McEntire was one of the first country stars to see the potential of music video. Philips said she approached them as short dramatic pieces -- an unusual concept for country video at the time.

"She's been heavily imitated," Philips said. "I can probably reach into the stack of videos we got last week and find maybe five things that Reba did."

In 1986's "Whoever's in New England," she portrayed a housewife worried that her husband was having an affair in Massachusetts. In "Fancy" she played a former prostitute, and in "The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia" an old woman with a secret to tell.

"I thought it would be a great avenue to put a name, face and song together in a neat package," McEntire said. "I always loved story songs, so to put that song in a story video was even better."

She credits her video work with giving her the confidence to seek movie roles.

"After all of the videos, I figured it was something I could do," she said. "I never did any acting until videos."

McEntire, who turned 50 last month, grew up on a cattle ranch in Oklahoma, where her father, Clark McEntire, was a champion calf roper.

After being discovered by cowboy singer Red Steagall in 1974, she struggled through the late '70s to build a singing career in Nashville. She scored her first major hit in 1980 with "(You Lift Me Up) to Heaven." Her other No. 1 hits include "Little Rock" and "What Am I Gonna Do About You."

Her movie debut was in 1990's "Tremors," which starred Kevin Bacon. Her other feature films and TV movies include "North," "The Little Rascals," "The Gambler Returns," "The Man From Left Field," "Buffalo Girls," "Is There Life Out There," "Forever Love" and "One Night at McCools."

McEntire also is still making videos. She's nominated this year in CMT's female video of the year category for "I'm Gonna Take That Mountain," a song from her latest album "Room to Breathe."

"I think videos are very important," McEntire said. "The video is another time for that song to be played and for fans to see you. That exposure is important."

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