Reba McEntire on why 2022 Oscars performance is emotional for her
McEntire performed at the 1991 Oscars just days after a personal tragedy
Reba McEntire steps into the spotlight March 27 at the 2022 Academy Awards, joining the likes of Beyoncé and Billie Eilish to perform a best original song contender.
It's not her first time performing at the Oscars. In 1991 she performed "I'm Checkin' Out" from "Postcards From the Edge" at perhaps the most difficult time of her life: She'd lost eight members of her touring family in a plane crash just days prior.
"I was very emotional yesterday about the Oscars, because I said yes to the Oscars in '91 and then the plane crash happened," McEntire, 66, told ABC Audio and other reporters on March 24. "And then I went ahead and sang the song because I felt [road manager] Jim Hammon talking to me, saying, 'Go do it for us. We're checked out of this heartbreak hotel.'"
The "Fancy" singer said everyone's been asking if she is excited for her upcoming performance. "I don't feel excited," she admitted.
"And so I finally figured it out yesterday," she explained. "I thought if I got too excited, something could happen. So I said, 'God, I'm just gonna give it up to you,' and it lifted like a hundred pounds. We went to rehearsal and I had a great time."
McEntire is performing "Somehow You Do" from "Four Good Days," written by 13-time Academy Award nominee Diane Warren, who's yet to take home the trophy.
"Even if I wasn't singing it, I'd hope Diane would win because she's such a talented writer," the Grammy winner said. "What a gift she has."
Already known for bringing the glam -- whether hosting or performing -- McEntire is upping the ante for Hollywood's biggest night, sporting two outfits by Dolce & Gabbana.
"They flew in from Milan and we've never had this kind of treatment before," she gushed. "So it's like, 'Wow, so this is how they do it for the Oscars!'"
Tune in to watch McEntire perform at the 2022 Oscars, airing March 27 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.
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