Reba McEntire Offers Advice to Scotty McCreery and Lauren Alaina

Reba McEntire, the Renaissance woman whose mountain of career credits include top-rated performances on Broadway, TV and arena tours -- and, of course, top charting recordings -- understands the difficulties new performers face.

Perhaps that's why her advice to and support of music newcomers Scotty McCreery and Lauren Alaina is so heartfelt.

"It's tough getting in this business. I'm their No. 1 cheerleader," McEntire tells St. Louis Today. "I wish the best for all of them. It's a lot different from when I got started. I didn't have a No. 1 record for five or six years. It's a faster-paced business nowadays, without the patience it used to have."

Now on her All the Woman I Am Tour, McEntire says the best way for newcomers to excel is to make song selection "the most important thing. You've got to find that right thing for you."

In a way, McEntire faced a similar challenge recently when she selected her concert set list from her own extensive catalogue.

"It's very hard after that many singles and that many albums. What you're wanting to do is what the audience came to hear, and I want to play my own favorites," she says. "I try to mix it up. I don't want to leave out someone's favorite. I've gone back and asked fans what's their favorite and it's always 'Fancy.'"

Other fan favorites, she says, include 'Is There Life Out There,' 'I'm a Survivor,' 'Does He Love You,' and 'Whoever's in New England.'

Watch the Reba McEntire 'Fancy' Video