...Of course, the McEntire/Clarkson collaboration was only the beginning: there was Justin Timberlake, who stepped up with a song he and Matt Morris co-wrote expressly for McEntire. But the winner of 12 Academy of Country Music Awards and 7 Country Music Association Awards confesses she wasn’t sure how Timberlake’s pop leanings would suit her style. “I told Justin I was very nervous about hearing the song,” she says. “I didn’t know if it was going to be ‘Sexy Back II’ or what!”
Timberlake offered up his vocal harmonies on “The Only Promise That Remains,” a simple, beautiful Celtic love song. And along the way, became the newest name on McEntire’s list of incredibly talented pals and a recipient of the down home hospitality this true Southern lady dished up at every recording session. “After recording with Justin,” she says, “we all went out to dinner and had a great time. For Don Henley, we had Texas barbecue there for him when we were recording. You have to be the hostess. You want them to be comfortable and you want it to be a great moment for everybody. If you feed ‘em and keep ‘em full, they’ll be happy! Or at least I was.”
With that sense of fun firmly in place, McEntire shared a laugh or two with old pal Trisha Yearwood, (“She has the cutest sense of humor, and she just cracks me up. I love to be around her.”) and had a ball with longtime friends Ronnie Dunn of Brooks & Dunn, Vince Gill and Faith Hill (“She’s like my little sister!”). LeAnn Rimes was a musical inspiration (“I’m a huge fan -- she’s a great singer with a lot of soul.”) and Carole King’s excitement was contagious (“Carole was so enthusiastic. She was like, ‘Let’s do this!’”).
When it came time to record the music, all that fun and friendship translated into the perfect atmosphere to spark musical magic. “I wanted every song on the album to be wonderful,” says McEntire. “It just can’t be sterile, it’s got to have heart and soul and emotion. If the song doesn’t move me, you will not be moved when you listen to it. So that magic has to happen.”...
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