I’M MORE CONFIDENT Than Ever

THE ‘BORN TO FLY’ COUNTRY SINGER FINDS LIFE ONLY GETS BETTER WITH AGE

The ritual of sharing a nightly glass of wine with husband Jay Barker started out of necessity for Sara Evans. “When we got married, we instantly had seven kids together,” the singer tells Closer about her big, blended family. “So we said we were going to go outside and have a glass of wine together and talk before we went to bed. I have to have that ‘me’ time!”

Now the busy mom has something special to toast: On July 21, her CD Words will be released on the Born to Fly Records label she recently launched. “You just know that everything’s going to work out,” the budding label head says of how empowered she feels as she takes on this new career challenge at age 46. “Every year you become more confident — and I love having that confidence!”

That self-assurance is what helped the former ACM top female vocalist move on from a painful 2007 divorce and find her bliss with Jay. “It was really easy,” she says of the harmony the kids — who range in age from 12 to 18 — have shared since the beginning. “It was kind of neat.”

With her family’s support, she’s turned her wine enthusiasm into yet another new business venture: Her ONEHOPE Sara Evans Signature Series

2014 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon debuted this month, and it’s helping to raise money for school music programs. “I’m really excited,” she says, adding that there will be more projects on the horizon. “There’s so much more music to be made,” she assures, “and there’s still a lot of things I want to do in my career —a ton left to do, are you kidding? I haven’t even started!” — Ron Kelly,

with reporting by Ilyssa Panitz

Her new CD Words (out July 21) was “really fun and empowering” to work on, Sara tells Closer.

Life’s a beach for Sara and Jay’s blended family. “Every time we’re together, we do something really fun,” she says.