Reba McEntire will be (Kennedy Center) Honored
Q: I was pleased to hear that Reba McEntire is receiving the Kennedy Center Honors this year. Has any other country-music star gotten them? – Wayne Douglas, Providence, R.I.
A: Oh, yes, though it didn’t happen until a dozen years or so into the event’s history. The other country recipients have been Roy Acuff (1991), Johnny Cash (1996), Willie Nelson (1998), Dolly Parton (2006), George Jones (2008) and Merle Haggard (2010). That may not seem like an especially large representation of the country sector, but the purpose of the Honors is to commemorate talents who have left a lasting impression on society. That can take a while to build, but we’d expect to see even more country honorees beyond Reba – also given the popularity of that genre, and besides being a prestigious award, the Kennedy Center Honors still is a television show that aims to attract a large audience.
Q: In the ads for the new show “God Friended Me,” isn’t that the same actor who was on “The Mayor” last season? – Donna Kelly, Reading, Pa.
A: Yes, it is Brandon Micheal Hall ... and his casting in the new CBS show means that television writers will have another round of telling their editors, “Yes, that’s really how he spells his middle name.” Hopes were high for “The Mayor” when ABC premiered it last fall, but the ratings were lower than what the network had anticipated, significantly enough for the show never to have returned from the end-of-year holiday break it took. “God Friended Me,” also featuring Emmywinning “Scandal” alum Joe Morton, premieres Sept. 30.