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Reba McEntire said she and Dolly Parton have no plans to retire from the entertainment industry.
McEntire, 70, recently caught up with PEOPLE for the publication’s cover story. PEOPLE shared clips of the conversation online on Tuesday (October 21), and it will hit stands on Friday (October 24). During the interview, McEntire reflected on a conversation she shared with Parton, 79, when the “9 to 5” hitmaker appeared as a guest star on Reba. McEntire starred as the title character of the early 2000s sitcom, which also included Christopher Rich, Steve Howey, JoAnna Garcia Swisher, Scarlett Pomers and Mitch Holleman in the cast.
“Dolly and I have talked about that an awful lot, when she did the Reba show. And I said, ‘are you going to retire?’ She said, ‘why would I? What in the world could I do and have as much fun as what I’m doing in this job right now?’ And I agree with her 100%,” McEntire said in an interview clip that PEOPLE shared on Instagram. “I mean, we’ve got the greatest job. To entertain people, to lift them up, make them smile. So, boy, if I can find a better job than what I’ve got, I’m going to go do it. So, retiring, no. Slow down, maybe, but no chances of — and no plans of — retiring.”
Some of McEntire’s Reba cast mates have appeared as guest stars in her current sitcom, Happy’s Place, which features the country artist as Bobbie, “a tough but lovable woman who inherits her late father’s Tennessee tavern - only to discover that her new co-owner is also the half-sister she never knew she had,” per NBC. “They couldn’t be more different, but they’ll navigate this new life together... because at Happy’s Place, everyone is family.” The Happy’s Place cast also includes McEntire’s fiancé, Rex Linn, plus Belissa Escobedo, Pablo Castelblanco, Tokala Black Elk and Reba co-star Melissa Peterman. The second season is set to premiere on November 7.
“To continue having fun at what I’m doing, that’s my goal,” McEntire told PEOPLE. “For Rex and I to stay happy, for the show to continue. How about a third, fourth, fifth season of Happy’s Place? I would love that. It’d be so much fun. And then to still have my music, releasing new music, or just to get out and to perform songs that I’ve been recording for the last 50 years.And people get to listen to those and sing along. That makes me happy.”