Reba McEntire returned to the Oscars stage for the first time in 31 years at Sunday's 94th Annual Academy Awards.
The country music superstar, who celebrates her 67th birthday on Monday, performed the Diane Warren-penned “Somehow You Do” from the Mila Kunis and Glenn Close drama “Four Good Days.” The song earned a nod in the best song category this year, marking Warren’s 13th Oscars nomination.
McEntire sang the redemptive ballad in a stunning black gown with silver embellishments at the waist. She wore her red hair in an elegant updo.
The singer last graced the Oscars stage in 1991, singing the downtempo “I’m Checking Out” from the movie “Postcards from the Edge.” McEntire's emotional performance took place just says after seven members of her band and her road manager were killed in a tragic plane crash.
McEntire, who walked this year's red carpet on the arm of her boyfriend, Rex Linn, told "Entertainment Tonight" ahead of the ceremony that she was "thrilled" to be back at the Academy Awards again.
“I feel good about it. I’m getting to sing a Diane Warren song,” she said, adding that she enjoyed "Four Good Days," especially because it had a "happy ending."The harrowing movie tells the story of Molly (Kunis), a woman struggling with drug addiction who leans on her estranged mom Deb (Close) for help during her rehabilitation.
The movie, McEntire told ET, “had a wonderful message of hope... It’s got a lot of encouragement in the song and the movie, so I’m really glad to be a part of it.”
Though fans have waited more than three decades to see her perform at the Oscars again, McEntire told ET she considers Warren's graceful song the real star of the show.
“The song speaks for itself," said the singer. "I don’t think there’s any other star on the stage other than that song, so we’re going to do our best to represent it."
