Susie McEntire’s family is so busy performing and recording music for a living that they hardly ever sing together for the holidays, she said in a telephone interview Thursday morning. Susie is the sister of country music star Reba McEntire, but directed her talents to the country gospel side of American music. She was named Artist of the Year several times in the field of Positive Country Music, and scored No. 1 singles on the Positive Country radio charts. She will perform Dec. 19 in the Lakeview Middle School auditorium. Doors for “A Country Christmas with Susie McEntire Benefitting Toys for Tots” will open at 6:30 p.m., with the show starting at 7:30 p.m. The concert is free, but concert organizers are asking for a donation or a new, unwrapped present to benefit the local Toys for Tots. “We’re excited about playing there,” Susie said. The Warsaw performance is her last before the Christmas holiday. After the Dec. 19 concert, she said she will turn her attention to home and the holidays. Each year her family gathers at her mama’s house for Christmas. Her father died in October so he won’t be there, and Reba usually only joins the family for Thanksgiving. “We gather, eat, tell stories and just be together,” Susie said. “Most of our family lives close. Reba is the only one that lives way off. We have a tight-knit family that loves to get together. Every opportunity we get we try to get together.” Her daughter will be home for Christmas this year, she said, and that will make it extra special. The Christmas tree was put up at Thanksgiving. It was in 1984 when Susie decided to sing Christian country. “My marriage was falling apart. We needed more spirituality in our lives,” she said, recalling that God called her to sing for Him. Susie said she sings positive country music. It may not necessarily mention Jesus or God, but it encourages people to have hope and faith. It lifts people up. “Just singing positive songs that help people through their bad circumstances,” she said. Asked how she is able to stay positive, she said she looks back on her life and sees that things she worried about 25 years ago weren’t really as big as she made them out to be. In part, she said God has always provided her with opportunities, and that experience has helped her to trust Him more. Some people might say Susie can stay positive because Reba is her sister. Susie said Reba has definitely opened some doors for her, but so has God. A door recently opened when Susie recorded the single “Give” with John Clark Blackwell in Nashville in fall 2013. It moved up the ICMA charts to top out at No. 1 in May. The song was nominated for Vocal Duet of the Year. “I knew it was a great song,” Susie said. Country star LeAnn Rimes previously recorded it and it was a hit for Rimes, too. “I knew the song could be effective. I knew it would touch people’s lives,” Susie said. She also recorded “Live in Florida: Rough Cuts,” her first live album. For the record, she performed three Reba songs, a Merle Haggard song and her husband, Mark, joins her on “Fall Down.” Susie said when she listens to the album, all she hears are the mistakes, but people seem to enjoy it. “If you listen to it with a critical ear, you will hear the mistakes and holes, but people like it live. I was told it’s fresh and you can hear my regular voice,” she said. When a song is recorded in the studio, she said the recording process can alter the sound of the voice. One man told her the live album has “life” in it. With the success of the first live album, Susie said she plans to record another one, also in Florida. Her next recorded album will be “Chase the Wind,” which was recorded before the live album. Her Christmas album is “I’ll Be Home for Christmas,” which features a variety of holiday songs. That variety will be a part of the Dec. 19 performance in Warsaw when Mark will join Susie on stage. He will sing a part of “Silent Night’ in German. She said it will be a great night that also benefits Toys for Tots. “Toys for Tots has done so much to lift the spirits of children who may not otherwise get a Christmas,” she said. A choir from Warsaw Christian School will perform with her during the show. “I just want people to come out and enjoy. I know people have a lot of parties and events planned, but I just want them to come out and enjoy an evening of Christmas,” Susie said. “If you like Reba, I’m sure you’ll like me.”
