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November 27 - December 3, 2017 Page 3 ACROSS 1. "__ __ Paradise" 9. Role on "Roseanne" 10. Way out 11. Max __ Sydow 13. Long-running Broadway play 15. Tabriz resident 17. "To Tell the Truth" host Anthony 18. "Hot __ Cleveland" 20. Actress Sandra 21. Adams or Johnson 23. "__ of Practice" 24. One of Winnie the Pooh's friends 25. "The 5 __. Buchanans" (1994-95) 26. "Studio 60 __ the Sunset Strip" 29. Initials for the star of "Amen" 30. "__, Texas" 34. Piece of playground equipment 36. Odor smelled briefly 38. Suffix for dirt or blood 39. As busy as __ __ 42. Natalie Cole's dad 43. Judge on "The Gong Show" (2) DOWN 1. Prohibi 2. __-Kat Otto; role on "American Housewife" 3. Pay attention to 4. Alimony recipient 5. Tea Leoni's age 6. Mayberry's jailbird 7. Lendl of tennis 8. "__-Stop"; 2014 Liam Neeson movie 9. Role on "Criminal Minds" (2) 12. "The __ __"; drama series starring Eoin Macken 14. Pen contents 16. Howard, for one 19. "High __"; Gary Cooper classic 20. "Yours, Mine & __"; 2005 Dennis Quaid film 22. Word in the title of Howie's game show 23. Initials for Felix Unger's roommate 27. __ Caesar 28. Vice President Humphrey's monogram 30. Calf-length skirt 31. "Let's Make a __" 32. Actress __ Verdon 33. Slight coloring 35. Actor Ayres 37. "My Big __ Greek Wedding" 40. Initials for the star of "Maude" 41. Series for Laura Innes, once Solution on page 2 CoverStory By Jay Bobbin © Zap2it Reba McEntire's history with "CMA Country Christ- mas" dates back to the first edition, but for the first time, she's the host. The iconic singer-ac- tress welcomes a number of her peers to the Country Music Association's eighth annual ABC yuletide spe- cial, airing Monday, Nov. 27. The timing is good for her, since her seasonal album that had a limited re- lease last year — "My Kind of Christmas," encompass- ing standards from "Jingle Bells" and "Winter Wonder- land" to "White Christmas" and "O Holy Night" — is getting broader distribution this holiday season, with several extra songs added. Taped earlier in the month at Nashville's leg- endary Grand Ole Opry House, "CMA Country Christmas" finds McEntire succeeding seven-time host Jennifer Nettles (who says she "loves" passing that baton to her). Guests include Luke Bryan, Lady Antebellum, Alan Jackson, Little Big Town, Trisha Yearwood, Brett Eldredge, gospel great CeCe Winans and Kelsea Ballerini (with whom McEntire did a duet at the recent CMA Awards). "I'm really excited about getting to do it," confirms McEntire, a winner of two Grammys and numer- ous other awards who maintains that "it's always very important" to get the right mix of holiday music whether for the special or an album. "For a Christmas al- bum, a gospel album or a regular album, I try to find songs that touch my heart ... and that way, when I sing them, they'll touch your heart, too," she reflects. "If that happens, I've done my job. We go from a fast ditty of a song to something real complex that will make you cry. It's a roller coaster of emo- tions, and that's the way I like to have an album. It really piques your interest." McEntire cites Christmas music among her main inspirations as an artist, reasoning that it "ties into being at home and being with family and friends around the holiday season. You do a lot of singing at Christmas time." With that in mind, McEntire is pleased "My Kind of Christ- mas" is getting a fresh run now: "My record label said, 'Let's give another treat- ment to it,' so we added four songs. One is with Vince Gill and Amy Grant, one is with Darius Rucker, and Lauren Daigle sang 'Back to God' with me with just a pianist." Reba McEntire hosts "CMA Country Christmas" Monday on ABC. Reba McEntire celebrates another 'CMA Country Christmas'

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