'The Voice' winning coach Reba McEntire shares advice for success: 'Life’s too short to be dragged down' (2024)

Reba McEntire is in celebration mode.

The legendary country singer spoke with Fox News Digital following her and Asher Havon's big win on the season 25 finale of "The Voice."

When speaking with Fox News Digital, McEntire reflected on hosting the ACM Awards and getting to see Lainey Wilson open the show with her performance of "God Blessed Texas" and "Hang Tight Honey." Wilson also won the award show's biggest accolade: entertainer of the year.

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"Oh, Lainey Wilson is so sweet. I'm so happy and proud for her. I saw her perform the night of the ACMs in Frisco, Texas. She did a marvelous job. She's a star," McEntire said. "She carries herself with such confidence, but still has fun with it."

McEntire advises up-and-coming singers to remember to always have fun. (Trae Patton/NBC via Getty Images)

McEntire then offered a few words of advice: "And that's what you're supposed to do, you're supposed to have fun, because life's too short to be dragged down and just be miserable. Lift everybody up with a smile and have fun, be nice, and Lainey is."

McEntire proved her advice is worth listening to, as the top two finalists of "The Voice" this season, HaVon and Josh Sanders, were mentored by her.

The "Fancy" singer shared HaVon was "a good student" and trusted the advice she gave him throughout every step of the competition, adding "it paid off" for him.

WATCH: Reba McEntire shares it's important to have fun because 'life's too short' to just sit there and 'be miserable'

"I'm proud of him. I think the best advice I gave you was to be yourself and trust your gift, which is the gut, because that's the way God talks to us, and he did," she explained. "He did everything I told him to do while I was coaching him. You were a good student, and it paid off."

Sanders performed "Boots On," "Go Rest High on That Mountain" and "Back to God," the latter being a duet with McEntire, while HaVon stunned the audience with performances of "I Will Always Love You," "Last Dance" and a duet with McEntire to Patti LaBelle's "One My Own."

McEntire called HaVon "a good student." (Tyler Golden/NBC via Getty Images)

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HaVon credited his confidence on stage to the level of support McEntire provided him during their coaching sessions, telling Fox News Digital their experience together taught him "that [he] can be [himself]" no matter the circ*mstances.

"Reba never made me feel any type of way, no matter how I walked in that room, and the more I felt safe, the more I was willing to peel back the layers," he told Fox News Digital. "I think when I showed her the authentic me, which was the ‘I Will Always Love You,’ no wig, a little makeup…but I felt so safe because that can become a coverage sometimes, almost a wall to protect you, and it did for me."

McEntire joked she was always "just dying to see what [HaVon was] going to come up with next" when it came to his hair and makeup, but was proud when he told her he didn't "think [he] need[ed] it anymore" and wanted to perform as himself.

When it comes to celebrating their big win, McEntire and HaVon had only one thing in mind.

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McEntire and HaVon are going to celebrate their win with cheeseburgers. (Griffin Nagel/NBC via Getty Images)

"I'm thinking about a cheeseburger tomorrow," McEntire said, with HaVon excitedly responding, "Oh me too! I haven't eaten dairy in weeks. I want a cheeseburger!"

"You know what, a strawberry malt and a cheeseburger, that's how we're celebrating," McEntire decided.

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