Kathie Lee Gifford doesn’t like the phrase “reinvent yourself.” (“For how can I reinvent myself when I never invented myself to begin with? God created me, and He created you too,” she says.) She’s not a big fan of the word “retire” either.
So, when the beloved television host left big city life after decades in front of a camera, she was ready to “re-fire”—a term she much prefers to the others. On April 5, 2019, after 11 years on the TODAY Show with her co-host and now dear friend Hoda Kotb, she said “goodbye to TODAY and hello to tomorrow.”
Gifford describes a day of “great joy” when she flew to Nashville to celebrate with friends. Little did she know Nashville would become the place where she would write the next chapters of her life with, among other things, the publication of her latest book, It's Never Too Late, where she shares her personal life story along with insights, wisdom, and inspiration for women who are facing their own changes.
Kathie Lee Gifford
Age: 67
Sweet Home Nashville:
I’d spent years coming to Nashville. In fact, I spent a year here shooting the sitcom Hee Haw Honeys in 1978. I recorded several albums with Warner Brothers, and shot the TODAY Show during the CMA Festival. I found the people of Nashville to be great fun and truly kindhearted—good people as a whole. I moved from Connecticut to Nashville in 2019 after 11 years on NBC’s TODAY Show. I had purchased a small townhouse several months before, deciding it was best not to invest too much if it turned out that I wasn’t as happy there as I had hoped. But I discovered almost immediately that Nashville was even more fun and exciting than I could have dreamed. I had a beautiful group of friends, a loving community of fellow believers, and an extraordinary pool of insanely talented writers to work with. I could not wait to get settled in and begin a brand-new life.
Graceful transitions:
As the years passed, life brought many changes. Our kids moved to Southern California to pursue their dreams. [My husband] Frank passed away in our sunroom and my precious mother, Joanie, died two years later. This once magnificent, bustling, filled-to-the-rafters-with-music-and-laughter home became a large, looming reminder of all that I had lost in my life. We’d had a daily tradition of toasting the sunset every evening. Now I’d go outside with my dogs and watch the dimming rays with crushing sadness. I couldn’t do it anymore. I went through the motions for the next few years—getting up early, climbing in the car for the commute to New York, and smiling and laughing for our wonderful viewers one TODAY after another. I cried out to God for an answer, and as always, He spoke to my heart from His Word. “I know the plans I have for you . . . plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” ( Jer. 29:11). In 2017 I had given notice to my bosses at NBC that I would be leaving the show to finally follow my childhood dreams of movies and music. While they understood, they pleaded with me to stay. But I’ve always had a keen sense of finality about certain things. I’ve come to understand it’s a moving of the Holy Spirit, a voice I’ve learned to listen to and trust.
Writing the chapters of life:
I’ve collaborated on so many wonderful [literary] projects—too many to talk about! Some of them made the New York Times bestseller list. This year I released Hello, Little Dreamer, to encourage children to try new things and to teach them they have a God-given purpose. It’s Never Too Late came about when my publisher came to me and felt that there was a void in the marketplace for a book about never giving up on dreams and trying to make the final chapters of life the best chapters. I always felt strongly that we should never give up on our dreams until we’ve breathed our last breath. I never intended to take a stroll down memory lane while I was writing this book. What began as a book that would help us all remember “we’re not done yet” turned into a lot of looking back. As I was writing, I realized the importance of knowing not only where you are but also where you’ve been and what got you there. That perspective can help you figure out where you want to go next. Is there something you’ve put up on a shelf, telling yourself, “maybe someday” or “I could never do that ...”? It might be time to dust that thing off and take another look. Or maybe, like me, you found yourself in a velvet rut that simply makes it too easy to stay. Give yourself the gift of dreaming.
The future looks bright:
I look forward to someday being a grandmother—or better yet “Glam-ma!” I’m working on films featuring my oratorios, which are all about the character of God. I released my third Hallmark film, and the movie Then Came You. I will receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. (All dependent on what happens with the COVID-19 virus, of course.) None of this overwhelms me; it excites and inspires me. So, what’s next? I don’t know, and that’s the point. I can make the rest of my life what I want it to be. I can fill it up with people and have a celebration, sit by the fire and write an oratorio, or sit alone and have a pathetic pity party. For the very first time, it’s my choice to make. If I wake up every morning and I still have a pulse, that means I still have a purpose, too. Dream with me. Because it’s never too late to dream.