Reba McEntire, a Grammy-winning country music artist, has recorded over 30 studio albums, topped the country charts a dozen times, and been named Best Female Vocalist by the Country Music Association four times. Some of her most popular songs include “Fancy,” “Whoever’s in New England,” “Consider Me Gone,” and “Does He Love You.” Her numerous accomplishments have earned her a place in the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Early Life
Reba Nell McEntire was born on March 28, 1955, in McAlester, Oklahoma, into a family of champion steer ropers. Growing up, McEntire and her three siblings—brother Del, sometimes known as Pake, and sisters Susie and Alice—traveled to and from their father’s world championship rodeo performances. Their parents, Clark and Jacqueline McEntire, encouraged their children’s musical abilities. They spent their many lengthy vehicle drives memorizing songs and harmonizing.
When Reba was in ninth grade, she and her two younger siblings established the Singing McEntires and began performing at rodeos together. The trio eventually disintegrated, although Reba continued to perform as a solo act during her college years.
Country Music Stardom
McEntire got a break in 1974 when Red Steagall, a country music artist, saw her sing at the National Finals Rodeo. Steagall was intrigued by the young singer’s performance of the national song, so he helped her record a demo and finally signed with Mercury Records. Her debut album, Reba McEntire, was released in August 1977.
Throughout the late 1970s, the soon-to-be “Queen of Country” spent countless hours in the recording studio, composing and releasing songs. While none of her early songs were big hits, chart success was just around the way. In 1980, “You Lift Me Up (To Heaven)” debuted in the top ten of Billboard’s Hot Country Songs, commencing her famous career.
In terms of persona, McEntire remained true to her beginnings in the 1980s, relying on the boisterous rodeo girl motif in pictures and on stage. As her powerful vocal stylings evolved, so did her image, from rough-edged and rural to polished and mainstream.
When McEntire was starting out in the ’70s and ’80s, Nashville was still mainly considered a boys town. When asked how she was able to successfully transcend gender politics, McEntire replied, “As a woman, you don’t whine, you work twice as hard, and you do your job. You strive to outsmart them, outwork them, and arrive first. You help out, volunteer, and are at the front of the line. That’s what I learnt while working on the cattle ranch, and it benefited me in the music industry.”
McEntire had a phenomenal year in 1986. Her tenth studio album, Whoever’s in New England, earned her first Grammy Award, with the title tune winning Best Female Country Vocal Performance. The album’s success was largely attributed to its distinctive sound. A combination of McEntire’s more conventional twangy approach and a more popular pop sound drew a large audience, establishing the artist’s status as country royalty for years to come.
The singer, who has always been a savvy businesswoman, recognized the value of music videos to her career early on. Her first video, for the song “Whoever’s in New England,” expertly depicted a suburban housewife pained by her philandering husband and his visits up north to see a mistress. employing well-known actors and directors, the singer made full use of this visual medium to highlight the rich tales of her songwriting, employing videos to present entire and engaging stories. Her penchant for drama would later fuel an unexpected acting career, in addition to driving record sales.
Her fame continued with the 1986 album “What Am I Gonna Do About You.” The Country Music Association also honored her Entertainer of the Year and Female Vocalist of the Year for the third year running. The singer won the category again in 1987.
The momentum did not end there. McEntire went on to release hit after hit, some more highly acclaimed than others, but the majority selling in the millions. In 1990, she published Rumor Has It, which sold three million copies and became triple platinum by 1999.
On March 16, 1991, tragedy struck when a chartered jet carrying eight members of McEntire’s band crashed. There were no survivors, and the disaster left the singer dazed and reeling. McEntire returned to music and dedicated her album, For My Broken Heart, to her deceased companions. The album was a gloomy but highly successful release. In the late 1990s, she recorded duets with Brooks & Dunn and Linda Davis, which were popular among fans.
McEntire, known as the “Queen of Country,” has collaborated with artists such as Kenny Chesney, Trisha Yearwood, and LeAnn Rimes during the past 20 years.
McEntire released two albums: Room to Breathe in 2003 and Reba: Duets in 2007. Both have achieved platinum status, with Duets debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. In 2009, the album “Keep On Loving You” reached the top of the charts. In the same year, McEntire became the most nominated female solo artist in the CMA Awards’ 43-year history, overtaking Dolly Parton. She currently has 52 nominations, trailing only Miranda Lambert with 63. McEntire’s 2010 album, All the Women I Am, had the number-one country song “Turn On the Radio.”
In March 2011, the Country Music Association announced that the almost 56-year-old would be inducted into its hall of fame. However, on the day of the announcement, McEntire was back in Oklahoma with her father, who had been hospitalized after suffering a catastrophic stroke that put him in a coma. “This is a huge honor for me and something I’ve dreamed about since I was a little girl,” the country singer said in a release. “When I was a little child, my family would travel holidays to Nashville and visit the Country Music Hall of Fame. And now, being admitted is a dream come true.”
In 2017, the country singer released Sing It Now: Songs of Faith & Hope, which marked her transition to gospel music. McEntire’s new sound resonated, garnering her a Grammy for Best Roots Gospel Album. She has recorded a second gospel CD, My Chains Are Gone (2022).
McEntire was honored at the annual Kennedy Center Honors program in December of 2018. Her latest album, Not That Fancy, an acoustic collection of her hit songs, was released in early October 2023.
Acting Career
Adding to her already hectic schedule, the singer effectively transitioned from music to movies at the height of her career. In her second career, she co-starred in Tremors (1990), played a race car driver in The Little Rascals (1994), and appeared in other made-for-television films.
In 2001, the WB Network premiered Reba, a TV sitcom starring the country music diva as a divorcée attempting to raise her teenage daughter. The show aired for six seasons and earned McEntire a Golden Globe nomination. In 2001, McEntire achieved popularity on Broadway by playing Annie Oakley in a production of Annie Get Your Gun.
Reba, a singer-turned-actor, as Betsy the Cow in the 2006 version of Charlotte’s Web, alongside Dakota Fanning, Julia Roberts, and Dominic Scott Kay. McEntire appeared in a second sitcom, Malibu Country, which premiered on ABC in November 2012. However, the show aired only 18 episodes.
In 2022, she played Sunny Barnes on ABC’s Big Sky and appeared as a guest on the spinoff Young Sheldon, demonstrating her dramatic acting abilities. In 2023, she participated in the Lifetime movie The Hammer, alongside her former Reba co-star Melissa Peterman.
Personal Life
McEntire is now dating actor Rex Linn. The couple, who met on the shooting of Kenny Rogers’ movie “The Gambler Returns: The Luck of the Draw” in 1991, reconnected during the COVID-19 quarantine period. McEntire revealed that their friendship had turned romantic in October 2020.
The country star has been married and divorced twice. In 1976, McEntire married Charlie Battles, a steer wrestling champion and rancher. The couple had a ranch in Oklahoma. But in 1987, just as McEntire’s singing career was taking off, the marriage ended. Following their divorce, the singer relocated to Nashville, Tennessee, to focus on her singing.
In 1989, McEntire married her manager, Narvel Blackstock, who had three children from a previous marriage. Shelby McEntire Blackstock, the couple’s blended son, was born in 1990. The couple announced their separation in 2015, 26 years after they first met.
McEntire previously dated Anthony “Skeeter” Lasuzzo from 2017-2019.
Net Worth
According to Celebrity Net Worth, McEntire’s net worth is expected to be over $95 million in July 2023.