Reba McEntire

Reba McEntire

   Reba McEntire was raised around country music. Her mother had plans of going out and becoming a country star, but chose the simple life of a school teacher. Mrs. McEntire taught her children to harmonize with each other. The three younger children, Reba included, joined together to make the band the Singing McEntires. They would travel around and sing at rodeos that their father competed at. They recorded "The Ballad of John McEntire" on an indie label. Once they got older they split up and went their separate ways.

   After Reba graduated college, she was singing the national anthem at a rodeo in Oklahoma City. She was discovered  by Red Steagall who was also performing that night. He offered her an opportunity to go to Nashville and become a country artist. In 1975, she came out with two albums and multiple singles but they did not have much success. Many critics thought she had more potential that the record company was giving her. They were making her into a cookie cutter country pop star. In 1984, she moved to MCA Records. Here Reba stood up to the original producer of her album saying that she did not want to be country pop anymore. She was so dissatisfied with the label's sound she went to the president of the label. He told her to pick her sound. Her next album came out and produced two number one hits. Critics fell in love with her, saying was "the first women country singer since Kitty Wells." 

   That year she won the CMA award for Female Vocalist of the Year. Through out the 1980s she came out with multiple albums with her traditional country sound but for her Whoever's in New England album she changed her sound to be more mainstream. The album her her first Grammy. In the same year she won the highest award at the CMA's, Entertainer of the Year. A few months later What Am I Gonna Do About You but the album did not have the same success. In 1987, she came out with her twelfth studio album, Last One to Know. The next album, Reba, got bad reviews but hit number one on Billboard Country Charts and held two number one hits. Reba began to come out with pop music and started being predictable according mo many critics. 

   In 1991, tragedy struck Reba and her band. A plane carrying eight members of her band crashed into a mountain because of poor visibility. Later that year, she came out with For My Broken Heart and dedicated it to the lost band members. Throughout the 1990s Reba continued to come out with chart topping singles and albums including "Does He Love You?", a duet with her backup singer, Linda Davis. In 2001, Reba came out with her third greatest hits album. It included the song "I'm a Survivor" which was the theme song to her television series, Reba. Her career continues to grow and is an icon in the country music world.