Reba McEntire’s life and career is a powerful journey of resilience, reinvention, and rebellion in the world of country music. Born in 1955 in rural Oklahoma, Reba grew up working on her family’s ranch while singing with her siblings in the “Singing McEntires.” Her talent was discovered at a 1974 rodeo, launching her move to Nashville with her mother, where they faced poverty and rejection before Reba landed a record deal.
After years of struggling for chart success, she scored her first No. 1 hit in 1983 with “Can’t Even Get the Blues” and left Mercury Records for MCA, where she embraced traditional country and earned acclaim with albums like My Kind of Country. Her popularity surged through the ’80s, winning multiple CMA awards, and she stunned the industry in 1993 with a daring red dress at the CMA Awards that sparked nationwide controversy. In 1991, tragedy struck when a plane crash killed seven of her band members, prompting her emotional album For My Broken Heart. She transitioned into TV with her hit sitcom Reba, launched a successful fashion line, and continued releasing chart-topping music.