Reba McEntire Biography

Reba Nell McEntire (born on March 28, 1955) is a Grammy Award-winning singer and one of the best-selling country music performers of all time. She is often called the "Queen of Country Music" [1] [2] and is known for her lively stage show and pop-tinged ballads that include 22 #1 hits. She has issued 29 albums, with more than 50 million records [3] sold as of 2006.

Reba McEntire was born in Chockie, Oklahoma to Clark Vincent McEntire and Jacqueline Smith (a sharecropper's daughter); she grew up learning to ride in rodeos as well as play music. She soon formed a band with her sisters, Alice and Susie, and her brother, Pake, known as "The Singing McEntires," and the quartet had a local hit with "The Ballad of John McEntire," a tribute to their grandfather. After McEntire sang the "Star Spangled Banner" at the National Rodeo Finals in Oklahoma City in 1974, Red Steagall suggested that she go to Nashville, Tennessee to pursue a solo career. Around the time of the release of her first album, she married Charlie Battles, a professional steer wrestler and bulldogger, and completed her teaching degree, in case her musical career floundered.

With a contract to Mercury Records, McEntire began her professional career with a hard honky tonk sound, which didn't go over well at a time when country music was dominated by outlaw country artists like Willie Nelson and David Allan Coe.

"Three Sheets in the Wind"/"I'd Really Love to See You Tonight" became her first charting single in 1978 (see 1978 in music), and was followed by the bigger hit "(You Lift Me) Up to Heaven" (1980, 1980 in music). With more pop-oriented balladry, McEntire began to expand her audience during the early 1980s, signing to MCA Records in 1984 (see 1984 in music) and becoming one of the best-selling country artists of all time, releasing three volumes of greatest hits collections.

Her first number one single came in 1982 with "Can't Even Get The Blues No More." Since then, she's released 21 more chartbusters, which are all recapped on Reba's #1's released on November 22, 2005. The two-disc compilation features all 22 number one singles (according to Billboard magazine) in chronological order, including two new tracks "You're Gonna Be" and "Love Needs A Holiday." Though officially she has had 22 number one singles in Billboard magazine, her Reba's #1's release contains a total of 33 hit singles.

She won the Female Vocalist of the Year award from the Country Music Association four times in a row (a record she holds with Martina McBride), and had dozens of Top Ten hits during the 80s. For her contribution to the recording industry, Reba McEntire has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 7000 Hollywood Blvd. In 1995, she was inducted into the Western Performers Hall of Fame at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

Renowned for her flashy stage performances, she was the first woman to have the highest grossing concert tour in country music. In 1994 and 1995, her stage show outgrossed all other country artists, and her 1997 package tour with Brooks & Dunn was the largest grossing tour in country music history at the time. Recently however, she has scaled back the production, playing more intimate venues and focusing more on the music than the spectacle. During the summer of 2006, McEntire signed an exclusive engagement performing at the Las Vegas Hilton. Over six non-consecutive weeks, she will perform for fans traveling to see her for the first time in her career.

She is one of only five solo female artists (others include Shania Twain, Barbara Mandrell, Dolly Parton, and Loretta Lynn), to win the Country Music Association's highest honor, "Entertainer Of The Year". McEntire continued to hit the charts through the 1990s, as well as appearing in television and film, most notably Tremors, a cult horror movie series, Forever Love, "The Gambler IV", and One Night at McCool's. She also starred as Annie Oakley in Annie Get Your Gun on Broadway, receiving critical acclaim and a Drama Desk Award and an Outer Circle Critics Award.

Since 2001, she has starred in the hit WB television show, Reba (with Texan actor Christopher Rich as her philandering ex-husband), even getting a visit from fellow country diva Dolly Parton (whom McEntire cites as a major musical influence [4]) who played Reba's character's supervisor at a real estate firm. McEntire won a People's Choice Award for the show. The show currently airs on The CW Television Network.

On June 9, 2005, she appeared in a concert version of the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical South Pacific at Carnegie Hall. She starred as Nellie Forbush, alongside Brian Stokes Mitchell as Emile, and Alec Baldwin as Luther Billis. The production was taped and telecast by PBS on April 26, 2006. An album of the release as well as a DVD of the performance were released in June of that year.

McEntire has two movie projects scheduled for release in December 2006. The first is the highly anticipated sequel to Disney's 1981 feature, "The Fox & The Hound." Reba voices Dixie, who quits the harmonizing novelty dog act, The Singin' Strays. Also lending their voices is country superstar Trisha Yearwood, Jeff Foxworthy, Patrick Swayze, and more. Reba pens three songs for the movie and its soundtrack, "We're Good Together," "We're In Harmony," and "Good Doggie...No Bone!" "The Fox & The Hound 2" premieres on Disney DVD December 12, 2006, packed with bonus features starring Reba.

The second movie is a live-action version of "Charlotte's Web." Reba voices Betsy the Cow. The movie stars Dakota Fanning, Julia Roberts, Oprah Winfrey, Kathy Bates, Steve Buscemi, Thomas Hayden Church, Cedric the Entertainer, and more. "Charlotte's Web" hits theatres nationwide, December 20, 2006.

She is currently working on a duets album, which could be her final album under the MCA label, that is currently scheduled for release in 2007. Ronnie Dunn of Brooks & Dunn is the only confirmed duet for the project. Kelly Clarkson has been asked but has not been confirmed. Rumored artists include Kenny Chesney (whom Reba recorded the title cut for "She Was Country When Country Wasn't Cool: A Tribute to Barbara Mandrell," scheduled for release on October 17th), Patrick Swayze (whom she appears with in the upcoming Disney's "The Fox & The Hound 2" on DVD December 12th), Dolly Parton, Allison Krauss, Linda Davis, Marty Slayton, Brad Paisley, Vince Gill, Martina McBride & Josh Turner. Returning the favor, McEntire appears on Dionne Warwick's 2006 duets album My Friends and Me. They duet on Warwick's classic "I Say a Little Prayer".

She will also be honored in October 2006 as the first person proclaimed a CMT Giant. A tribute concert will be held in Los Angeles featuring performances by Dolly Parton, Wynonna, Kelly Clarkson, Faith Hill, Brooks & Dunn, Martina McBride, LeAnn Rimes, and Trisha Yearwood. The concert will air on CMT in November.

Although she has yet to have a Top 40 country single in 2006, she is currently the artist with the longest consecutive span of hit country singles, scoring at least one Top 40 hit every year from 1978 to 2005, an impressive 28-year total. Her nearest competitor is George Strait, with a current 26-year streak (1981-2006).

McEntire will release all of her music videos on DVD November 21, 2006. "Reba Video Gold I" & "Reba Video Gold II" will mark the first time any of Reba's music videos have been available on DVD to the public. Her last video release was the 1995 VHS television special, "Starting Over." No introductions will be included on the DVDs, unlike its VHS predecessors, but a booklet will accompany each release.

After divorcing Battles in 1987 (see 1987 in music), McEntire married Narvel Blackstock, a noted steel guitarist and the couple took control over all aspects of her career.

Seven members of McEntire's band and her road manager were among 10 people who died in a March 16, 1991, plane crash near San Diego, California. McEntire was devastated and recorded the album For My Broken Heart as a tribute to them. There was a minor controversy over her decision to perform on the Academy Awards following the crash. Less than a week after the crash she appeared on the show to perform the nominated song, "I'm Checking Out" from the film Postcards From the Edge. Some criticized her decision to perform as insensitive and self-serving, she, on the other hand, said she found the song particularly poignant considering the circumstances and that her band would have wanted her to be out there. During the performance McEntire was visably emotional, holding back tears. She had been known to refer to them as her "Crazy Eight".

She has a son, Shelby Steven McEntire Blackstock born February 23, 1990.