reba mcentire
Reba McEntire biography
Synopsis
Born March 28, 1955, in McAlester, Oklahoma, Reba McEntire got her break singing the national anthem at the 1974 rodeo finals. She recorded with Mercury and MCA records, topped the country charts numerous times, and was crowned the CMA's best female vocalist for four consecutive years. McEntire has acted in films, starred in her own sitcom and runs several businesses with her husband and manager.
Profile
Musician. Reba McEntire was born on March 28, 1955 in Oklahoma to a family of champion steer ropers. While growing up, McEntire and her three siblings spent time traveling to and from their father's World Championship rodeo performances. Their mother, Jacqueline McEntire, nurtured her children's musical talent; during their many long car rides, they would pass the time by learning songs and harmonizing. Eventually, when Reba McEntire was in ninth grade, she and her two younger siblings formed the "Singing McEntires" and went on to perform at rodeos. Eventually the group disbanded, but Reba McEntire continued to perform as a solo act through her college years.
In 1974, the young singer caught a break when country music star Red Steagall heard her sing at the National Finals Rodeo. Her vocal rendering of the national anthem impressed Steagall, prompting him to help her record a demo and eventually sign with Mercury Records.
Through the late 1970s, the soon-to-be Queen of Country spent much time in the recording studio creating and releasing singles. While none of her early songs were major hits, chart success wasn't far around the corner. In 1980, "You Lift Me Up (To Heaven)" cracked the Billboard country Top 10 and launched an illustrious career.
Throughout the 1980s, Reba McEntire stuck close to her roots in terms of persona, capitalizing on the rowdy rodeo girl theme in photos and on stage. As her powerful vocal stylings matured, her image changed as well, from rough-edged and rural to more polished and mainstream. Always a strong businesswoman, the singer understood early on the importance music videos would have for her career. Her first video, "Whoever's in New England" (1986), artfully told the story of a suburban housewife tortured by the idea of her philandering husband and his trips up north to visit a mistress. Employing well-known actors and directors, the singer took full advantage of this visual medium to showcase the strong narratives of her songwriting, using videos to tell full and compelling stories. In the future, her penchant for drama would not only drive record sales, but also fuel an unexpected acting career.
Since 1976, McEntire had been married to Charlie Battles, a steer wrestling champion and rancher. The couple owned a ranch in Oklahoma, but in 1987, just as McEntire's musical career began to soar, the marriage collapsed. After their divorce, McEntire moved to Nashville to refocus on her music. Two years later she would marry her manager, Narvel Blackstock, who already had three children from a previous marriage. In 1990, the couple would add a son, Shelby McEntire Blackstock, to their blended family.
Though Whoever's in New England (1986) was McEntire's ninth studio album, it was the first to go gold, as well as the first to win her a Grammy and an Entertainer of the Year award from the Country Music Association. By all accounts, the album's success was a product of its unique sound. A blend of McEntire's more traditional twangy style with a more mainstream pop sound appealed to a wide audience, cementing the artist's place as country royalty for years to come. From then on, the Reba McEntire music machine churned out hit after hit, some more critically acclaimed then others, but most selling by the millions. In 1990, McEntire released Rumor Has It, an album that eventually sold three million copies, going triple platinum by 1999. She won the CMA Best Female Vocalist award three years straight, from 1984-87.
In the 1970s and 1980s, Nashville was still largely considered a boys' town; when asked how she managed to transcend gender politics so successfully, McEntire responded, "As a woman, you don't complain, you work twice as hard and you do your job. You try to outsmart them, you try to outwork them and get there first. You help out, you volunteer, you're at the front of the line. That's what I learned from working on the cattle range, and it helped me in the music business."
On March 16, 1991, tragedy struck when a charter plane carrying eight members of McEntire's band crashed. There were no survivors, and the accident left the singer stunned and reeling. She turned back to her music and out of her grief came a bleak but immensely popular album, For My Broken Heart, which she dedicated to her deceased bandmates.
Throughout the 1990s, McEntire released a string of hits, including duets with Brooks & Dunn and Linda Davis, which were fan favorites. Adding even more to her plate, the singer successfully made the crossover from music to film. Taking quickly to her second career, she would go on to act in the movie Tremors (1990) and also appear in several made-for-television movies. In 2001, the WB Network launched a television sitcom called Reba, starring the country music star as a divorcee trying to raise a teenage daughter. The show ran for six seasons and garnered McEntire a Golden Globe award for her performances.
All the while, she continued to reign as the Queen of Country. In 2009, McEntire broke a CMA record when she surpassed Dolly Parton as the most nominated female artist in the 43-year history of the awards. With 48 nominations under her belt, McEntire continued to partner with other country music hitmakers like Kenny Chesney, Trisha Yearwood and Leann Rimes.
What is the secret of McEntire's success? "To succeed in life," she says, "you need three things: a wishbone, a backbone, and a funny bone."
Quick Facts
Best Known For
Reba McEntire is a chart-topping, award-winning country music singer. She's also acted in films, starred in her own sitcom and owns several businesses.
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