- - 41 Interesting Facts About Reba McEntire

Jessica SagerDecember 25, 2025 at 11:14 PM

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Reba McEntire has been a country music and pop culture staple for five decades, and she has absolutely zero intentions of retiring anytime soon.

“I don’t know when. It could be in 20 years. I think I’ll know when it’s the time,” McEntire told PEOPLE in October 2025.

“Dolly [Parton] and I talked about that an awful lot when she did the Reba show, and I said, ‘Are you going to retire?’ She said, ‘Why would I? What in the world could I do and have as much fun as what I’m doing in this job right now?’" she recalled. "I agree with her a hundred percent. Slow down, maybe, but no plans of retiring."

Amen, sister! Get to know more about the award-winning singer, actress, coach and all-around icon.

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Interesting Facts About Reba McEntireReba McEntire’s Birthday

March 28, 1955

Reba McEntire’s Hometown

McAlester, Oklahoma

Reba McEntire’s Father

Clark McEntire

Reba McEntire’s Mother

Jacqueline McEntire

Reba McEntire Education

Bachelor's degree in elementary education and minor in music, Southeastern Oklahoma State University

Reba McEntire’s Career

McEntire began her music career in 1975 and is one of the most critically acclaimed and commercially successful female country artists ever. She expanded her career into acting in 1989 and has since starred in two successful sitcoms, Reba and Happy's Place, as well as on Broadway in Annie Get Your Gun. In 2023, she made her debut as a coach on NBC's The Voice.

To date, McEntire has released 32 studio albums and won three Grammys, 17 Academy of Country Music (ACM) Awards, and seven Country Music Association (CMA) Awards.

Related: Reba McEntire Calls Rex Linn the ‘Love of My Life’ in the Sweetest Birthday Post

Reba McEntire TimelineNovember 1975: Reba McEntire gets her first record deal.

In March 1975, McEntire and her mother went to Nashville to record a demo. The tape made its way to Glenn Keener of PolyGram/Mercury Records, who took it to Chicago to executives for consideration with a demo from another female country artist.

”He went to Chicago and had two tapes, one of me and one of another girl,” McEntire told Entertainment Weekly. ”And they said, ‘Okay, Glenn, we have a position open for a female singer in the country division, so you can pick any woman you want.’ He looked at the two tapes in his hand and handed ’em mine.”

The label signed McEntire that November.

Reba McEntire circa 1976Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty ImagesAug. 15, 1977: Reba McEntire releases her self-titled debut album.

McEntire's debut album, Reba McEntire, didn't make many waves with country music listeners, and neither did her singles from the project, which included "I Don't Want to Be a One Night Stand," "(There's Nothing Like the Love) Between a Woman and Man" and "Glad I Waited Just for You."

1979-1980: Reba McEntire breaks out into country stardom.

While her debut wasn't commercially successful, McEntire's subsequent releases made her a star. Her second album, Out of a Dream, was released on Aug. 27, 1979, and was a hit, propelled by singles "I'd Really Love to See You Tonight" and a cover of "Sweet Dreams" by Patsy Cline.

In October 1980, McEntire released her third album, Feel the Fire, which featured her first country top 10 hit, "(You Lift Me) Up to Heaven."

Related: Country Icon Reba McEntire Honored After Reaching Major 50 Year Milestone

1983-1984: Reba McEntire changes record labels and takes the reins for her own career.

McEntire grew unhappy with PolyGram/Mercury Records because they pushed her to a softer, poppier sound that she didn't like for her albums Heart to Heart and Unlimited. She left the label in 1983 and signed with MCA Records in 1984. That April, she released her seventh album, Just a Little Love.

While Just a Little Love was commercially successful, McEntire didn't love the album and told MCA Records that she wanted to choose the songs to record for her next project. They obliged, and it worked out beautifully: Her second album that year (and eighth overall), My Kind of Country, spawned two No. 1 hits on the country charts with singles "Somebody Should Leave" and "How Blue." Other tracks on the album included covers of classic country hits by Charley Pride, Connie Smith and more.

She won the 1984 CMA Award for Female Vocalist of the Year, her second time nominated and her first victory.

Reba McEntire at the 1985 CMAsPhoto by Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images1986: Reba McEntire wins her first Grammy.

McEntire released her ninth studio album, Whoever's In New England, winning her first Grammy for Best Female Country Vocal Performance. The album was certified platinum by the RIAA, solidifying her as both a critically acclaimed and commercially successful country megastar.

Related: The Voice Coach Reba McEntire Reveals the Real Reason She's Excited to Return (Exclusive)

1988-1990: Reba McEntire gets a new team and stays on top of the country game.

McEntire's 1988 album Reba took a poppier turn and featured several pop covers, including "Respect," and spawned two No. 1 country hits, "New Fool at an Old Game" and "I Know How He Feels."

In 1989, McEntire released Sweet Sixteen and her first live album, aptly titled Reba Live. She also made her acting debut alongside Kevin Bacon in Tremors (1989).

Rumor Has It, released in 1990, launched McEntire even higher into the country stratosphere thanks in part to her smash hit cover of "Fancy" by Bobby Gentrys. It became her first album to appear in the Top 40 of the Billboard 200 albums chart, eventually selling more than 3 million copies worldwide.

Related: Reba McEntire Shares Full-Circle Moment 33 Years Ago That Led to One of Her Biggest Hits

Reba McEntire performs on Aug. 24, 1990.Photo by Beth Gwinn on Getty ImagesMarch 16, 1991: A plane crash changes Reba McEntire's career forever.

McEntire and her band began traveling by private planes between some of her concerts when she toured in lieu of spending hours in a bus. McEntire and some of her team members would at times fly separately from the rest of the crew and band. That was the case on March 16, 1991: One of two planes carrying her band crashed, killing eight members.

Following the tragedy, McEntire was devastated and dedicated her subsequent album, For My Broken Heart, to the memory of her band members who died tragically and far too soon. It became her highest-charting album up to that point, peaking at No. 13 on the Billboard 200 and selling 4 million copies.

Related: Reba McEntire Reveals What Makes Her Love With Fiancé Rex Linn 'Really Special'

1994-2000: Reba McEntire continues her country domination.

In 1994 and 1995, McEntire dipped her toe further into the acting pool, with roles including Ma Tex in Rob Reiner'sNorth (1994) and Annie Oakley in the Emmy-nominated TV movie Buffalo Girls (1995) alongside Anjelica Huston as Calamity Jane.

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Her music career continued to flourish as well:

Read My Mind (1994) peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 and sold 3 million copies.

Starting Over (1995) was certified platinum, selling 1 million copies worldwide.

What If It's You (1996) was certified double platinum, selling 2 million copies.

If You See Him (1998), bolstered by a lead single "If You See Him/If You See Her" featuring Brooks & Dunn, was certified platinum, selling 1 million copies.

McEntire's second Christmas album, Secret of Giving: A Christmas Collection (1999), was certified platinum. Later that year, she released So Good Together (1999), which was also certified platinum.

Related: Rob Reiner Movies, Ranked

2001-2016: Reba McEntire focuses on acting and changes labels.Annie Get Your Gun on Jan. 26, 2001.Photo by Arnaldo Magnani on Getty Images" data-src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/DdLN8uWP_a3eX8WrhhnKQg--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD02OTk-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/aol_parade_744/91c3dfc22507c44f95dd61f7a9811cc8>Annie Get Your Gun on Jan. 26, 2001.Photo by Arnaldo Magnani on Getty Images" src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/DdLN8uWP_a3eX8WrhhnKQg--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD02OTk-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/aol_parade_744/91c3dfc22507c44f95dd61f7a9811cc8 class=caas-img>Reba McEntire makes her Broadway debut as Annie Oakley in Annie Get Your Gun on Jan. 26, 2001.Photo by Arnaldo Magnani on Getty Images

After the success of Buffalo Girls, McEntire went on to star as Annie Oakley again in a revival of the Broadway classic Annie Get Your Gun in 2001, earning universal critical acclaim.

Later the same year, McEntire's sitcomReba premiered on The WB (later The CW) to critical acclaim. The series ran until 2007 and earned McEntire a Golden Globe nod.

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McEntire changed labels in 2008, switching MCA for Big Machine Records to work with Scott Borchetta. McEntire continued making music and touring throughout the early aughts and 2010s.

Her 2009 album Keep On Loving You was certified gold, and, at age 54, she became the oldest woman (at that time) to have a No. 1 single on the Billboard Country Songs chart with "Consider Me Gone."

She also released All the Women I Am (2010), Love Somebody (2015) and My Kind of Christmas (2016).

Related: Reba McEntire Remembers ‘The First One’ To Send Message To CMA Host Lainey Wilson

2017-2022: Reba McEntire becomes her own boss and goes gospel.

In 2015, McEntire divorced Narvel Blackstock, who had served as her manager. She began managing herself, and in 2017, released her first gospel album Sing It Now: Songs of Faith & Hope. It earned her the 2018 Grammy Award for Best Roots Gospel Album. The following year, she was one of four honorees at the Kennedy Center Honors.

Reba McEntire at the Kennedy Center Honors on Dec. 2, 2018Photo by Paul Morigi on Getty Images

The following year, she released Stronger Than the Truth (2019), earning another Grammy nomination, this time for Best Country Album.

In 2020, McEntire announced that she was leaving Big Machine to return to MCA Records.

In 2022, McEntire landed a recurring role in Season 3 of Big Sky on ABC.

Related: Reba McEntire Makes Surprising Admission About Her Divorce From Brandon Blackstock’s Father

2023-present: Reba McEntire finds her Voice and Happy's Place.The VoicePhoto by NBC on Getty Images" data-src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/P5E.BYvZYBcP_.7NbCR8hw--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD02OTk-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/aol_parade_744/e59687cf16d38bf8573d2efb52b14d32>The VoicePhoto by NBC on Getty Images" src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/P5E.BYvZYBcP_.7NbCR8hw--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD02OTk-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/aol_parade_744/e59687cf16d38bf8573d2efb52b14d32 class=caas-img>Reba McEntire on The VoicePhoto by NBC on Getty Images

McEntire made her debut as a coach on The Voice for Seasons 24, 25 and 26; she won Season 25. She returned for Season 28 in late 2025.

Happy's PlaceNBCUniversal" data-src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/Mjo5oNR4oRTWwAqQSxK4JQ--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD02OTk-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/aol_parade_744/5f220f5a2f60cda7f2cccd86c81c861b>Happy's PlaceNBCUniversal" src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/Mjo5oNR4oRTWwAqQSxK4JQ--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD02OTk-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/aol_parade_744/5f220f5a2f60cda7f2cccd86c81c861b class=caas-img>Reba McEntire in Happy's PlaceNBCUniversal

In 2024, McEntire's newest sitcom, Happy's Place, premiered. Season 2 launched in late 2025.

Related: Who Is Reba McEntire’s Fiancé Rex Linn? All About Her Current Relationship and Past Husbands

This story was originally published by Parade on Dec 25, 2025, where it first appeared in the Celebs section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”