The Early Days
Let’s go back to the beginning: Reba and Narvel first met in 1980 when he became her steel guitar player. He eventually became her friend and even her manager before their relationship went to the next level. In 1989, the two got married in Lake Tahoe. Reba became stepmother to his three children from his previous marriage, and the two went on to build an empire together, founding Starstruck management company. They have a son together name Shelby.
The Early Days
Humble Roots
Reba herself was born in McAlester, Oklahoma in 1955. She grew up with her parents and siblings on a ranch, helping out with the cooking, cleaning, and caring for the cattle. She even learned to drive when she was just 5 years old to help around the ranch. This helped her learn about working hard and built up her work ethic from a young age, which would come in handy later in her career.
Humble Roots
Role Models For Success
Reba’s mother Jacqueline always wanted to become a country star, but she became a teacher instead. Her grandfather and father were rodeo steer ropers. Her father went on to become a three time world champion steer roper!
Role Models For Success
A Family That Sings Together
Due to her father’s rodeo competitions, the family were often on the road, and they would frequently sing together while on their travels. From an early age, Reba’s mother introduced the kids to country music and encouraged them to sing. Not long after, the kids were well known in their area as “The Singing McEntires” and Reba was often singing at plays, rodeo competitions, and even at the town’s high school graduation ceremony.
A Family That Sings Together
Big Dreams
When she was growing up, Reba was inspired by country music mega stars like Dolly Parton, Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn, and Tammy Wynette. Little did she know she’d be joining their ranks one day and would even perform alongside her idols.
Big Dreams
The Singing McEntires
Reba and her siblings continued singing together, and The Singing McEntires became a real musical group that went on to perform locally and even record an album. They sold about 1000 copies of the record. They had two hits, “God Never Cried” and “If I Could Only Be With You.”
The Singing McEntires
An Important Lesson
One day while Reba was performing with the Singing McEntires, she decided she wanted to get baptized, and she told her mother that she decided to announce her decision to the audience of the dance hall she would be performing at that night and to urge them to go to church. Her mother told her that she shouldn’t assume they didn’t go to church already. She shared: “That was my first lesson on passing judgment. You don’t know what other people do. You don’t know their heart.”
An Important Lesson
Studying Education
After Reba graduated from high school, she went to Oklahoma State University where she majored in education but continued singing as much as she could. She was thinking of following her mother’s footsteps in becoming a teacher. However, life had other plans for her.
Studying Education
Noticed By Red
After she sang the national anthem at the National Rodeo in Oklahoma City in 1974, everything changed. Red Steagall, a country music star, who also performed there, was seriously impressed with her singing abilities. He helped launch her career in Nashville. Just a year after she recorded her demo tape, she signed her first record deal with Mercury Records.
Noticed By Red
Her First Single
Right when he career started out in 1976, she married rodeo star Charlie Battles. She also released her first debut single “I Don’t Wanna Be a One Night Stand.” It didn’t perform so well on the charts, and neither did the following singles she released, but she never gave up. In 1979, when she covered Patsy Cline’s “Sweet Dreams,” it reached #19 on the Billboard country charts. This was only the start of her success.
Her First Single
Security Tiff
In 1977, she was invited to perform at the Grand Ole Opry. She drove to Nashville, excited for the performance, but when she arrived, the security guard claimed that she was not on the list. Worried that she would miss her performance, she stood her ground and argued with him. He finally found her name and let her in, and luckily she made it in time. However, she found out that half of her performance time had been given to Dolly Parton! She was shocked that the producers would do that.
Security Tiff
Her Big Break
Reba finally had her first Billboard #1 song in 1983, and she decided it was time to leave Mercury. She felt she was being pushed to singing more country-pop ballads, which she was not interested in, and she turned to MCA Nashville Records instead. She then released her 7th album called Just A Little Love. She also re-released her previous album and songs that underperformed made it to #1 this time around on the charts.
Her Big Break
Theatrical Music Videos
In the late 1980’s, Reba was already considered to be a pioneer when it came to music videos. Instead of just standing around in the videos singing the song, she decided to use the music video as a chance for theatrical performances. In fact, a lot of critics called her music videos “mini movies.” This is what sparked her interest in acting.
Theatrical Music Videos
Battling Battles
After a certain point, Reba and her first husband Charlie Battles were no longer on the same page. They were living on his Oklahoma ranch, and Battles had the expectation that the woman he would marry would be a stay at home wife. Reba was constantly on the road, and it affected their relationship significantly. They decided to call it quits and divorced in 1987. She shared: “I had to pack everything in one day and leave. I wasn’t the little girl anymore, taking orders and doing what he said.”
Battling Battles
A Budding Film Star
She finally made her first film appearance in the 1990 movie Tremors, a horror-comedy film. She loved working on the film so much that she actually decided to delay her honeymoon with Narvel in order to complete filming the movie. Kevin Bacon, her co-star in the film, had the opposite experience, considering it a low point in his career. However, to Reba, it was a taste into a world she had always be curious about.
A Budding Film Star
A Tragic Accident
Things were going incredibly well for Reba when a horrible accident took place in 1991. A charter plane with eight members of her band aboard crashed into the side of a mountain by San Diego, killing them all. Reba was devastated by the huge loss, as she felt that her band members had become like family.
A Tragic Accident
Lyrics Lost
Following the fatal crash, Reba decided to dedicate an album to the lost band members. She released For My Broken Heart, an album full of lyrics exploring sorrow and loss. The album sold over 4 million copies, reached #3 on the charts, and several singles reached #1. In the liner notes, Reba said that the album was “a form of healing for all our broken hearts.”
Lyrics Lost
Lady In Red
In 1993, Reba attended the CMA Awards and absolutely stunned in this red gown that certainly made people’s heads turn. She won both a CMA and a Grammy that year for her duet with Linda Davis on “Does He Love You.” The red dress is now on display at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.
Lady In Red
Not Afraid To Make A Statement
On her 1994 album, Reba included a song called “She Thinks His Name Was John,” a song that told the story of a woman who had a booze-filled one night stand and that she discovered that she had AIDS. At the time, the topic was very taboo but she didn’t shy away from the subject matter. She also explored themes of domestic abuse, illegal immigration, mercy killing, and elderly neglect in her music.
Not Afraid To Make A Statement
Starting Over
After 20 years in the industry, Reba released her 19th album called Starting Over. It was a collection of her favorite songs, which critics did not favor. Only one of the songs on the album reached the top 10 hits chart. However, the album still went platinum within a year.
Starting Over
Missed Opportunity
Reba was offered a role in James Cameron’s film Titanic. Unfortunately, due to scheduling conflicts, she had to drop out of production. She was against the idea of canceling performances that have already been scheduled and especially when fans already bought tickets. She said: “they kept movin’ my schedule.” She was meant to play Molly Brown, but after she dropped out, Kathy Bates took over the role. The film ended up being the second highest grossing film of all time, bringing in over $2 billion worldwide.
Missed Opportunity
Her Comeback
In 1997, Reba released her 20th studio album called What If It’s You. It was a great success and the single from the album “The Fear of Being Alone” climbed to #1 on the charts. Another single, called “How Was I To Know” charted at #1 and “I’d Rather Ride Around With You” reached #2.
Her Comeback
Taking To The Stage
After she released her 2001 album called Greatest Hits Vol. 3: I’m A Survivor, Reba also enjoyed three hit singles. Following the album’s success, she decided to try her hand at Broadway and she starred in the revival of Annie Get Your Gun. Her performance was praised by the New York Times, whose review of her role said: “without qualification the best performance by an actress in a musical comedy this season.”
Taking To The Stage
Her Show
Following her broadway success, Reba started dabbling in TV work. In 2001, she landed her very own show on the WB network. It was called Reba and she played a hilarious single mom, and the sitcom quickly became the network’s top rated show. It ran for 6 seasons from 2001 until 2006 and earned her a Golden Globe. After it moved to the CW, the show was cancelled.
Her Show
Not A Sally
Originally, Reba’s character was supposed to be called Sally, but Reba didn’t feel that it was right, and insisted that she use her real name. She said that it would help draw in her fans to watch the show. Melissa Peterman played her arch nemesis, Barbara, who actually is the one who has an affair with Reba’s husband, causing them to get a divorce. However, in real life the two are great friends.
Not A Sally
Back To The Top
In 2003, Reba again returned to her musical roots and released her 23rd album called Room to Breathe. It featured her 76th chart reaching single. Then, in 2007 she even surpassed one of her idols, Dolly Parton, when she became the female artist with the most CMA award nominations. She also went on tour with Kelly Clarkson the following year.
Back To The Top
Back To TV
In 2011, Reba decided to go back to TV and she starred in the ABC sitcom called Malibu Country. She played Reba Gallagher, a divorced mother of two. Similar to her own show, she played a woman who discovered her husband was cheating on her. Her character ends up getting her husband’s property and embarks on a country music career. Unfortunately, after only 18 episodes, the show was cancelled.
Back To TV
Breaking Records
In 2008, Reba re-recorded the song “Cowgirls Don’t Cry” with Brooks & Dunn and it became her 56th top 10 country song, the most of any female country singer ever. While she won two Grammys and sold over 67 million records while with record label MCA, after 25 years with the label, she decided it was time to move on and then signed a contract with Valory Music Group.
Breaking Records
An Alarming Hoax
In 2012, very concerning news began circulating around the web that stated that Reba fell off a cliff in Australia while filming and that she had died. The story spread like wildfire and her family and friends were devastated. When her sister tried to reach her, she didn’t get ahold of her and panicked. Luckily, the rumors were not true and she answered the phone and let everyone know that she was totally fine. She also tweeted out to her fans: “There are so many of those hoaxes that are just going around and I think it’s cruel. That’s not funny.”
An Alarming Hoax
Losing Her Father
Just when Reba got the fantastic news that she was being inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, her father collapsed into a coma following a stroke. That meant that Dolly Parton represented her at the induction on her behalf. Sadly, Clark passed away in October 2014. She was devastated and dedicated an album called Just Like Them Horses once again.
Losing Her Father
The Luxury Life
All of her hard work and success brought her the ability to enjoy the spoils of her labor. One of the mansions she owned featured seven bedrooms, nine bathrooms, and a swimming pool, spa, and tennis court. She sold her Beverly Hills mansion in 2015 for $22.25 million after buying it in 2009 for $9 million.
The Luxury Life
Avoiding A Tragedy
Fellow country star Faith Hill auditioned to be a part of Reba’s touring backup singers, but she was not accepted. However, this meant that she avoided the tragic fatal plane crash in 1991. Not being accepted as Reba’s backup singer ended up saving her life, and she went on to become one of the biggest country stars as well.
Avoiding A Tragedy
Singing Family Once Again
When Reba’s stepson Brandon Blackstock married Kelly Clarkson, she and Reba officially became family, which they were both thrilled about. They already knew each other well after touring together. On the match, she said: “thrilled to death, thrilled to death. To have my buddy as my daughter-in-law, I mean, who could ask for more?” Kelly and Brandon have two children together.
Singing Family Once Again
Just Wants To Be Happy
Reba opened up and shared that when Narvel confronted her about wanting to get a divorce that she was absolutely shocked and heartbroken. She even said that if it was up to her, they would still be married. She said: “I just thought it was the best thing to take my marbles and go play somewhere else, is what daddy used to always say.” However, his moving on meant more than just separating…
Just Wants To Be Happy
Too Soon?
Just a few months after their divorce became official, Narvel was already dating someone else. In fact, it was actually Reba’s best friend Laura Putty Stroud that he was now linked to. She and Reba were great friends. It is very unclear as to when she and Narvel began dating, and some have speculated that he might have even been unfaithful to her.
Too Soon?
An Awkward Position
Reba’s daughter in law and good friend Kelly Clarkson appealed to the couple to try to make it work. She felt like she was stuck in the middle since she was so close to Reba but she was married to Narvel’s son. However, it has been reported that the two had been living separately before their divorce.
An Awkward Position
Starting Over For Herself
Following their divorce, Narvel remained Reba’s manager for another year, as he had been since 1988. In 2016, Reba decided to make a change and break ties with him professionally. She created Reba’s Business Inc., which manages young artists. She also has her own line of home decor, clothing, beauty products, and jewelry. Her net worth is about $95 million.
Starting Over For Herself
Photography Lover
Reba is known for her love of taking photos, and anyone who follows her on Instagram will know exactly what we’re referring to. She said in an interview with country music website The Boot: “I love to piddle with my pictures. I am a big-picture fanatic. I love when people send me pictures that I don’t have. I can scan them and put them in my computer, and I am archiving right now.”
Photography Lover
Famous Friends
It’s clear that Reba is a very down to earth person who is very friendly. She was friends with former president George W. Bush and his father George H. W. Bush. She shared: “Senior Bush invited my husband [Narvel Blackstock] and I on a private cruise to the Greek islands years ago. We became very good friends, and that’s when the e-mail stuff started. We e-mail each other on our Treos all the time — nothing political, just passing jokes back and forth. He’s really into e-mail and so are his buddies”.
Famous Friends
Learning To Shoot
As she’s a classic country lady, Reba is very interested in guns and loves shooting. She shared that she didn’t have any experience with guns until she trained for filming. She said: “I wanted to be able to look like I knew how to shoot a gun because we never did that when we were home in Oklahoma. When I found out that I was going to do a movie called ‘Buffalo Girls’ with Anjelica Huston several years before this, I went and learned how to skeet shoot and trap shoot.”
Learning To Shoot