Reba McEntire

She married national steer wrestling champion Charlie Battles in 1976. The couple divorced in 1987.

Her second marriage was to the steel guitar player Narvel Blackstock in 1989. Her husband is also her manager. She has three step-children and one biological son.

She was born to Clark Vincent McEntire and Jacqueline. Her father, a steer roper had been a World Champion Steer Roper thrice. Her mother was a schoolteacher with a deep love for country music.

Reba and her siblings were taught music from a young age; she also learnt how to play the guitar. Along with her siblings she formed a music group the ‘Singing McEntires’ in which she played the guitar and penned the lyrics for the songs.

She attended Southeastern Oklahoma State University from 1974 till 1976. Her initial career plan was to become an elementary school teacher. She continued to sing locally in her leisure time.

She was once hired to sing the National Anthem at the National Rodeo in Oklahoma City where the country singer Red Steagall was also present. Impressed by her vocal talents he helped her sign a contract with Mercury Records in 1975.

Her self-titled debut album ‘Reba McEntire’ was released in 1977. It however failed to chart and was not a success. She released several other albums over the next few years but none of them were successful.

It was not until 1984 that she finally found success with her eighth studio album, ‘My Kind of Country’. It featured the tracks ‘How Blue’ and ‘Somebody Should Leave’ which peaked at No.1 on the Country Singles chart.

In 1986, she brought out the album ‘Whoever’s in New England’ which rose to become her first No.1 album on the Billboard country charts. It was her first platinum certified album and made her into a musical superstar.

During the late 1980s she brought out three more highly popular albums that were accredited platinum: ‘The Last One to Know’ (1987), ‘Reba’ (1988), and ‘Sweet Sixteen’ (1989).

Her portrayal of Reba Hart in the sitcom ‘Reba’ cemented her reputation as an actress in addition to being a singer. The highly popular show was aired in 30 countries all over the world and made Reba McEntire an international household name.

Her album ‘Read My Mind’ featured the first ever country song to address the topic of AIDS. The album peaked at No.1 on the Canadian Top Country Albums chart and was accredited multi-platinum.