Career Timeline of Reba McEntire: Major Achievements and Milestones
How Reba McEntire built a successful career. Explore key moments that defined the journey.
Reba McEntire, often called "The Queen of Country," is a highly successful American country singer, actress, and businesswoman. She has sold over 75 million records globally and charted over 100 singles on Billboard's Hot Country Songs, with 25 reaching number one. Beyond music, McEntire has acted in film and television, most notably starring in the series *Reba* for six seasons. She has also ventured into entrepreneurship, owning businesses like a restaurant and a clothing line, demonstrating a diverse and enduring career.
1971: Release of "The Ballad of John McEntire"
In 1971, The Singing McEntires released the single "The Ballad of John McEntire" about their grandfather.
March 1975: Trip to Nashville to Record Demo Tape
In March 1975, Reba McEntire traveled to Nashville, Tennessee, with her mother to record a demonstration tape intended for record labels.
November 1975: Signing with PolyGram/Mercury Records
In November 1975, Reba McEntire signed a country music recording contract with PolyGram/Mercury Records.
1975: Recording contract with PolyGram/Mercury Records
In 1975, Red Steagall helped Reba McEntire secure a country music recording contract with PolyGram/Mercury Records.
1975: Possible Recording Contract with Red Steagall
In early 1975, Red Steagall contacted Jacqueline McEntire to offer Reba a possible recording contract.
January 1976: First Recordings for PolyGram/Mercury Records
In January 1976, Reba McEntire made her first recordings for PolyGram/Mercury Records, produced by Glenn Keener.
September 17, 1977: Grand Ole Opry Debut
On September 17, 1977, Reba McEntire made her Grand Ole Opry debut, performing "Invitation to the Blues" after a near miss at the gate and a shortened set due to Dolly Parton's surprise appearance.
1977: Release of Debut Album
In 1977, Reba McEntire's self-titled debut album was released by Mercury Records.
1978: Collaboration with Jacky Ward
In 1978, Reba McEntire collaborated with Jacky Ward on the double-sided single release of "I'd Really Love to See You Tonight"/"Three Sheets in the Wind", marking her first top-20 hit.
1979: Release of "Out of a Dream" Album
In 1979, Reba McEntire's second studio album, "Out of a Dream", was released, produced by Jerry Kennedy.
1980: Formation of Own Band and Release of "Feel the Fire"
In 1980, Reba McEntire formed her own band, including her siblings Susie and Pake McEntire. Also in 1980, she released her third studio album, "Feel the Fire".
1981: Release of "Heart to Heart" Album
In 1981, Reba McEntire's fourth album, "Heart to Heart", was released, becoming her first album to chart on the Billboard Country Albums list.
1983: "Can't Even Get the Blues" Reaches Number One
In 1983, Reba McEntire's single "Can't Even Get the Blues" reached the number-one spot on the Billboard country chart. The album "Unlimited" was released that year as well.
1984: Signing with MCA Records
In 1984, Reba McEntire signed with MCA Records and released her seventh studio album, "Just a Little Love". She also won the Female Vocalist of the Year accolade from the Country Music Association.
1984: Signing with MCA Records and Release of "My Kind of Country"
In 1984, Reba McEntire signed with MCA Records. In the same year, she released the album "My Kind of Country", which became her breakout release.
1985: Have I Got a Deal for You Album Release and World Series Performance
In 1985, Reba McEntire's album 'Have I Got a Deal for You' was released, following a traditional country format and produced by Jimmy Bowen, with McEntire co-producing. The album's title track, along with "Only in My Mind," reached the Billboard country top 10. On October 19, 1985, she performed the National Anthem at game one of the 1985 World Series.
January 17, 1986: Induction into the Grand Ole Opry
On January 17, 1986, Reba McEntire was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry.
February 1986: Whoever's in New England Album Release
In February 1986, Reba McEntire released her ninth studio album, 'Whoever's in New England'. The album mixed traditional country with a modern sound. The title track peaked at number one on the Billboard country chart and won McEntire the Grammy Award for Best Female Country Vocal Performance. The album became her first to top the Billboard Country Albums survey.
1986: Release of 'What Am I Gonna Do About You'
In 1986, Reba McEntire released her twelfth studio album, 'What Am I Gonna Do About You'. The title track became her next number one song on the Billboard country chart and her first number one on the RPM Canadian country chart. Its second single, "One Promise Too Late", also topped the country chart.
1987: Album Release, Carnegie Hall Debut and Personal Reflection
In 1987, Reba McEntire released her 13th studio project, 'The Last One to Know'. Both the title track and "Love Will Find Its Way to You" topped the Billboard country songs chart. In late 1987, McEntire released her first Christmas collection called 'Merry Christmas to You'. Also in 1987, she played Carnegie Hall in New York City for the first time.
1987: Grammy Award Win
In 1987, Reba McEntire won her first Grammy Award.
1988: Release of Pop-Inspired Album 'Reba'
In 1988, Reba McEntire released her pop-inspired album 'Reba', including covers of "Respect" and "A Sunday Kind of Love". It produced the number-one Billboard country singles "New Fool at an Old Game" and "I Know How He Feels".
1989: Release of 'Sweet Sixteen' and 'Reba Live'
In 1989, Reba McEntire released 'Sweet Sixteen', featuring the country hits "'Til Love Comes Again", "Little Girl", "Walk On" and a cover of "Cathy's Clown". Her first live project titled 'Reba Live' was also released in 1989.
January 1990: Film Debut in Tremors
In January 1990, Reba McEntire made her film debut in the movie Tremors.
1990: Release of 'Rumor Has It' album
In 1990, Reba McEntire released 'Rumor Has It', a pop-oriented album that reached the top 40 of the Billboard 200. Four hit country singles came from the release, including "You Lie" and her cover of Bobbie Gentrys' 1969 single "Fancy".
October 1991: Release of 'For My Broken Heart' album
In October 1991, Reba McEntire released her 16th album, 'For My Broken Heart', dedicated to the deceased members of her road band. The album peaked at number three on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart. The title track and "Is There Life Out There" both became number one Billboard country singles. In addition, "The Greatest Man I Never Knew" and McEntire's cover of "The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia" both became major country hits.
1991: First Meeting with Rex Linn
Reba McEntire and Rex Linn first met on the set of "The Gambler Returns: The Luck of the Draw" in 1991.
December 1992: Release of 'It's Your Call' album
In December 1992, Reba McEntire released her 17th album 'It's Your Call'. It spawned the country hits "Take It Back", the title track and a number one duet with Vince Gill called "The Heart Won't Lie".
1992: Opening of Reba's Ranch House
In 1992, Reba McEntire opened Reba's Ranch House in Denison, Texas, providing extended-stay accommodations for families of patients at Texoma Medical Center and nearby facilities.
1993: Collaboration with Linda Davis and CMA Awards Performance
In 1993, Reba McEntire collaborated with Linda Davis on the single "Does He Love You", which became her 18th number-one hit on the Country Songs chart and her 16th topper on the Canadian country chart. Later that year, Davis and McEntire performed the duet at the CMA Awards. For her performance, McEntire wore a red dress with a plunging neckline that created controversy.
1994: Release of 'Read My Mind' album
In 1994, Reba McEntire released her 18th studio album 'Read My Mind'. Five major hits came from the release, including "The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter", "Till You Love Me" and a song about a woman contracting AIDS called "She Thinks His Name Was John".
1995: Release of 'Starting Over' album
In 1995, Reba McEntire released her 19th studio album, 'Starting Over', a collection of her favorite songs originally recorded by others, to commemorate McEntire's 20 years in the music industry. Only McEntire's cover of "Ring on Her Finger, Time on Her Hands" became a top-10 country song.
1995: Starting Over Album Release
In 1995, Reba McEntire released her album, Starting Over. The album received a less favorable response from critics than that of her previous releases. While the project spawned three charting singles, only McEntire's cover of 'Ring on Her Finger, Time on Her Hands' became a top-10 country song. Starting Over was certified platinum by the RIAA within the first two months of its release.
November 1996: Release of 'What If It's You'
In November 1996, Reba McEntire released 'What If It's You'. It debuted at number 15 on the Billboard 200 and eventually topped the Billboard country albums list. Its first single, "The Fear of Being Alone" became a top-five hit, while "How Was I to Know" reached the number-one spot on the Billboard country songs survey.
1996: Release of "What If It's You"
In 1996, Reba McEntire released the album "What If It's You", which achieved commercial success and featured the number-one country single "How Was I to Know".
June 1998: Release of 'If You See Him' album and Collaboration with Brooks & Dunn
In June 1998, Reba McEntire's album 'If You See Him' was released, featuring the duet "If You See Him/If You See Her" with Brooks & Dunn. The track topped both the Billboard country songs chart and the Canadian RPM country chart. Brooks & Dunn also released their album 'If You See Her' in June 1998.
1998: Release of "If You See Him"
In 1998, Reba McEntire released the album "If You See Him", featuring the number-one country single and duet with Brooks and Dunn called "If You See Him/If You See Her".
1999: Release of Two Albums
In 1999, Reba McEntire released two albums. In September she issued her second Christmas album, The Secret of Giving: A Christmas Collection. In November, her 22nd studio album, So Good Together was released. It featured the top-five country songs "What Do You Say" and "I'll Be".
2001: Role in Annie Get Your Gun and Launch of TV series Reba
In 2001, Reba McEntire played Annie Oakley in the Broadway musical "Annie Get Your Gun". Also in 2001, The WB launched the TV series "Reba", starring McEntire.
2001: Release of "I'm a Survivor" and Television Series Debut
In 2001, Reba McEntire released the single "I'm a Survivor", which became a top-five country hit and the theme song to her 2001 television series.
August 2003: Release of 'I'm Gonna Take That Mountain' Single
In August 2003, Reba McEntire released the MCA single "I'm Gonna Take That Mountain", which was included on her album 'Room to Breathe'.
November 2003: Release of 'Room to Breathe' Album
In November 2003, Reba McEntire released her first studio album in four years titled 'Room to Breathe'. The album featured the number-one song "Somebody" and the top-10 single "He Gets That from Me".
2004: Room to Breathe Tour
In 2004, Reba McEntire embarked on her Room to Breathe tour, which included 36 cities in the United States.
2005: Release of 'Reba #1's' Compilation Album
In 2005, MCA released the double-disc compilation titled 'Reba #1's' while Reba McEntire was between albums.
September 2007: Release of 'Reba: Duets' Album
In September 2007, Reba McEntire's album 'Reba: Duets' was released, featuring duets with various artists. The album topped the Billboard country chart and the Billboard 200. The first single was a duet version of Kelly Clarkson's "Because of You", which reached number two on the American country chart and topped the Canadian country songs chart.
2011: Induction into Country Music Hall of Fame
In 2011, the Country Music Association announced Reba McEntire's induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame; the official ceremony was attended later that year.
2013: Tied for Most Consecutive ACM Female Vocalist Wins
In 2013, Miranda Lambert tied Reba McEntire for the most consecutive wins for the Academy of Country Music's Top Female Vocalist Award, with four wins in a row.
2016: Joined Elite Club of Consecutive ACM Female Vocalist Wins
In 2016, Carrie Underwood joined Reba McEntire and Miranda Lambert in the elite club of winning the Academy of Country Music's Top Female Vocalist Award four years in a row.
December 2018: Kennedy Center Honor
In December 2018, Reba McEntire was honored with the Kennedy Center Honor for her contributions to the arts.
2018: Horatio Alger Award
In 2018, Reba McEntire received the Horatio Alger Award for Education and Charity Work, recognizing her perseverance and contributions.
2023: Coaching on The Voice
Since 2023, Reba McEntire has appeared as a coach on four seasons of the reality competition show "The Voice".
Mentioned in this timeline
CBS is a major American commercial broadcast television and radio...
Dolly Parton is a highly successful American singer songwriter actress...
Lauren Daigle is an American contemporary Christian music singer and...
Christmas is an annual festival celebrated on December th commemorating...
Blake Shelton is a prominent American country singer songwriter and...
The Kennedy Center Honors are annual awards presented since recognizing...
Trending
44 minutes ago Ohio State Dominates Wisconsin, Adding to Fickell's Challenges; Players Discuss Victory
44 minutes ago Heavy Downpours and Strong Winds Expected to Impact Boston Commute on Monday
45 minutes ago Texas A&M Aggies Football Soars to No. 3 in AP Poll After Undefeated Start
45 minutes ago Pluto TV Expands Content with New Channels and Halloween Programming in October 2025
2 hours ago McDonald's Employee Shoots Customer After Argument Over Delayed Order in Florida.
2 days ago Anyone's Legend and KT Rolster Advance to Worlds 2025 Knockout Stage
Popular
Charlie Kirk is an American right-wing political activist entrepreneur and...
Candace Owens is an American political commentator and author known...
Paula White-Cain is a prominent American televangelist and key figure...
XXXTentacion born Jahseh Dwayne Ricardo Onfroy was a controversial yet...
William Franklin Graham III commonly known as Franklin Graham is...
George Soros is a Hungarian-American investor and philanthropist with a...