History of Reba McEntire in Timeline
Reba McEntire, known as "The Queen of Country," is a highly successful American country singer and actress. 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 had an active acting career, most notably starring in the TV series "Reba" for six seasons. She is also an entrepreneur with several business ventures, including a restaurant and a clothing line.
1926: Birth of Jacqueline McEntire
In 1926, Jacqueline McEntire, Reba's mother, was born.
1927: Birth of Clark McEntire
In 1927, Clark McEntire, Reba's father, was born.
1934: John Wesley McEntire's steer roping championship
In 1934, John Wesley McEntire, Reba's grandfather, was a world-champion steer roper.
March 28, 1955: Reba McEntire's birth
On March 28, 1955, Reba Nell McEntire, later known as a country singer and actress, was born.
1955: Birth in McAlester, Oklahoma
In 1955, Reba McEntire was born in McAlester, Oklahoma.
1957: Clark McEntire's steer roping championship
In 1957, Clark McEntire, Reba's father, won his first world-champion steer roper title.
1958: Clark McEntire's steer roping championship
In 1958, Clark McEntire, Reba's father, won his second world-champion steer roper title.
1961: Clark McEntire's steer roping championship
In 1961, Clark McEntire, Reba's father, won his third world-champion steer roper title.
1969: Release of Fancy by Bobbie Gentry
In 1969, Bobbie Gentry released the single "Fancy". Reba McEntire would later cover the song, and it would become one of McEntire's signature songs.
1971: Release of The Ballad of John McEntire
In 1971, The Singing McEntires released "The Ballad of John McEntire", a single about their famous grandfather. It was pressed by a local label and issued regionally.
1973: Graduation from Kiowa High School
In 1973, Reba McEntire graduated from Kiowa High School.
March 1975: Trip to Nashville to record a demonstration tape
In March 1975, Reba McEntire, accompanied by her mother, traveled to Nashville, Tennessee, to record a demonstration tape intended for record labels, initially hesitant about pursuing a professional career.
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. That year, McEntire relocated with her mother to Nashville, Tennessee.
1975: Steagall offers recording contract
In early 1975, Red Steagall contacted Jacqueline McEntire about signing a recording contract with Reba only.
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".
1977: Release of self-titled debut album
In 1977, Reba McEntire released her self-titled debut album, featuring a country crossover style.
1978: Collaboration with Jacky Ward
In 1978, Reba McEntire collaborated with Jacky Ward on two singles; their release of "I'd Really Love to See You Tonight"/"Three Sheets in the Wind" became her first top-20 hit on the country chart.
1979: Release of Out of a Dream
In 1979, Jerry Kennedy produced Reba McEntire's second studio album titled "Out of a Dream". The album's cover of Patsy Cline's "Sweet Dreams" became her first top-20 hit as a solo artist.
1980: Formation of her band
By 1980, Reba McEntire had formed her own band, including her siblings Susie and Pake McEntire. In 1980, "(You Lift Me) Up to Heaven" became her first top-10 hit.
1981: Release of Heart to Heart
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" reached number one
In 1983, Reba McEntire's single "Can't Even Get the Blues" reached number one on the Billboard country chart.
1984: Release of Just a Little Love
In 1984, Reba McEntire released her seventh studio album "Just a Little Love" and signed with MCA Records. Also that year, she released her album "My Kind of Country".
1984: Signing with MCA Records and release of My Kind of Country
In 1984, Reba McEntire signed with MCA Records and released her album "My Kind of Country", which became her breakout release. It spawned two number-one Billboard country singles and shifted towards a more traditional musical style.
1985: Release of Have I Got a Deal for You
In 1985, Reba McEntire released "Have I Got a Deal for You," her next MCA album. The album followed the traditional country format of its predecessor and featured the title track and "Only in My Mind", both reaching the Billboard country top 10.
January 17, 1986: Induction into the Grand Ole Opry
On January 17, 1986, Reba McEntire was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry.
February 1986: Release of Whoever's in New England
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 a Grammy Award.
1986: Changes to stage show and release of What Am I Gonna Do About You
In 1986, Reba McEntire began implementing choreography and experimented with stage lighting in her stage show. Also in 1986, McEntire's twelfth studio album, "What Am I Gonna Do About You", was released. 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.
1987: Release of The Last One to Know and Merry Christmas to You and Carnegie Hall performance
In 1987, Reba McEntire released her 13th studio project, "The Last One to Know", and her first Christmas collection called "Merry Christmas to You". Also in 1987, she played Carnegie Hall in New York City for the first time.
1988: Release of Reba
In 1988, Reba McEntire released the pop-inspired album "Reba", which included covers of "Respect" and "A Sunday Kind of Love" and produced the number-one Billboard country singles "New Fool at an Old Game" and "I Know How He Feels".
1989: Marriage to Narvel Blackstock
In 1989, Reba McEntire married her manager and former steel guitar player Narvel Blackstock at Lake Tahoe in a private ceremony.
1989: Release of Sweet Sixteen and Reba Live
In 1989, Reba McEntire released "Sweet Sixteen," a return to neo-traditionalist country, featuring hits like "'Til Love Comes Again" and "Little Girl". 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 "Tremors".
February 1990: Birth of son Shelby
In February 1990, Reba McEntire gave birth to her son, Shelby Steven McEntire Blackstock.
1990: Release of Rumor Has It
In 1990, Reba McEntire released "Rumor Has It", a pop-oriented album. It was her first album to reach the top 40 of the Billboard 200 and featured four hit country singles, including "You Lie" and "Fancy".
March 16, 1991: Plane crash tragedy
On March 16, 1991, one of the planes carrying Reba McEntire's band crashed after takeoff from San Diego, killing everyone on board. This occurred as the band was beginning the 1991 leg of their tour.
October 1991: Release of For My Broken Heart
In October 1991, Reba McEntire released "For My Broken Heart", dedicating it to the deceased members of her road band. The album contained songs of sorrow and lost love and peaked at number three on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart.
1991: Loss of band members and release of For My Broken Heart
In 1991, Reba McEntire experienced the tragic loss of eight of her band members in a plane crash. This led to the release of her critically acclaimed and highest-selling album, "For My Broken Heart".
1991: Meeting Rex Linn on set of The Gambler Returns: The Luck of the Draw
In 1991, Reba McEntire met Rex Linn on the set of "The Gambler Returns: The Luck of the Draw".
December 1992: Release of It's Your Call
In December 1992, Reba McEntire released her 17th album, "It's Your Call". The album reached the top 10 of the Billboard 200 and spawned the country hits "Take It Back", the title track and a 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, a residence for relatives of patients at Texoma Medical Center.
1993: Duet with Linda Davis and CMA Awards controversy
In 1993, Reba McEntire collaborated with Linda Davis on the single "Does He Love You", which became a number-one hit. Later that year, they performed the duet at the CMA Awards, where McEntire's red dress caused controversy.
1994: Release of Read My Mind
In 1994, Reba McEntire released her 18th studio release, "Read My Mind". The disc reached number two on both the Billboard 200 and the Top Country Albums chart, and included the controversial song "She Thinks His Name Was John".
1995: Release of Starting Over
In 1995, Reba McEntire released "Starting Over", a collection of her favorite songs originally recorded by others, to commemorate her 20 years in the music industry.
November 1996: Release of What If It's You
In November 1996, Reba McEntire's album "What If It's You" was released. It debuted at number 15 on the Billboard 200 and topped the Billboard country albums list.
1996: Release of What If It's You
In 1996, Reba McEntire released the commercially successful album "What If It's You", which featured the number-one country single "How Was I to Know".
June 1998: Release of If You See Him and If You See Her
In June 1998, Reba McEntire's "If You See Him" album and Brooks & Dunn's "If You See Her" album, both containing the duet "If You See Him/If You See Her", were released.
1998: Release of If You See Him
In 1998, Reba McEntire released the commercially successful album "If You See Him", which featured the number-one country single a duet with Brooks and Dunn called "If You See Him/If You See Her".
1999: Releases of The Secret of Giving: A Christmas Collection and So Good Together
In 1999, Reba McEntire released two albums: "The Secret of Giving: A Christmas Collection" in September and "So Good Together" in November.
2001: Role in Annie Get Your Gun and the launch of Reba TV series
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", in which she starred.
2001: Release of I'm a Survivor and start of TV series
In 2001, Reba McEntire released "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
In August 2003, Reba McEntire released the single "I'm Gonna Take That Mountain," which was included on her album "Room to Breathe."
November 2003: Release of Room to Breathe
In November 2003, Reba McEntire released the album "Room to Breathe", her first studio album in four years.
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
In 2005, MCA released the double-disc compilation "Reba #1's" while Reba McEntire was between albums.
September 2007: Release of Reba: Duets
In September 2007, Reba McEntire released "Reba: Duets," a collection of duets with various artists. The album topped both the Billboard country chart and the Billboard 200.
2011: Induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame
In 2011, Reba McEntire was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, although she almost missed the announcement due to her father's health.
2013: Tying for ACM Top Female Vocalist Awards
In 2013, Miranda Lambert tied Reba McEntire for winning the Country Music Association's Female Vocalist of the Year Award four years in a row.
2013: Statement on stepson's marriage
In 2013, Reba McEntire stated she was "Thrilled to death, to have my buddy as my daughter-in-law" referring to Kelly Clarkson's impending marriage to her stepson, Brandon Blackstock.
2014: Death of Clark McEntire
In 2014, Clark McEntire, Reba's father, passed away.
August 3, 2015: Separation from Narvel Blackstock
On August 3, 2015, Reba McEntire's website announced that she and Narvel Blackstock had been separated for a few months after 26 years of marriage.
October 28, 2015: Divorce Finalized
On October 28, 2015, Reba McEntire and Narvel Blackstock's divorce was finalized.
December 2015: Divorce Announcement
In December 2015, Reba McEntire announced that her divorce with Narvel Blackstock had been finalized on October 28, 2015.
2016: Carrie Underwood joins elite club with CMA Award
In 2016, Carrie Underwood joined the elite club to win the Country Music Association's Female Vocalist of the Year Award four years in a row, an honor previously held by Reba McEntire and Martina McBride.
2017: Relationship with Anthony "Skeeter" Lasuzzo
In 2017, Reba McEntire began a relationship with photographer Anthony "Skeeter" Lasuzzo, whom she met through Kix Brooks.
December 2018: Kennedy Center Honor
In December 2018, Reba McEntire received the Kennedy Center Honor.
2018: Horatio Alger Award
In 2018, Reba McEntire was honored with the Horatio Alger Award for Education and Charity Work.
April 2019: McEntire expresses love for Lasuzzo
In April 2019, Reba McEntire stated "We're totally in love — absolutely," about her relationship with Anthony "Skeeter" Lasuzzo.
2020: Death of Jacqueline McEntire
In 2020, Jacqueline McEntire, Reba's mother, passed away.
2020: Relationship with Rex Linn
In 2020, Reba McEntire began dating film and TV actor Rex Linn, whom she had originally met on the set of The Gambler Returns: The Luck of the Draw (1991).
March 2022: Divorce of stepson and Kelly Clarkson finalized
In March 2022, the divorce between Reba McEntire's stepson Brandon Blackstock and singer Kelly Clarkson was finalized.
2023: Coaching on The Voice
Since 2023, Reba McEntire has been featured 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 celebrated American singer songwriter musician 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...
Patsy Cline a celebrated American singer from Virginia left an...
Trending
6 minutes ago Will Cain, Fox News Host, Clashes with Texas Democrat over Contentious Interview
1 hour ago Lord Huron Concert Scenes and Horizon Hits with Shinedown and Gabby Barrett
1 hour ago Fran Drescher Reunites with Nanny Co-stars; Renée Taylor's Play Premieres
1 hour ago Texas AG probes Xcel Energy over ESG, DEI links to 2024 wildfires.
2 hours ago Dibu Martínez Missed Aston Villa's Premier League Debut Against Newcastle
2 hours ago Ketel Marte Faces Trade Speculation Amidst Teammate Frustration and Absence Concerns
Popular
Adam Schiff is an American politician and lawyer currently serving...
The Kennedy Center Honors are annual awards presented since recognizing...
Ken Paxton is an American politician and lawyer serving as...
Jupiter is the fifth and largest planet from the Sun...
A blue moon is defined in several ways most commonly...
Olive Garden is a prominent American casual dining chain known...