The Beginning
Discover the untold story of how Reba McEntire’s friendship with steel guitar player Narvel turned into a romantic relationship, and how they founded the successful management firm Starstruck. But behind closed doors, Reba harbored a secret that would shake the foundations of her marriage. Learn the truth about her hidden desires and the surprising turn her love life took.
The Beginning
Humble Start
Reba was born on January 16, 1955 in McAlester, Oklahoma. She spent her childhood on a ranch with her family, where she and her siblings pitched in with chores like meal preparation and housekeeping as well as helping with the cattle. She started learning to drive at the young age of five so that she could help out more at the ranch. She developed a strong work ethic and appreciation for hard work at a young age thanks to these experiences, which served her well in her professional life.
Humble Start
The People She Looks Up To
Jacqueline, Reba’s mom, wanted to be a country singer but settled for a career in education. Both of her forebears were professional rodeo steer ropers. Her dad eventually won three titles as a world-champion steer roper.
The People She Looks Up To
From A Family Of Singers
Her father competed in rodeos, so the family took to the road frequently, and it was common for them to break into song during their travels. Reba’s mother influenced her daughter’s early musical development by exposing her to country music and encouraging her to express herself through song. Soon after, Reba was a regular at local theater productions, rodeos, and even the high school graduation ceremony, and the kids became known as “The Singing McEntires.”
From A Family Of Singers
She Had Big Dreams
Reba was influenced by country music legends like Dolly Parton, Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn, and Tammy Wynette as a young girl. What she didn’t know was that she would one day be one of them, and even share the stage with her heroes.
She Had Big Dreams
The Singing McEntires
Reba as well as her siblings kept on singing together, and eventually formed a band called The Singing McEntires, which gave live performances and even released an album. About a thousand copies of the album were sold. Their two biggest hits were “God Never Cried” and “If I Could Only Be With You.”
The Singing McEntires
Something To Learn
Reba told her mother that she wanted to get baptized while performing with the Singing McEntires and that she planned to announce her decision to the audience of the dance hall where she was scheduled to perform that night. Her mom warned her not to assume that they didn’t go to church. This was her first experience with being judged, and she said as much. “That was my first lesson on passing judgment. You don’t know what other people do. You don’t know their heart,” she shared.
Something To Learn
She Majored In Education
Reba attended Oklahoma State University after finishing high school; she decided to study education but continued her singing career whenever possible. She was considering becoming a teacher like her mother. On the other hand, fate had other ideas.
She Majored In Education
She Got The Attention
There was a sea change after she sang the flag and anthem at the National Rodeo in Oklahoma City that year. Even country music legend Red Steagall, who was also performing, was blown away by her voice. To put it simply, he was instrumental in the beginning of her Nashville career. She signed her first record deal with Mercury Records less than a year after making her demo tape.
She Got The Attention
The Very First Single
She wed rodeo star Charlie Battles in 1976, right at the beginning of his career. Aside from that, she also dropped her first official single, “I Don’t Wanna Be a One Night Stand.” It wasn’t a hit, and neither were her subsequent singles, but she kept trying. She sang a version of “Sweet Dreams” by Patsy Cline in 1979, and it made it to #19 on the Billboard country charts. For her, this was just the beginning of her achievements.
The Very First Single
Not On The List
She made her Grand Ole Opry debut in ’77. She drove all the way to Nashville for the show, but the security guard there said her name wasn’t on the guest list. She argued with him, insisting that she couldn’t miss her performance under any circumstances. Thankfully, she made it in time after he located her name and let her in. Sadly, she learned that Dolly Parton had been given the majority of her scheduled stage time. The producers’ decision stunned her.
Not On The List
#1 Billboard
After Reba achieved her first number-one single on the Billboard charts in 1983, she decided to leave Mercury Records. She left her former record label for MCA Nashville Records because she felt pressured to perform more country-pop ballads, which she found uninteresting. The following year, she dropped Just A Little Love, her seventh studio album. She also re-released an album that had been less successful, and the album’s weakest tracks became her most popular ones.
#1 Billboard
Music Videos
Reba was already an innovator in the field of music videos by the late ’80s. She decided to use the music video as an opportunity for dramatic performances, rather than just standing around and singing the song. Even so, many of her detractors coined the term “mini-movies” to describe her music videos. She became interested in acting as a result of this.
Music Videos
Obstacles On Her Way
Reba and her first husband, Charlie Battles, were no longer on the same page after a certain time. A stay-at-home wife was Battles’s ideal, and he had that in mind when he proposed to the woman who would become his wife on his Oklahoma ranch. Their relationship suffered greatly because of Reba’s constant travel. In 1987, they decided to end their marriage and get divorced. She mentioned, “I had to pack everything in one day and leave. I wasn’t the little girl anymore, taking orders and doing what he said.”
Obstacles On Her Way
First Film
Her first film role was in 1990’s Tremors, a horror comedy. She enjoyed working on the film so much that she and Narvel postponed their honeymoon so she could finish filming. In contrast, her co-star Kevin Bacon saw the film as a low point in his career. But for Reba, it was a window into a field about which she had long been curious.
First Film
An Accident Occurred
When a terrible accident occurred in 1991, Reba’s life was going great. Her entire band of eight members perished when their charter plane collided with a mountain near San Diego. The members of her band had become like family to Reba, and she was devastated by their sudden departure.
An Accident Occurred
A Dedicated Album
After the tragedy, Reba decided to release an album in memory of the deceased members of the band. She came out with an album called For My Broken Heart, whose lyrics deal with heartbreak and loss. After selling over 4 million copies, the album peaked at #3 on the charts and spawned several No. 1 singles. Reba described the album as “a form of healing for all our broken hearts” in the liner notes.
A Dedicated Album
Pretty In Red
Reba’s attendance at the CMA Awards in a show-stopping red gown in 1993 caused many heads to turn. She shared a CMA and a Grammy with Linda Davis that year for their collaboration on “Does He Love You.” You can see the red dress in its new home at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.
Pretty In Red
Not Afraid To Speak Up
A woman who had a drunken one-night stand and later found out she had AIDS was the subject of “She Thinks His Name Was John,” a song that appeared on Reba’s 1994 album. She did not avoid discussing what was a highly controversial subject at the time. In her songs, she also spoke out against the mistreatment of the elderly, illegal immigration, mercy killing, and domestic violence.
Not Afraid To Speak Up
New Start
Reba, an artist for the past two decades, just dropped her nineteenth studio album. Despite being a compilation of her favorite songs, it was panned by critics. Only one of the album’s songs charted in the top ten. Despite this, the album was certified platinum in less than a year.
New Start
Missed Out On A Good Deal
A part in Titanic, directed by James Cameron, was offered to Reba. She was supposed to be a part of the production, but she had to drop out because of scheduling issues. She thought it was a bad idea to scrap planned shows, especially if people had already paid for tickets. To paraphrase her, “they kept movin’ my schedule.” After she dropped out, Kathy Bates was cast as Molly Brown instead. The film earned over $2 billion around the world, making it the second highest-grossing film of all time.
Missed Out On A Good Deal
A Great Comeback
Twenty years ago in 1997, Reba dropped her album What If It’s You. The album was wildly successful, with its lead single “The Fear of Being Alone” reaching the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100. How Was I to Know, another single, topped the charts, while “I’d Rather Ride Around with You” peaked at number two.
A Great Comeback
Win After Win
Three successful singles followed the release of Reba’s Greatest Hits Vol. 3: I’m A Survivor album in 2001. A successful album led her to try her luck on Broadway, where she made her debut in a revival of Annie Get Your Gun. Reviewers for the New York Times called her performance “without qualification the best performance by an actress in a musical comedy this season.”
Win After Win
The Reba Show
After her success on Broadway, Reba decided to try her hand at television. She was given her own series on the WB network in 2001. Her role as a hilarious single mom on the sitcom Reba propelled it to the top of the ratings for the network. She won a Golden Globe for her work on the show, which ran for six seasons from 2001 to 2006. The show was canceled shortly after it was moved to the CW.
The Reba Show
Reba VS Sally
Reba’s identity was supposed to be named Sally at first, but she insisted on being credited by her real name instead. She claimed it would encourage more of her followers to tune in to the show. Barbara, portrayed by Melissa Peterman, was her sworn enemy; it was Barbara who had an affair with Reba’s husband, leading to their separation and eventual divorce. Nonetheless, the two get along famously in real life.
Reba VS Sally
Climbing Back To The Top
With her 23rd studio album, 2003’s Room to Breathe, Reba once again explored her country music roots. 76 of her songs from that album made it to the charts. She even outperformed one of her inspirations, Dolly Parton, in 2007 when she became the female artist who received the most CMA award nominations. The following year, she also hit the road with Kelly Clarkson.
Climbing Back To The Top
On Screen Again
Reba returned to television in 2011 with her starring role in the ABC sitcom Malibu Country. She portrayed single mom Reba Gallagher. She, like the protagonist of her own show, found out her husband was cheating. Her main character gets her hands on her late husband’s assets and launches a career in country music. However, the show was canceled after only 18 episodes.
On Screen Again
She Broke The Records
Reba broke the record for most top 10 country singles by a female artist in 2008 when she re-recorded “Cowgirls Don’t Cry” with Brooks & Dunn. Even though she had success with MCA, winning two Grammys and selling over 67 million records, she decided to sign with Valory Music Group after being with the label for 25 years.
She Broke The Records
Ain’t Funny
In 2012, disturbing rumors began making the rounds online claiming that Reba had died after falling off a cliff during filming in Australia. It quickly went viral, and everyone she knew was deeply affected. Her sister became worried when she couldn’t contact her. Thankfully, she answered the phone and let everyone know that the rumors were unfounded. She also told her followers on Twitter, “There are so many of those hoaxes that are just going around and I think it’s cruel. Not funny at all.”
Ain’t Funny
She Lost Her Father
Reba’s father had a stroke right around the time she found out she was going to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. Therefore, Dolly Parton accepted the induction honors on her behalf. Clark died in October 2014, which was a terrible loss. She was so heartbroken that she released an album called “Just Like Them Horses” to honor them once more.
She Lost Her Father
Living The Life
In the end, she was able to reap the benefits of her efforts and enjoy the fruits of her labor. Among the many mansions she owned, one had seven bedrooms, nine bathrooms, a swimming pool, a spa, and a tennis court. She paid $9 million in 2009 and $22.25 million in 2015 to sell her Beverly Hills mansion.
Living The Life
Being The Next Star
Faith Hill, a fellow country star, tried out to be one of Reba’s backup singers for her tour but was ultimately rejected. Nonetheless, she was spared death in the tragic airplane crash of 1991. She survived being rejected as a member of Reba’s backup band, and she went on to become a major country star in her own right.
Being The Next Star
Kelly x Reba
As a result of Brandon Blackstock’s marriage to Kelly Clarkson, Reba and Kelly are now legally related. After spending so much time together on the road, they were old friends. She was “thrilled to death,” as she put it, about the game. To have my best friend’s daughter as my daughter-in-law, well, who could ask for more? Kelly and Brandon are the proud parents of two young “.
Kelly X Reba
Doing What Her Father Told Her
Reba revealed her dismay and anguish upon learning that Narvel wanted a divorce when he finally confronted her about it. They would still be married today if it were up to her, she said. She explained, “Daddy always told me to take my marbles and go play somewhere else, so that’s what I did.” Even though he was leaving, his departure meant more than just a physical distance…
Doing What Her Father Told Her
Happened Too Soon
Narvel started dating someone else just a few months after the divorce was finalized. He was now romantically involved with Reba’s best friend, Laura Putty Stroud. Their friendship was as close as sisters. There is a lot of mystery surrounding her and Narvel’s romantic history; some have even suggested that he may have been unfaithful to her.
Happened Too Soon
Trying To Make It Work
Kelly Clarkson, Reba’s daughter-in-law and a close friend, pleaded with them to work things out. Since she was married to Narvel’s son but felt torn between her loyalty to Reba and her husband, she often felt caught between two worlds. It has been said, however, that the couple had been living apart for some time prior to the divorce.
Trying To Make It Work
Going Back In The Game
When Reba and Narvel divorced in 1999, he continued to serve as her manager for another year. For personal and professional reasons, Reba severed ties with him in 2016. As a manager for up-and-coming musicians, she founded the company Reba’s Business Inc. She also designs and sells her own line of accessories, including clothing, makeup, and jewelry. There are estimates that put her wealth at around $95 million.
Going Back In The Game
Her Love For Photos
If you follow Reba on Instagram, you already know that she has a passion for photography. She said, “I love to piddle with my pictures,” in an interview with country music website The Boot. I’m all about the big picture. “It’s great when people send me photos that I don’t already have. I can scan them in and store them digitally, and I am doing so now.”
Her Love For Photos
Widely Known Besties
Reba comes across as a genuinely warm and friendly person. Both George W. Bush and his father, George H. W. Bush, were friends of hers. She mentioned: “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”.
Widely Known Besties
Shooting
Reba, being the quintessential country gal that she is, has a deep fascination with firearms and enjoys practicing her shooting skills. She revealed that she was completely gun-blind prior to her training for the role. 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.”
Shooting