Reba McEntire was one of the most successful new country vocalists to emerge
in the early '80s. The only problem was, she began her recording career in the
mid-'70s. It may
have taken her several years to reach the top of the country charts, but once
she got there she stayed there --
Reba McEntire was the single most successful female country vocalist of the '80s
and '90s, scoring a consistent stream of Top Ten singles and a grand total of 18
number one singles.
Reba McEntire is the daughter of Clark EcEntire, a professional rodeo rider. As a
child,
Reba McEntire was a rodeo rider, as were her sisters Alice and Susie and her brother
Pake. While their father taught them how to ride, their mother, Jackie, taught
them music. As young adults, the four siblings formed a vocal group that landed
a local hit in 1971 with "The Ballad of John McEntire," a song dedicated to
their grandfather.
The McEntire children intended to become a professional singing group, but
those plans were thrown for a loop when
Reba McEntire sang the national anthem at the National Rodeo Finals in Oklahoma City
in 1974.
Red Steagall had heard her sing the anthem and immediately suggested that
she go to Nashville and record a demo.
Reba McEntire was initially hesitant to pursue a solo career, but the family
eventually decided it was better for her to take the chance while it was there.
With some help from
Steagall,
Reba McEntire signed with Mercury Records in 1975, releasing her first record
that same year. Initially, she was a traditional hard country singer at a time
when the radio wasn't receptive to that sound -- her first singles didn't come
close to cracking the Top 40. Around the time of the release of her first album,
she married Charlie Battles, a professional steer wrestler and bulldogger, and
completed her teaching degree, in case her musical career floundered.
In 1978,
Reba McEntire began to make some headway on the charts, as the double A-sided
"Three Sheets in the Wind"/"I'd Really Love to See You Tonight" reached number
20. However, she didn't have any significant hits until the summer of 1980, when
"(You Lift Me) Up to Heaven" made it to number eight. By this time, she had
begun to cut more ballad-oriented material and the slight shift in musical
direction paid off.
Reba McEntire stayed with Mercury Records for three more years. In that time, her
audience dramatically expanded -- at the end of 1982, she had her first number
one single, "Can't Even Get the Blues."
Reba McEntire switched labels in 1984, abandoning Mercury for MCA Records. At
MCA, she established herself as one of the decade's most popular artists,
selling over 20 million albums and winning four Female Vocalist of the Year
awards from the Country Music Association. Between 1985 and 1992, she had 24
straight Top Ten hits, including 14 number one singles.
Reba McEntire began toying with rock and pop influences, both in her music and in
her image.
Reba McEntire divorced Charlie Battles in 1987. Two years after the divorce, she
married Narvel Blackstock, her road manager and steel guitarist; the pair
assumed complete control of all aspects of her career, from recording to
merchandising and marketing. In the '90s,
Reba McEntire stayed as popular as she was in the previous decade, as both her
albums and her singles consistently charted in the Top Ten, frequently at number
one.
Reba McEntire also begun an acting career in the early '90s, appearing in TV
movies and feature films, most notably the cult horror film Tremors. She
released If You See Him in 1998, returning a year later with a second seasonal
collection, The Secret of Giving, as well as So Good Together. ~ Stephen Thomas
Erlewine, All Music Guide
Contact Grabow for more information or to book
Reba McEntire for your next corporate or private event.
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