You can’t talk about country music without talking about Reba McEntire. The 65-year-old country singer has become one of the most central figures of the genre. From the late 1970s to today, Reba has shown us all why she deserves to be called the “Queen of Country.” In honor of the 19th anniversary of the premiere of her show Reba, we’re taking a look back at Reba’s incredible career.
Reba released her first solo album in 1977, simply titled Reba McEntire. She continued to release albums year after year. Her singing career really took off with the release of her album, My Kind of Country. The singles “How Blue” and “Somebody Should Leave” became major hits. Reba didn’t slow down at all through the 1980s when it came down to her music. She also released her first Christmas album in 1987. She won her first Grammy in 1987 for Best Female Country Vocal Performance.
Reba faced tragedy in 1991 while on tour when she lost 8 members of her band when a charter jet plane carrying them crashed near San Diego. Reba was on a second plane that did not crash. She dedicated her 16th album to the lost members of her band.
The country icon also caught the acting bug early on in her career. Her first film role was in the 1990 movie Tremors. She starred in a number of movies throughout the 1990s. Reba made her Broadway debut in the 2001 revival of Annie Get Your Gun.
Reba’s biggest acting role was definitely her own television series, Reba, which premiered on Oct. 5, 2000. The series revolved around Reba Hart, played by McEntire, who handles the ups and downs of life after her husband leaves her to marry his dental hygenist. Reba was a massive hit, and Reba herself earned her first Golden Globe nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Comedy or Musical in 2004. Reba ran for 6 seasons.
In the years after Reba, the singer/actress extraordinaire moved into voice roles as well. She voiced roles in Charlotte’s Web and Spies in Disguise. She has continued to release new music, with her latest album, Stronger Than the Truth, being released in 2019. She co-hosted the 2019 CMA Awards with Dolly Parton, 74, and Carrie Underwood, 37. She is returning to host the 2020 CMA Awards with co-host Darius Rucker.