Reba Nell McEntire (born March 28, 1955) is an American country singer, actress, television performer, and businesswoman. Known for her powerful voice, emotional phrasing, and direct connection with her audience, she became one of the most successful female country artists of the 1980s and 1990s. Her career has extended across recording, concert performance, film, television, Broadway, and entertainment management.
McEntire was born in McAlester, Oklahoma, and grew up on a cattle ranch near Chockie. Music was part of her family life, and she performed with her siblings Pake and Susie as the Singing McEntires while still in school. Her 1974 performance of the national anthem at the National Finals Rodeo in Oklahoma City attracted the attention of country artist Red Steagall, who helped her obtain a recording contract with Mercury Records.
Her early recordings established her as a traditional country vocalist, although commercial success developed gradually. She reached the country Top Twenty in 1978 with "Three Sheets in the Wind," a duet with Jacky Ward, and scored an early hit with her 1979 recording of "Sweet Dreams." Her first country No. 1 singles, "Can't Even Get the Blues" and "You're the First Time I've Thought About Leaving," arrived in 1982 and 1983.
After moving to MCA Records, McEntire gained greater control over her artistic direction. The 1984 album *My Kind of Country* marked a major turning point. Its traditional sound and songs such as "How Blue" and "Somebody Should Leave" helped define her public identity and established her as a leading voice in contemporary country music. She won the Country Music Association's Female Vocalist of the Year award in 1984, became a member of the Grand Ole Opry in 1986, and followed her first major successes with albums including *Whoever's in New England*, *The Last One to Know*, *Reba*, and *Rumor Has It*. Her dramatic music videos also helped expand the storytelling possibilities of country promotion during the music-video era.
In March 1991, seven members of McEntire's band and her road manager died in a plane crash near San Diego. She responded to the tragedy through the 1992 album *For My Broken Heart*, one of the most important and commercially successful recordings of her career. Later albums, including *Read My Mind*, *What If It's You*, and *If You See Him If You See Her*, demonstrated her ability to combine traditional country themes with polished mainstream production. Her duet "Does He Love You" with Linda Davis became one of her signature recordings.
McEntire also built a substantial acting career. She appeared in films such as *Tremors*, *The Little Rascals*, *North*, *Buffalo Girls*, and *Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar*. In 2001, she made a well-received Broadway debut as Annie Oakley in *Annie Get Your Gun*. Her television sitcom *Reba*, which ran from 2001 to 2007, turned her into a major television star and showcased her comic timing.
As a businesswoman, McEntire founded Starstruck Entertainment in 1988, developing an organization involved in management, booking, publishing, recording, and other areas of the music industry. She later continued recording and touring, releasing projects such as *Keep on Loving You*, *All the Women I Am*, *Sing It Now: Songs of Faith & Hope*, *Stronger Than the Truth*, and *Not That Fancy*.
McEntire has won three Grammy Awards and numerous honors from the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music. She was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2011 and received the Kennedy Center Honors in 2018. Her lasting influence comes from the combination of a highly recognizable voice, carefully chosen songs, ambitious stage productions, and an unusually broad career across American entertainment.