Reba McEntire, now 69, grew up far from glamour. Born in 1955 in Oklahoma, she was raised on her family’s 8,000-acre ranch in tiny Chockie. From a young age, Reba was expected to work just like everyone else. By age five, she was steering her father’s truck through cattle fields. Her family was deeply rooted in rodeo life—her grandfather was a world-champion steer roper, and her father won the title three times. But Clark McEntire was strict and rarely showed affection, something Reba admitted she longed for growing up.

The McEntire children lived modestly in a small house with one bathroom, but music filled their home thanks to their mother, Jacqueline, who once dreamed of becoming a singer. She taught Reba and her siblings to harmonize during long car rides to rodeos, sparking Reba’s passion. Reba joined school performances early, and by high school, she formed The Singing McEntires with her brother and sister.

Her big break came in 1974 when she sang the national anthem at the National Finals Rodeo. Country star Red Steagall heard her and invited her to record a demo in Nashville. After signing with a label in 1975, Reba slowly climbed the charts before breaking through in the 1980s with hits like “Whoever’s in New England.”

In 1991, tragedy struck when a plane crash killed eight of her band members. Reba pushed forward, honoring them with her album For My Broken Heart. She continued rising through the 1990s and beyond, becoming a country icon.

Despite fame, Reba stayed connected to her roots, even opening Reba’s Place in Oklahoma in 2023. Her 2024 Super Bowl performance of the national anthem brought her journey full circle—from a rodeo arena to one of the world’s biggest stages.