Reba McEntire, one of music’s most beloved icons, has made her mark on country music. She grew up in Oklahoma and her fate was sealed when she moved to Nashville and began making music.
Reba has sold over 33.5 million albums during her lengthy career.
In keeping with her country traditions, her stepson married Kelly Clarkson…talk about keeping musical success in the family.
Here are some facts that you may have not known about the singer.
Country icon Faith Hill admitted to Larry King that she auditioned to be a backup singer for Reba and she didn’t get the part.
“Well, I didn’t get it because I wasn’t good enough,” she explained. “I don’t think it was because — I don’t think fate had anything to do with that for me. I wasn’t a great background singer and I didn’t get the part.”
She told The Boot that she loves her photos. “I love to piddle with my pictures. I am a big picture fanatic,” she said. “I love when people send me pictures that I don’t have. I can scan them and put them in my computer, and I am archiving right now.”
“Titanic” director James Cameron had his eyes set on Reba for the role of Molly Brown in the 1997 blockbuster. Kathy Bates was given the role instead after Reba said no due to scheduling conflicts. She went on to have a very successful television series, “Reba,” that ran for six seasons.
She told Entertainment Weekly in 2006 that she is pals with the former President. “Senior President Bush is my joke buddy. Matter of fact, I was in New York one time during the World Series watching the game, and I saw President Bush and Barbara sittin’ behind home plate,” she said. “I get on my Treo, and I e-mail him, ‘Hey, I see you on TV. Have a hot dog for me.’” I see him elbowing Barbara, and pointin’ down to his Treo. Then he’s just workin’ on it. Pretty soon I get a message back from him: “Wait ’til so-and-so gets up to bat, and I’ll wave at ya.”
In 2012, Reba was the victim of an internet death hoax that claimed she fell to her death in Austria. She recalled on “The Talk,” “First I heard of it, my older sister called me, Alice, and she said her son just called her crying… and she said ‘I’ll find out immediately.’ She called me, and I said, ‘No I’m fine.’”
Reba added that the prank wasn’t a good joke. “There are so many of those hoaxes that are going around that it’s cruel. Now the publicity I got, oh my gosh…but it’s not funny.”
