Role of the Performer - Reba McEntire

Reba McEntire has been one of my favorite performers for a very long time. She has such a spunky, witty personality and her performances are so lively. It's easy to see how Reba rose to the top of Country Music charts and has has sustained success once you listen to a few of her songs. Although she does not write most of her songs, Reba is a magnificent singer and performer and has a gift at choosing songs that become hits.

As a child Reba learned to sing from her mother, who had wanted to be a country music singer, but instead taught her four children to sing and harmonize on long road trips of the rodeo circuits that her husband competed in as a steer roper. After high school, Reba attended and graduated from Southeastern Oklahoma State University majoring in Elementary Education and minoring in Music. Soon after college, Reba was singing the National Anthem at the National Rodeo Finals in Oklahoma City in 1974, and she was noticed by Red Steagall, who invited her record demos for his music publishing company in Nashville. This eventually led to her signing with Polygram Mercury Records which was really the start of her career.

It took awhile before Reba was successful. Early on, she wrote some of her songs, but as her career progressed she performed songs written by others and one of her first Top 20 songs was her cover of Patsy Cline's "Sweet Dreams". Her first Top 10 hit was "(You Lift Me) Up To Heaven" in 1980 written by Johnny MAcRae, Bob Morrison, Bill Zerface, and Jim Zerface. "Can't Even Get the Blues" by Rick Carnes and Tom Damphier and "You're The First Time I've Thought About Leaving" by Kerry Chater and Dickey Lee were her first two No. 1 hits. 

Reba's cover song of Patsy Cline's "Sweet Dreams"

This success prompted her to sign with MCA Records and she was able to have more say in her song selections. Her success continued and grew steadily with hits such as "How Blue" from her album My Kind of Country which also featured cover songs originally by Ray Price, Carl Smith, and Faron Young. From here, she became a household name in Country Music and Country Music Association's Vocalist of the year for four consecutive years and in 1986 was named CMA Entertainer of the Year "that recognized her remarkable showmanship in concert".

In 2005, in an interview on CNN's Larry King Live, she shared that she is very active in the selection of her songs she records. She listens to the demos, and likes to listen to the process of completing the finished product. She shared that she looks for songs that have great melodies, are emotionally packed, and that speak to her heart. She acknowledges that it is a difficult process, but that she still loves the search for a really good song. 

Reba nailed her ability to choose country hits and today is considered one of the most successful female recording artists in history. Hits like, "The Last One to Know", "Little Rock", "Whoever's in New England", remake- "Fancy", and "Turn on the Radio" are just a few of many popular Reba songs.

"Fancy" (1990) is probably my favorite Reba McEntire song. The lyrics tell a dark story with a confronting truth and a window of hope for the girl in the story of the song. It has a medium tempo of 95 BPM, and a melody and chords that are more complex than the typical song. It's a song that quickly grabs your attention. This remake was originally written and recorded by Bobbie Gentry in 1969.

And, something I love is her diversity of songs she has performed. Reba has recorded  a remake of Beyonce's "If I Were A Boy",  and in 2017, she released her first ever Gospel Album. It debuted at #1 on both Billboard Country and Christian charts and she was awarded Dove and Grammy award for this album. 

Reba McEntire is truly an amazing performer. If you don't know much about her, I encourage you to check out some of her songs. You will most definitely find yourself swaying to the rhythm of her popular songs!

Rook, Katie. “Reba McEntire on What She Looks for in a Hit Song: ‘Emotionally Packed with a Great Melody.’” Showbiz Cheat Sheet, 25 Dec. 2021, www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/reba-mcentire-looks-hit-song-emotionally-packed-great-melody.html/. 

“About.” Reba McEntire, www.reba.com/about. Accessed 15 Nov. 2023. 

“You’re the First Time I’ve Thought about Leaving.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 29 Nov. 2021, en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/You%27re_the_First_Time_I%27ve_Thought_About_Leaving. 

“Can’t Even Get the Blues.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 29 Jan. 2022, en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Can’t_Even_Get_the_Blues. 

The-Boot-Staff. “Listen: Top 20 Reba Mcentire Songs.” The Boot, 21 Apr. 2022, theboot.com/top-reba-mcentire-songs/.