Biography

There are precious few entertainers who only need to use one name: Cher, Madonna, Beyoncé — Reba.

Since being discovered singing the National Anthem at a rodeo in her homestate of Oklahoma, Reba McEntire has electrified the music scene, earning the well-deserved title of the “Queen of Country Music.”

Yet, her success spans beyond just music. She’s built an empire that includes an eponymous apparel collection, a long-standing production company, an established acting repertoire and everything in between.

On April 14, Reba will release her first new music in over four years as the flagship artist on the innovative label Nash Icon Records, a joint venture between Big Machine Label Group and Cumulus. LOVE SOMEBODY is a collection of uplifting and heartfelt music that seamlessly blends songs about strength and empowerment with some intimately personal peeks inside her life.

“I’m really excited about this new album,” she said. “It’s timeconsuming, but I missed getting into the studio. I just love the entire process.” From selecting each song that made the cut to choosing the musicians who played on the album to approving the album imaging, Reba embraces the evolution of it all.

“It’s like a puzzle,” she said. “You probably only keep one out of 200 songs you listen to and a handful of the photos … but it’s fun how everything matches up and comes together in the end.”

The 12 songs ultimately included on LOVE SOMEBODY are an eclectic group that represents a roller coaster of emotions. From strong-women songs and being-cheated-on songs to relationship-ending songs and hope-fueled songs, lyrics run the gamut of being relatable for everyone.

The beaten-laden first single, “Going Out Like That,” is a powerful hint of what’s to come as Reba makes a bold return. It’s the story of a woman who rebounds heartily after a breakup but instead of wallowing in the mud, she becomes the life of the party, dancing the night away.

The message struck a chord with a lot of listeners: the single catapulted to #1 on the iTunes Country Top Songs charts in the U.S. and Canada upon release, marking Reba’s career-high digital sales.

“It made me feel great to see people really caring about this new music,” Reba said of the immediate positive reception. “Everybody wants love and acceptance.”

Since, the flurry of buzz has continued with Rolling Stone Country calling it a “sass-filled track” and “confirms she is back in a big way.” The Boot agreed about the “…uptempo, accessible and irresistible number…”

Reba’s been feeling that love for quite some time. Her accomplishments to date are staggering: 35 #1 singles and over 56 million albums sold worldwide. The Country Music Hall of Fame inductee has won 15 American Music Awards,13 Academy of Country Music Awards, nine People’s Choice Awards, seven Country Music Association Awards, two Grammy Awards, in addition to an being honored with ACM Career Achievement Award. She’s received the National Artistic Achievement Award from the U.S. Congress and was the named Billboard magazine’s first-ever Woman of the Year, besting the likes of Jennifer Lopez and Celine Dion.

The Oklahoma native reunited with her long-time producer Tony Brown (Vince Gill, George Strait, Lionel Richie) for the project, which also offered Reba the opportunity to team up with James Stroud (Tim McGraw, Toby Keith, Clint Black), and even found herself spending time at the soundboard.

“We had fun and experimented a bit, but I think it turned out great,” she said.

The end result received kudos from Big Machine Label Group President & CEO Scott Borchetta, who said: “I am again reminded of the power of all things Reba. Her presence, her vocal prowess, her song selection, her passion… it’s unequaled in her multi-decade career and we will again blaze new trails together.”

Country Weekly enthused how her new music “…stays true to Reba’s unmistakable style, while sounding just as fresh and lively as anything that’s on current radio.”

Reba herself agrees that her musical style hasn’t changed dramatically over the years – nor has her choice of songs. “If they touch my heart, if they make me emotional, then I hope they’ll touch your heart too,” she said. “If they just make you tap your foot, but don’t touch your heart, then I’ll pass.”

The emotions are evident on the new album, with songs like “Love Land,” where a woman experiences the loss of child – “It just rips my heart open,” Reba said – or “More Than Just Her Last Name,” a introspective tune that is reminiscent of her smash 1992 hit “Is There Life Out There.”

Reba also revisits the classic female duet about two women loving the same man and both of them unhappy with the outcome, as she and Linda Davis did on the powerful “Does He Love You.” This time around, the vocals are shared with Jennifer Nettles of Sugarland on “Enough.” Reba is proud of the result saying, “This song has attitude, and I knew she could sing, but…wow! This is definitely a stop-you-in-yourtracks song.”

Perhaps the most personal of songs on LOVE SOMEBODY is “Just Like Them Horses,” which had such an impact on Reba that she honored her father’s life, singing it at his funeral last fall. “The lyrics play out like a movie to me. It’s actually my favorite song on the album,” she said. The lyrics include a chorus made even more touching when the backstory is known. “If you love me don’t you be afraid to look in my eyes and open up the gate, then watch me ride beneath a newborn sun, just like them horses when it’s time to run.”

The last cut on the album also provides a glimpse into Reba’s soul. “Pray for Peace” came from a spiritual moment of reflection – a conversation she had with God. Her daughter-in-law Kelly Clarkson, Ronnie Dunn of Brooks & Dunn and her long-time back-up singer Jennifer Wrinkle contribute background vocals on the record, whose melancholy fiddles and bagpipes are sure to touch listeners’ hearts.

While some of the cuts on the album may be reminiscent of her early career, the end result is current and contemporary–a lot like the woman herself. Her voice is also as clear and strong as ever, a fact that makes Reba proud. “It’s a muscle,” she said. “You have to exercise it to keep it going.” She joked that she sings around the house all the time – including in the shower – often disturbing her husband. “He’s trying to watch CNN and I’m singing,” she said with her hearty trademark laugh.

Like seemingly everything she touches, she’ll bring that bubbly energy and penchant for excellence to Las Vegas later this year when she teams up with friends and collaborators Kix Brooks & Ronnie Dunn for a one-of-a-kind residency. Initial response to REBA, BROOKS & DUNN: Together in Vegas at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace this summer was so strong that extra dates have already been added.

But that’s not all.

She’s also a renowned actress with 11 movie credits to her name as well as a bonafide Broadway star. Her performance in Irving Berlin’s Annie Get Your Gun prompted The New York Times to rave: “Without qualification the best performance by an actress in a musical comedy this season.” Reba has even starred in her own television series — twice.

Aside from her many creative talents, Reba is an entrepreneur. After marrying her former steel guitar player Narvel Blackstock in 1989, the duo formed Starstruck Entertainment, which was originally intended to manage her career. Since, the Nashvillebased company has expanded into song publishing, concert booking, publicity and management of other artists such as superstars Kelly Clarkson and Blake Shelton.

2015 will also mark a decade of her partnership with department store chain Dillard’s. The success of the Reba brand – clothing, shoes, luggage, home goods – bucks the one-season-and-done stigma that has haunted so many other celebrity lines. The collection is much like Reba herself … sophisticated and versatile.

With a career as long and storied as this, Reba could easily kick back on a very comfortable porch swing. But she’s way more driven than that. “I don’t like to be bored so I constantly keep an eye out for projects that excite me,” she said. “The fans can feel it too if you’re not really passionate. It won’t resonate and it won’t flourish … I don’t do anything halfway!”

So with all of these accomplishments already checked off, is there anything left on Reba’s bucket list?

“I still want to do a movie that’s a true Western,” she said, “like Lonesome Dove. Mostly, they do spoofs of Westerns, but it’s time for a good, solid, meaty, love-story Western.”