Reba McEntire's Country Music Career Didn't Have A Glamourous Beginning

In April 2023, Reba McEntire sat down with the “Today” and spoke about the start of her journey. McEntire addressed how her path to success didn’t come quickly. “Baby steps, slow burn,” McEntire shared with host Willie Geist, describing her start in music. “Yeah, I thought once you had a record on the radio, you’re rich. You know you have a tour bus, a big mansion. No, I was living in a $10-a-month rent house in Oklahoma. Had to haul our own water,” she added. After Geist asked McEntire, “What kept you going through those obstacles,” she replied, “Curiosity. Faith. Especially in the hard times, the bad times, the sad times. My faith. And just thinking, ‘What more can we do?'” 

Unfortunately, McEntire’s greatest hardship came several decades into her career when her mother, Jacqueline, died in 2020. Because McEntire’s mom had been such a supportive force throughout her music career, she briefly considered leaving the music industry. “So when Mama passed, I thought, ‘Where’s my buddy? Where’s my ‘want-to’? She’s not with me anymore,'” McEntire shared during an interview (via Country Now). Fortunately, McEntire had a change of heart and is still working in the industry to this day. Come Fall 2023, McEntire will even join the “The Voice” judging panel as Blake Shelton’s replacement.