It hasn't always been easy for the country star, but nothing can stop her.
With over 43 years in show business, Reba McEntire shows no signs of slowing down.
The 64-year-old country music icon just released her 33rd studio album Stronger Than The Truth with Big Machine Records, she’s starred in over 11 movies and television series, and even had a successful run on Broadway.
But Reba’s definition of success isn’t exactly simple.
She poses the question: “When are you happy? If you make ‘this amount’ of money? If you win ‘this’ many awards? If you can retire and live the same lifestyle that you’re accustomed to?”
She adds, “What’s your level of ‘Now I can quit?”
To date, Celebrity Net Worth reports Reba has amassed a net worth of roughly $95 million.
Still, Reba works as hard today as she did 40+ years ago and staying at the top of her game takes a lot of work.
“It’s easier to get there than it is to maintain a career,” she told GoodHouskeeeping.
“At the beginning, you expect ‘no’s.’ When you work so hard and you prove yourself and you establish a career you’re very proud of and then you get a ‘no’, it’s kind of like, ‘wait a minute.’”
A humble beginning
Born in McAlester, Oklahoma, Reba signed her first record deal back in 1975 at just 20 years old.
But she wasn’t an overnight success.
When she released her debut album Reba McEntire in 1977, it didn’t chart at all.
It took over six years for the singer/songwriter to land her first Billboard number one with her single, “Can’t Even Get The Blues.”
For Reba, it’s all about longevity.
“I’m 43 years into [my career] and it was always really little-bitty baby step going forward,” Reba says. “Everything was very slow and I was very patient."
Once she reached number one, Reba got comfortable at the top of the charts.
With 35 number one hits, she currently holds the record for most number one singles by a female country artist.
The big screen
After starring in several hit music videos, Reba got the acting bug and landed her first leading role alongside Kevin Bacon in the now cult classic, Tremors.
Tremors led to several feature film and made-for-TV movies, which the Oklahoma native followed with a stint starring as the lead in Annie Get Your Gun on Broadway.
In fall 2001, the Reba sitcom debuted to impressive ratings on The WB. The family comedy series lasted six seasons and Reba cemented her place as an icon in the entertainment industry.
Continuing to grow
Despite proving herself as a bonafide entertainer, Reba’s career isn’t without disappointments.
In 2017 she landed the lead role in an ABC pilot written and produced by Desperate Housewives creator Marc Cherry.
Reba had high hopes.
“I thought, ‘Man, this is going to be great.' To me, it was one of the greatest things I’d ever gotten to be a part of. I was really proud of it. It was a different type of role for me. It was a one-hour drama pilot,“ she says.
When filming wrapped, Reba did some touring and then took a vacation to Africa.
She landed in Johannesburg and received a call telling her the series hadn’t been picked up. She was shocked.
“I was like ‘Wow, what? No, you’re kidding.' I was aggravated, I was mad. I was disgruntled. I was like ‘I’ll never do T.V again’ I did, kind of, question, Was it my performance? Was it, I wasn’t right for the part?”
Over the course of her four-plus-decade career, Reba’s used to having doors closed in her face.
“I’m a firm believer of ‘Timing is everything’ and ‘Everything happens for a reason.' So, I went on," she says.
No matter how many times the country legend gets a “no,” she’s not letting it stop her, “None of that has anything [to do with] why I continue to work. I enjoy it. I still love to travel. I still love to meet new people ... I love my job. If you really love it and want it bad enough, go for it!"
I LOVE REBA!!!!!………….My favorite song by her Why haven’t I heard from you!
But I love the Greatest Man I Never Knew!…She is the greatest! I need a list of future concert dates!