Reba McEntire Birthday: 25 Fun Facts About the Country Icon

Happy Birthday to the Queen of Country Music, Reba McEntire! A true renaissance woman, Reba has parlayed a singing career into a global entertainment empire. Whether she's making us laugh on TV, gracing the Broadway stage or designing her own clothing line, Reba does everything with down-home wit and style. And, we must say she's looking pretty fabulous at 57! To celebrate her big day, The Boot counts down 25 of our favorite things you may never have known about one of Oklahoma's most celebrated treasures.

1. Reba Nell McEntire was born March 28, 1955, named for her maternal grandmother, Reba Estelle Brassfield. The family, which would include Reba's older sister Alice, older brother Pake, and younger sister Susie, lived on a cattle ranch in Chockie, Okla., for 34 years.

2. At 5 years old, Reba would drive her dad's truck while he kicked hay off the truck's bed to feed the cattle in winter.

3. Reba made her singing debut in the first grade with a solo of 'Away in a Manger' in a school Christmas play.

4. As a third-grader, she was asked to sing at the Kiowa High School graduation.

5. In 1934, Reba's "grandpap," John Wesley McEntire, won the Steer Roping World Champion title. Her father did the same, in 1957, 1958 and 1961.

6. When Reba was 12, she made her first-ever recording, with brother Pake and sister Susie. The song, 'The Ballad of John McEntire,' was written by family friend Clark Rhyne and recorded in Oklahoma City.

7. At 16, Reba won the title of 'Miss Ford Country.' The prize -- which she received for writing a winning essay -- was the use of a new Ford for six months. Reba put 18,000 miles on the car.


8. Reba, whose mother was a schoolteacher, attended Southeastern Oklahoma State University, where she majored in elementary education and minored in music.

9. In college, Reba was a member of a campus singing and dancing group called the Chorvettes.

10. Reba, who was also an avid barrel racer, was discovered by cowboy singing star Red Steagall, while singing the national anthem at the National Finals Rodeo in Oklahoma City in December 1974.

11. She was signed to Nashville's Mercury/PolyGram Records on November 11, 1975.

12. Because her family was so well-traveled on the rodeo circuit, by the time Reba had her first tour bus, she was better at reading road maps than her bus driver.

13. Her self-titled 1977 debut album featured cover versions of then-current pop hits 'Angel in Your Arms' and 'Right Time of the Night.'

14. Reba's debut single, 'I Don't Want to Be a One Night Stand' reached No. 88 on the country chart. It would be three years before she first reached the Top 10.

15. She made her Grand Ole Opry debut on September 17, 1977 and was inducted into the Opry in 1986.

16. In 1982, Reba had her first No. 1 single, 'Can't Even Get the Blues.' Her next single, 'You're the First Time I've Thought About Leaving,' also hit No. 1.

17. After six albums with Mercury/PolyGram, Reba signed with MCA Nashville. Her first album for the label, 'Just a Little Love,' was released in January 1984.


18. After 'How Blue' hit No. 1 in 1984, Reba reached the Top 10 with every solo single she released for the next 10 years, with only two exceptions: 'The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia' (No. 12) and 'She Thinks His Name Was John' (No. 15).

19. In the 'Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon' game, Reba has a 'Bacon number' of 1, because in 1990, she made her acting debut, playing Heather Gummer in 'Tremors,' a campy adventure film in which he also starred.

20. In 1979, young Kevin Bacon had a small role in 'Starting Over,' which starred Burt Reynolds. In 1993, Burt and Reba starred together in 'The Man From Left Field.'

21. In 1991, Reba played madam Burgundy Jones in the TV movie 'The Gambler Returns: Luck of the Draw,' co-starring Kenny Rogers.

22. Reba was chosen by 'Titanic' director James Cameron to play the 'unsinkable Molly Brown' in the 1997 film but had to decline because of her tour schedule. The role went to Kathy Bates instead.

23. Reba is set to star -- with Lily Tomlin and Sara Rue -- in ABC's 'Malibu Country,' playing the ex-wife of a rock star who cheats on her and leaves her broke, forcing her to move from Nashville to Malibu, Calif. 'Malibu Country' was created by Dave Stewart, who was formerly one half of the duo Eurythmics, with Annie Lennox.

24. In January 2012, Reba was forced to deny a report that she had died after falling of a mountain in Austria while shooting a movie. She was watching her son Shelby, who was racing that day.

25. Reba is one of only 10 country artists with more than one million fan followers on Facebook.