Country superstar Reba McEntire just celebrated a rare milestone — her 40th anniversary as a member of the Grand Ole Opry. To celebrate, the historic Nashville venue presented “The Voice” coach with an even rarer gift.
In addition to hosting a special show and a party backstage with a giant cake on January 16, 2026, the Grand Ole Opry surprised McEntire with a hilarious bouquet of 40 corn dogs to commemorate her anniversary. Find out why!
Reba McEntire’s Love of Corn Dogs is Well Documented
In a video the Opry posted on January 21, McEntire’s friend and fellow country star Terri Clark could be seen delivering the surprise assortment of corndogs to McEntire backstage, setting them right next to a giant cake as the country legend laughed.
Why the weird gift? McEntire’s love of corn dogs is well documented. She once told Country Living Magazine, “Everybody knows I love corn dogs! When I play a fair, everybody knows when I’m through with the show, we need corn dogs.”
There’s photographic evidence, too. In 2015, according to NBC, McEntire posted a selfie sitting in her private jet after performing at the Mississippi Valley Fair in Davenport, Iowa, with a corn dog in one hand and a cup full of ketchup in the other.
In another series of photos she posted in 2018 — once again taken on a plane — McEntire wrote, “What is better than a corndog at the Strawberry Festival in Florida? Everybody having one!”
McEntire, who is engaged to her “Happy’s Place” co-star Rex Linn, told Variety in May 2025, “I do love a corn dog and I like to mix it with mustard and ketchup. Not only just one, you gotta mix it because it’s real good.”
“When Rex and I first started dating,” she laughed, “I was playing the Strawberry Festival and I showed him a plate. I was sitting on the plane with two corn dogs and the next picture was two sticks because I’d already eaten it. I love corn dogs. I’m a cheap date.”
Trisha Yearwood Sang Reba McEntire’s Praises at 40th Anniversary Celebration
Although the Grand Ole Opry’s anniversary gag was hilarious, McEntire’s 40th anniversary as a member there is no laughing matter.
Her dear friend Trisha Yearwood told the audience at the January 16 celebration, “This year marks the 40th anniversary of Opry membership for a woman who defines what it means to be a Grand Ole Opry member. Reba has shaped country music and so many of us who have followed in her footsteps and have been lucky enough to walk along beside her.”
“It’s impossible to say how many country artists she’s inspired,” Yearwood continued, “and it’s not just about the music, it’s about the person she is. I’m telling you, she’s exactly who you want her to be. I’m proud to be her friend.”
