Reba McEntire is widely recognized as one of country music’s most enduring stars, but she says her path to success looked very different from what artists experience today.
In her 1994 memoir “Reba: My Story,” McEntire explained that her career developed gradually, requiring years of work before she reached widespread recognition. “The Voice” coach’s breakthrough came with her eighth album, “My Kind of Country,” which helped establish her as a leading voice in the genre.
Reba McEntire Explains Differences in Music Industry Success
McEntire said the pace of success for artists has changed significantly since she began her career.
“People have asked me why I think my career took off so slowly compared to today’s singers,” McEntire wrote in her memoir. “Nowadays, an artist will cut one record, have a hit, and will be working for ten thousand dollars a night within a year.”
She explained that the lack of music video exposure at the time limited her ability to reach a wider audience. She also pointed to challenges she faced as a woman in country music.
“When I started out,” McEntire wrote, “I had two strikes against me, one because I was a female.”
She continued, “With the exception of Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton, Barbara Mandrell, and Tammy Wynette there weren’t many women who were headline acts in country music.”
McEntire added that limited access to top songwriters also made it difficult early in her career.
“Nashville didn’t have the surplus of songwriters in the 70s that it has today, and the good ones wouldn’t pitch their songs to an unknown,” she wrote.
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Despite her long list of achievements, McEntire said she does not view herself as a pioneer in the same way others might.
“When I hear those words, I think Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton, Tammy Wynette, Barbara Mandrell, Anne Murray, and Minnie Pearl,” she told “Today.” “All of those women are the pioneers, the icons, the legends that I got to learn from.”
McEntire acknowledged that being viewed as an influence comes with responsibility.
“It’s a cool feeling, it’s a huge responsibility,” she said. “I want to find ways of doing it better so it’ll make it easier on them.”
She added that future artists will continue to build on that foundation.
“Then it’s their responsibility to move forward, find a better way of doing something, for the people coming up next behind them,” she said.
Reba McEntire Career Includes Major Albums and Hit Songs
McEntire’s career includes more than 22 No. 1 singles and over 75 million records sold worldwide. One of her most recognized songs is “Fancy,” released in 1991.
Earlier in her career, McEntire released her sixteenth studio album, “Sweet Sixteen,” on May 1, 1989. The album became a major success, spending 16 consecutive weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard country albums chart.
The project featured several hit singles, including “Walk On,” “Til Love Comes Again,” and “Little Girl.” It also included “Cathy’s Clown,” a remake of the 1960 hit by The Everly Brothers.
Originally written by Don Everly and Phil Everly, the song topped the Billboard Hot 100 for five weeks in 1960. McEntire later adapted it for a country audience while maintaining its original theme.
