Reba Can Relate To Fans That Act Like They Know Her

Reba McEntire isn't just a country icon and superstar; she is also aa actor who had her own show (Reba) in the early 2000s. She's also starred in many roles. And next season, she's joining NBC's The Voice, as a coach. She feels that when folks come up to her in public, they feel like they know her, and Reba loves that. She recently told me how she loves when fans approach her. She said, "I like people, and I like to be with people. So, me being a part of their lives makes me understand when people walk up to me as they know me. And they talk to me like we've been friends forever."

She adds that she can relate, "Being in the television business, I'll see actors [and] I just feel like I know 'em. So, I totally get that; I love that. I love that relationship, and it just makes me feel great that I could connect with them through music or television, a story. And it brings us closer together."

McEntire will celebrate the release of her upcoming lifestyle book with a one-night-only event, "Not That Fancy: An Evening with Reba & Friends," set for November 5 at 7:30 pm at Nashville's Ryman Auditorium.

Reba's former Reba TV co-star Melissa Peterman will host the event, which will be an evening of stories with Reba. All tickets will include a complimentary copy of Reba's new book: Not That Fancy: Simple Lessons on Living, Loving, Eating, and Dusting Off Your Boots. Tickets go on sale on Friday (7/14).

Not That Fancy: Simple Lessons on Living, Loving, Eating, and Dusting Off Your Boots is set to release Tuesday, October 10.

Not That Fancy includes over 50 recipes (desserts, meats, sides, and cocktails) from Reba's family traditions and her restaurant Reba's Place (Atoka, Oklahoma); never-before-seen photographs and never-before-told stories from Reba's personal and professional life (ranching with her Daddy, pranks with Brooks & Dunn, falling in love over a plate of tater tots); and simple, not-that-fancy lifestyle tips (how to achieve Reba's signature hairstyle, design a down-to-earth date night, play a mean game of cards).

Reba McEntire's songs have been the backbone of country music since the early 1980s. Reba has scored more than 20 number-one hits in her storied career and is considered one of the Queens of Country Music, alongside other Queens like Dolly Parton and Loretta Lynn.

In 2024, Reba has outdone herself and now appears on national TV weekly as a coach for NBC's The Voice. In early February of this year (2024), she sang the National Anthem at the Super Bowl flawlessly and gracefully. She showed everyone in the world that she still has it as she approaches her 70s, celebrating her 69th birthday today (3/28).

She recently chatted with CMT and shared one of her most embarrassing moments on stage with them. CMT posted the fun interview clip on their Instagram.

In the clip, Reba is asked what her most embarrassing moment was. She quipped, "Oh gosh, how much time do you have?" The country icon recalled, "It was the early '80s, and I was headlining. I was going to make my way to stage right, and blue lights were gonna come on."

She continued, "I was gonna walk back on stage and sing 'Sweet Dreams' acapella. I did not remember this monitor being there on the floor, so when I was shuffling my way off stage right, I shuffled my toes right underneath that monitor and fell over on top of it."

She continued, "I crawled off stage and ripped my britches, but the show must go on so I dusted myself off and put my hand over where I ripped my britches. I came back out and did the song, and nobody knew the difference."

I have interviewed and spent a lot of time with Reba during my career as a country music journalist. Since the 1990s, I have discovered that Reba is a positive and very nice person. When you are around her, you forget she is a music icon because of how genuine and really down-to-earth she is.

In one of my most recent interviews with Reba, I told her about this list and asked what her top five Reba songs were; her response as she used her fingers to count, "' Fancy,' 'Is There Life Out There,' 'I'm A Survivor,' 'Can't Even Get The Blues,' 'Take It Back,' and 'Why Haven't I Heard From You,' that's six and 'Georgia,' ('The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia') 'Georgia' has to be in there too, that's seven."

And yes, "Fancy" would be her number-one song. She offered, "I just love story songs."

To celebrate her 69th birthday today (3/28), we dove deep into Reba's catalog to rate what we think are her 40 best songs.