Reba made her Grand Ole Opry debut in 1977. It was quite an honor for her to perform at the most acclaimed home of country music, but she almost didn’t make it in. One of the guards at the Opry gate did not want to let her in because he could not find her name on the night’s list of performers. Reba have to argue with the security guard and she never gave up. Reba called her booking agent at a nearby phone, and he arranged for her to get inside.
Reba’s parents and her sister, Alice, had to drive 1,400 miles round trip from Oklahoma only to find out that Reba’s act was cut in half, from two songs to one song, only because there was a surprise performance from Dolly Parton. Despite those issues, that night still turned out great with Reba singing “Invitation to the Blues.”
The 1974 National Rodeo
In 1974, Reba performed at the National Rodeo in Oklahoma City, singing the national anthem, where Red Steagall discovered her talent. The country artist was also performing at the event. From that day onward, her plan of being a teacher changed, as she went on to a path that led to success and the fulfillment of her passion.
Hearing Reba sing that day, Steagall was so impressed by her vocal ability. He proposed to help her launch a singing career in Nashville, Tennessee. After recording a demo tape, Reba signed a contract with Mercury Records one year later. This was her first recording contract.
We're Getting Married!
Reba met Charlie Battles, her first husband, in 1976, at a rodeo. Battles was a steer wrestling champion and a rancher. He was ten years older than Reba at the time, and he had three children to a previous marriage. Reba’s music career was just starting.
Reba made her first recordings in January of 1976 with Mercury Records and released her debut single, "I Don't Want to Be a One Night Stand." Unfortunately, it failed to become a major hit and only peaked at number 88 on the Billboard country music chart in May of that year. Reba had a few other singles that didn’t hit the top also, but she did not lose hope. Her first break into the Top 20 was with her cover of Patsy Cline’s, “Sweet Dreams,” in 1979, which reached number 19 on the Billboard country music chart.
Breaking Through
It was after Reba’s fifth album release, titled “Unlimited,” that she got her first Billboard number one in 1983. She was not really happy recording with Mercury because the type of music she had was controlled. The company forced her to have a country-pop style of music ballads, which she didn’t like. This was the reason why she left Mercury.
Reba signed a contract with MCA Nashville Records the following year, which released her seventh album, “Just a Little Love.” Still, she was not fully happy nor satisfied with it. So, Reba went to Jimmy Bowen, the president of MCA, who allowed her to have anything she liked. With her freedom and full creative control, Reba gathered her previously released singles and repackaged them together in one album she released called “My Kind of Country.” Two songs from the album made it to the number one spot. Reba received positive reviews from critics.
Her Unique Music Videos
In the 80s and 90s, almost all of Reba’s music videos were different from other artists of the time. She was not only singing, but she would portray a character, making her music videos more like movies. Critics described them as "mini movies." Her music videos were so unique and compelling that they won her four awards and twenty-seven nominations throughout her career.
The effort Reba put into her music videos propelled her career in acting. She wanted to have at least one movie, but it turned out that she got more than what she wished for. Her acting career was as successful as her music career, and directors loved her as much as the audiences did.