On this day (August 15) in 1977, Reba McEntire released her self-titled debut album. The album failed to chart, and three of the album’s four singles barely made the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. Before long, though, the Oklahoma native would begin her ascent to stardom.
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McEntire is proof that hard work pays off. Unlike some of her fellow country music A-listers, she didn’t see early success. Her first three albums failed to chart. However, by the beginning of the 1980s, her career started to pick up steam. By the middle of the decade, she had left Mercury Records and signed with MCA, where she had more creative control. The label allowed her to record in a more traditional country style, which led to a sharp uptick in success. She scored 11 No. 1 singles, four No. 1 albums, five ACM Awards, five CMA Awards, including Entertainer of the Year, and a Grammy before the end of the decade.
While the production style of the record leaned more toward pop than country music, McEntire’s debut wasn’t a bad album. The tracklist included a cover of the Hank Cochran-penned Patsy Cline hit “Why Can’t He Be You” and a rendition of Roger Miller’s “Invitation to the Blues.” Other highlights include “I Don’t Want to Be a One-Night Stand” and “One on One.” It just wasn’t the kind of album fans wanted to hear, nor was it the kind of album she wanted to record.
Reba McEntire Reflects on the Early Days of Her Career
Reba McEntire was still a teenager when Red Steagall saw her singing the national anthem at a championship rodeo. He took her to Nashville and helped her land her first record deal with Mercury Records. However, her passion for performing began when she was still in elementary school.
“We didn’t have a radio in the car. So, it was four kinds in the backseat roughhousing, and so, Mama would get us to sing to pass the time,” McEntire recalled in a 2023 interview with Today. She went on to reveal when she knew she wanted to be a singer. “First grade. I sang ‘Away in a Manger’ in the Christmas program there at Kiowa High School,” she revealed. “I wanted attention. And I figured out the best kind of attention I could get was when I was singing–not running barrels, not playing basketball. Singing. That’s when everybody kind of leaned forward,” she explained.
She also talked about her early days in Nashville. “I thought once you had a record on the radio, you’re rich. You have a tour bus, big mansion. No. I was living in a $10 a month rent house in Oklahoma, had to haul our own water,” she recalled.
Then, host Willie Geist asked her what kept her going through the hard times. “Curiosity,” she replied. “Faith, especially in the hard times, the bad times, the sad times. My faith, and just thinking, ‘What more can we do?’”
Featured Image by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
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