Behind Reba McEntire’s Fiancé’s Favorite Reba McEntire Song

March 28, 2026 5:26 pm

Born on this day (March 28) in 1955 in McAlester, Oklahoma, was Reba McEntire, who would go on to have a country music career that most could only dream of. Celebrating her 71st birthday today, McEntire has landed more than 100 songs on the Hot Country Songs chart, had starring roles on screens both big and small, and owned multiple businesses. In September 2025, she celebrated a more personal accomplishment, announcing her engagement to Rex Linn, her boyfriend of five years.

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Like all of us, Linn has a favorite Reba song. However, this is a point where he and his fiancée don’t exactly see eye to eye.

Reba McEntire Had Trouble Memorizing This 1987 Hit

During a previous interview with ET, Reba McEntire sat down with Belissa Escobedo and Melissa Peterman—her co-stars on the NBC sitcom Happy’s Place—to discuss their favorite songs from her five-decade career in country music.

Of course, “The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia” and “Fancy” made the conversation, but Peterman revealed that her husband’s favorite is “One Promise Too Late”, the third single from McEntire’s 1986 studio album What Am I Gonna Do About You.

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“That’s Rex’s favorite song,” McEntire revealed.

However, Reba made it clear that she does not share that sentiment. “I had a hard time memorizing the lines,” she said. “I don’t know why.”

Released in May 1987, “One Promise Too Late” is the story of a married woman who falls in love with a man who is not her husband. However, she refuses to break her marital commitment, meaning she and her dream man can never be together. You came along one promise too late / I won’t say that I’m sorry that I met you / I can’t have you but I never will forget you.

“One Promise Too Late” hit No. 1 for a week, spending a total of 14 weeks on the charts.

According to Country Thang Daily, Reba McEntire recorded “One Promise Too Late” around the time of her divorce from first husband Charlie Battles, after 11 years of marriage. She told an MCA executive that the track—written by Dave Loggins, Lisa Silver, and Don Schlitz—was the kind of song she wanted to sing during a marriage breakup.

Featured image by John Shearer/Getty Images for The Recording Academy