The ranch life that fueled

Today, the wonderful Reba McEntire is 69 years old and she truly deserves all the praise she can get. Personally, it feels like she has been around all my life and I still listen to her, several times a week.

But everything hasn’t been milk and honey in Reba’s life.

Born to ride and work the land

Reba McEntire wasn’t just born country — she lived it.

The legendary country queen was born in McAlester, Oklahoma, in 1955. But she grew up on her family’s massive 8,000-acre ranch in tiny Chockie, Atoka County. Reba’s childhood was all about hard work, determination, and western traditions.

Life on the ranch didn’t allow for much downtime, and even as a little girl, Reba was expected to pull her weight.

By the time she was just five years old, Reba was already driving her dad’s truck through fields of cattle. Well, steering might be the better word since she was too small to reach the pedals. Her dad, Clark McEntire, would prop her up with a 50-pound feed sack, shift the truck into ”granny gear,” and let her take the wheel. And this wasn’t just a fun one-off moment — it was part of daily life.

The legendary country queen was born in McAlester, Oklahoma, in 1955. But she grew up on her family’s massive 8,000-acre ranch in tiny Chockie, Atoka County. Reba’s childhood was all about hard work, determination, and western traditions.

Life on the ranch didn’t allow for much downtime, and even as a little girl, Reba was expected to pull her weight.

By the time she was just five years old, Reba was already driving her dad’s truck through fields of cattle. Well, steering might be the better word since she was too small to reach the pedals. Her dad, Clark McEntire, would prop her up with a 50-pound feed sack, shift the truck into ”granny gear,” and let her take the wheel. And this wasn’t just a fun one-off moment — it was part of daily life.

The legendary country singer grew up in a family steeped in rodeo history. Her granddad, John Wesley McEntire, was a world-champion steer roper in 1934, and her dad, Clark, followed in his footsteps, winning the title three times.

Her childhood wasn’t glamorous

But Clark McEntire wasn’t just a rodeo legend — he was old-school when it came to parenting. Reba’s father didn’t believe in handing out hugs or saying “I love you” to his kids. His way of showing love was through high expectations and teaching them the value of hard work.

Reba later admitted in her autobiography, For My Broken Heart, “When we were growing up, I used to regret that Daddy never told us he loved us.”

In the late 1980s, Reba McEntire’s career took a significant turn as her touring schedule became busier, and she and her band began flying by private planes to avoid long bus trips. Tragically, in March 1991, McEntire’s life was shattered when a plane crash took the lives of eight members of her band an d two pilots. The accident deeply affected McEntire, who later dedicated her album For My Broken Heart to those lost.

Despite the tragedy, McEntire’s career flourished throughout the 1990s. She also explored acting, starring in a TV series and releasing the hit ”I’m a Survivor.”