Claim: Reba McEntire sang at rodeos.

Reba Nell McEntire -LRB- born March 28 , 1955 -RRB- is an American country singer , songwriter , actress , and record producer . She began her career in the music industry as a high school student singing in the Kiowa High School band , on local radio shows with her siblings , and at rodeos . While a sophomore in college , she performed the National Anthem at the National Rodeo in Oklahoma City and caught the attention of country artist Red Steagall who brought her to Nashville , Tennessee . She signed a contract with Mercury Records a year later in 1975 . She released her first solo album in 1977 and released five additional studio albums under the label until 1983 .   Signing with MCA Nashville Records , McEntire took creative control over her second MCA album , My Kind of Country -LRB- 1984 -RRB- , which had a more traditional country sound and produced two number one singles : `` How Blue '' and `` Somebody Should Leave '' . The album brought her breakthrough success , bringing her a series of successful albums and number one singles in the 1980s and 1990s . McEntire has since released 29 studio albums , acquired 40 number one singles , 16 number one albums , and 28 albums have been certified gold , platinum or multi-platinum in sales by the Recording Industry Association of America . She has sometimes been referred to as `` The Queen of Country '' . and she is one of the best-selling artists of all time , having sold more than 85 million records worldwide .   In the early 1990s , McEntire branched into film starting with 1990 's Tremors . She has since starred in the Broadway revival of Annie Get Your Gun and in her television sitcom , Reba -LRB- 2001 -- 07 -RRB- for which she was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series -- Musical or Comedy .