Born Reba Nell McEntire born on March 28, 1955, in Chockie, Okla., the singer grew up on a large cattle ranch. Her father was also a champion calf roper, an activity that routinely took the McEntire family on far-flung rodeo tours. Her mother was a singer and teacher. While Reba showed an early love and talent for music, she was not alone in this interest. Both her brother, Dale (nicknamed Pake), and sister, Susie, were singers as well, and each would go on to be solo artists. While still at home, though, they performed together as the singing McEntires.

Red Steagall, then a recording artist for Capitol Records, heard her singing the national anthem at the National Rodeo finals in 1974 and was so impressed that he offered to back a recording session for her in Nashville. This led to her signing with Mercury Records in 1975. The following year, she married rodeo rider Charlie Battles. That union would last until their divorce in 1987. (At about the same time she was getting into the music business, McEntire completed her degree in education.)