Everything to Know About New ‘The Voice’ Coach Reba McEntire
Photo by: Tyler Golden/NBC Reading Time: 4 minutes
For 23 seasons, we’ve witnessed how the self-proclaimed G.O.A.T. Blake Shelton snatched and attracted rising country singers to his team, leaving other The Voice coaches thirsty for incredible country contestants. With his exit, however, comes another tough challenge for the remaining coaches, as country superstar Reba McEntire enters the coaching panel.
McEntire is no stranger in the music arena, being the most successful female country artist during the ‘80s and ‘90s. As she becomes Shelton’s worthy replacement for The Voice season 24, here’s everything to know about her.
Reba McEntire Kicked Off Career as a Young Rodeo Diva
Hailing from an 8,000-acre family ranch in Chockie, Oklahoma, McEntire grew up watching her world champion father at rodeos. Alongside her siblings, she learned to sing and harmonize through her mother during long road trips.
During high school, she joined Kiowa High School Cowboy Band with her sister and brother, recording “The Ballad of John McEntire” for Boss Records. They then formed music trio The Singing McEntires and performed periodically at rodeos, clubs, and dance halls.
McEntire didn’t build her career in just one night. As a matter of fact, most of her beginning tracks and albums failed to peak in the charts. Despite this, she debuted on the Grand Ole Opry in 1977 and began setting up momentum from there. Her first two albums after the debut once again didn’t chart, but her musical pieces released later totally worked in her favor.
She Became a Bonafide Country Music Megastar
She obtained her first Top 10 hit when “(You Lift Me) Up to Heaven” reached No. 8 in 1980. This achievement was followed by “Today All Over Again” which peaked at Top 5. Additionally, McEntire’s fourth and fifth album didn’t disappoint, they became visible in the charts as well.
When she wanted to take more control over her music, she decided to move to MCA Records in 1983. She released studio album My Kind of Country where she featured old songs of legendary country singers. Such record reached big-time success, with CMA deeming her Female Vocalist of the Year. She would later bag this award for many consecutive years.
By the time she began exploring other music styles, McEntire was already a famous name in the country arena. Decades of her success in the industry cemented her in music history. In 2011, McEntire was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. She then received the Kennedy Center Honor in 2018, and has continued to create and perform music at sell-out crowds.
McEntire Joins The Voice as New Coach Amid Blake Shelton’s Exit
Even though it’s sad to see a season without Shelton, it’s thrilling to know that McEntire will be his replacement. It’s relieving that the country music genre is not at all vanishing from the competition anytime soon.
McEntire will take Shelton’s seat on the rotating red chair for the upcoming 24th season of the hit NBC competition series. The country music diva is not new to the show. For those who may not know, she first appeared on season one as a battle advisor to Team Blake. Last February, she came back as a mega-mentor to share advice to artists before the Knockouts.
In 2020, McEntire revealed that she was originally asked by the show to serve as coach for its inaugural season. She, however, turned the offer down.
“It was a very popular show in Holland, I’m pretty sure, and I watched the tape, and I said, ‘No, I’m going to pass on that,’ because I don’t think I could ever be able to tell somebody that they’re terrible or go find another job or hope you like your nighttime job. I couldn’t do that day in and day out. I just couldn’t do it. So I did pass on it,” she said.
Nonetheless, McEntire admitted that she later regretted her decision. As The Voice welcomes her in the panel, we are surely excited how the next season will go. We’ll later find out if McEntire will snatch her first trophy on the show.
