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Reba McEntire is known for working harder than almost anyone else in country music. McEntire became a member of the Grand Ole Opry in 1986, one of the biggest milestones of her career. According to McEntire, the credit for at least some of her success goes to the Opry, and some of country music's biggest legends who preceded her.
"The Grand Ole Opry is something that from childhood to today is a very relevant place for me," McEntire tells WKML. "People say, 'Everybody in the country music business they are so respectful. They are different from other genres.' And I always tell them it's because of the people that came before us, Roy Accuff, Minnie Pearl, Marty Robbins, Connie Smith... all the folks that we watched at the Grand Ole Opry."
McEntire learned a lot more from her heroes than how to perform and entertain a crowd. They are lessons she still follows today, and now imparts to the younger generation of artists.
"They taught us, 'You be on time ... and you treat your fans right,'" McEntire reveals. "Because, without your fans, you wouldn't be on that stage and get to do what you love to do.'"
"So, the respect and the work ethic, that's where that came from, the Grand Ole Opry," she adds. "In my opinion, that's the history of country music. It's such a special place."
Reba McEntire At The ACM Awards
McEntire has been part of country music for almost 50 years, but she is still enjoying plenty of success. The 70-year-old will return to host the 2025 ACM Awards on May 8, for the second year in a row.
Ironically, it was watching her two friends, Garth Brooks and Dolly Parton, co-host the ceremony in 2023 that made McEntire want to do it.
"They were so great, I was like, 'I want to do that again!'" McEntire tells Billboard. The Oklahoma native adds that she is glad the ceremony is returning to Texas, for the third year in a row.
"I was really anxious to get back on the stage," she says. "Going back to Texas is always good for me — because that's close to home, southeastern Oklahoma."
The 2025 ACM Awards will air exclusively on Amazon Prime.
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