Reba planned to become an elementary school teacher, like her mamma, and attended Southeastern Oklahoma State University with a major in education and minor in music, after she graduated high school. She and Garth Brooks, who also became a country star, were classmates back then.
But, let’s face it, music was her passion. She grabbed every opportunity she had to sing, and continued to perform locally. Reba thought she would be a school teacher like her mother once she graduated from college, but it turned out that her love of music and singing brought her to a much more fulfilling career. It seemed like she fulfilled her mother’s dream of becoming a country artist, as well.
Honky-Tonking
The Singing McEntires – Reba Pake, and Susie – sang at local rodeos, country music bars, and dance halls. Together, they recorded "The Ballad of John McEntire." The song was about their grandfather, and was written by a family friend. The song sold about one thousand copies, and it appeared on the album, The Rodeo Man, in 1982.
The Singing McEntires were quite successful together in music as a group. The group’s greatest hits were “God Never Cried” and “If I Could Only Be With You.” The siblings used to perform live, and you could hear their songs play on Oklahoma local radio stations. Later on, the group disbanded. Pake went on to focus on his ranch, Susie became a successful Christian music singer, and Reba went on to go solo for country music.
A Girl With Faith
One thing that Reba learned from her mother was about passing judgement. Reba was baptized when she was still part of the Singing McEntires. One night when they were going to a gig, Reba said to her mother that she would be telling everyone present there that night that they should all go to church and hear the word of God the next morning.
Her mother asked why she thought of this, and then told her that she didn’t know if those people are already going to church. Reba learned a valuable lesson then. She said, “You don’t know what other people do. You don’t know their heart.” From then on, she decided to focus on herself rather than worrying about what others were doing. Solid logic.
The 1974 National Rodeo
In 1974, Reba performed at the National Rodeo in Oklahoma City, singing the national anthem, where Red Steagall discovered her talent. The country artist was also performing at the event. From that day onward, her plan of being a teacher changed, as she went on to a path that led to success and the fulfillment of her passion.
Hearing Reba sing that day, Steagall was so impressed by her vocal ability. He proposed to help her launch a singing career in Nashville, Tennessee. After recording a demo tape, Reba signed a contract with Mercury Records one year later. This was her first recording contract.
We're Getting Married!
Reba met Charlie Battles, her first husband, in 1976, at a rodeo. Battles was a steer wrestling champion and a rancher. He was ten years older than Reba at the time, and he had three children to a previous marriage. Reba’s music career was just starting.
Reba made her first recordings in January of 1976 with Mercury Records and released her debut single, "I Don't Want to Be a One Night Stand." Unfortunately, it failed to become a major hit and only peaked at number 88 on the Billboard country music chart in May of that year. Reba had a few other singles that didn’t hit the top also, but she did not lose hope. Her first break into the Top 20 was with her cover of Patsy Cline’s, “Sweet Dreams,” in 1979, which reached number 19 on the Billboard country music chart.