For more than forty years, Reba McEntire has stood as one of country music’s brightest lights — a voice of strength, faith, and resilience. From the honky-tonks of Oklahoma to the grand stage of the Grand Ole Opry, she has earned every accolade possible: Grammy Awards, hit albums, sold-out tours, and a place in the Country Music Hall of Fame. Yet today, at this point in her life, Reba says something that might surprise even her most devoted fans: “I’ve never been happier.”
That joy, she explains, didn’t come from fame or fortune — it came from a hard lesson life taught her.
After facing heartbreak, loss, and moments of deep uncertainty, Reba learned what she now calls “the most freeing truth of all” — that happiness isn’t something the world gives you. “You have to build it yourself,” she shared in a recent interview. “Life knocked me down more than once. I lost people I loved. I watched dreams change. But every time, I got back up — and that’s where I found my peace.”
In the years following personal challenges — including her painful divorce and the tragic plane crash that claimed members of her band in 1991 — Reba says she had to rebuild not just her career, but her faith in life itself. “I stopped asking why things happened,” she said, “and started thanking God for helping me through them.”
Now, with a renewed sense of gratitude and love, Reba credits much of her happiness to her relationship with Rex Linn, the actor she affectionately calls her “Tater Tot.” Together, they’ve created a simple life rooted in laughter, respect, and shared faith. “We talk about everything,” she smiled. “He’s my best friend, and he makes every day feel lighter.”
Still touring, still recording, and still inspiring new generations of artists, Reba has found a balance that fame alone could never provide. “You reach a point,” she said, “where you realize joy doesn’t come from crowds — it comes from calm.”
For a woman who’s spent her life singing about heartache, hope, and home, Reba McEntire’s greatest song may be the one she’s living right now — a melody of grace, gratitude, and the quiet strength that comes only after weathering life’s hardest storms.
And as she put it simply, with that unmistakable Oklahoma smile:
“It took me a long time to get here. But I can honestly say… I’m happy.”
