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Reba McEntire

After more than twenty years of recording some of the finest country music there is, Reba McEntire is still going strong. Reba continues to prove her staying power, once again affirming that while trends in country music come and go, true talent always stays. While fans and critics alike have long praised her vocal ability and knack for choosing just the right songs, it is her ability to bring fans of all types of music to this genre that has truly benefited country music. Reba has pushed the envelope and stepped outside the boundaries, while always remaining true to her country roots. Whether she is starring in major films, television movies, the stage, her own TV series or specials, Reba is always Reba.

Never satisfied to rest on past laurels, Reba is constantly raising the bar for herself. But that need to excel has been tempered with a certain satisfaction that comes with maturity. "When I was in my twenties, everything was a challenge to me. I was young and inexperienced in the music business. The only thing I knew for a fact was that I could sing. Everything else I had to learn, and sometimes the hard way.

"I'm thankful I had some very good and patient teachers. Now, I take everything at a little easier pace because I have learned the difference between things that have to be done immediately, and things that can simply wait. And that is just a matter of knowing what is important in life."

Reba's "easier pace" would send most newcomers in the business to the nearest spa for a vacation. But Reba is a non-stop "doer," who easily balances a more-than-full-time job with being a full-time loving mother. Her normal pace is full speed ahead. Any given month might find her touring, acting, and carpooling her son Shelby to Scouts or a hockey match. And she always makes time for the causes near and dear to her heart, such as First Book (she is the first national spokesperson for the non-profit organization).

Anyone who knows Reba knows she comes by this work ethic honestly. She comes from a family of hard workers and "110 percenters." It is the credo of her life, her mantra for daily existence. Work hard. Play hard. Growing up on a cattle ranch in Southeastern Oklahoma and in a family of rodeo champs taught her that. Riding a horse almost as soon as she could walk made her fearless. Falling off that horse, and getting right back on again taught her never to give up. Being told "girl singers" should just stand behind the microphone and do as they are instructed gave her the gumption to buck the system. And that pat on the back known as success gave her the stamina to push the envelope.

After 50-plus million records sold, a trophy shelf that buckles under the weight of so many awards, and fan clubs that stretch from Manchester, England to Melbourne, Australia, one might wonder why Reba keeps it up. As one journalist recently asked her, "Why not just sit back and enjoy all you have worked so hard to achieve?" Her response: "Now why would I want to do that? I have a job that I love. I meet interesting people every day of my life. And I get to sing. What more could a person want out of life?"

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