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From Wondery, I'm Jasmine Romero, and this is Who's Amazing Life.
You've heard of people who changed the course of history, but before they made their mark on the world, they were people like you and me still figuring out what they wanted to do with their lives.
On this episode, you will be that person everyone knows.
You might be a musician, or an athlete, a scientist, or a painter.
You may know what the person accomplished later in life, but now you can experience everything they faced along the way, from challenges and heartbreak to triumphs and excitement all the moments that built this person into someone who would change the world.
There will be clues, so pay attention.
But only at the end will you find out who you are.
So sit back and imagine your amazing life as the Rodeo Star.
Imagine you're 11 years old and today is your first rodeo competition.
You're waiting with your dad at the starting gate on the back of one of his cattle roping horses Old Pelican.
Dad, I'm scared.
Old Pelican is a great horse, but he's not a barrel racer.
Sorry, Pelican.
I'm just really nervous.
You go over the plan to take your mind off the butterflies in your stomach.
You're going to race your horse in a clover leaf shape, carefully navigating around the barrels sprinkled around the arena.
And if that wasn't hard enough, you have to be fast.
Whoever finishes the fastest wins the whole thing.
Your dad pats old Pelican.
You've seen me compete plenty of times.
You were in the crowd when your siblings were in your boots.
Literally, in Alice's case, I think those are hand-me-downs.
They went out there and lived up to the family name.
And now, it's your turn.
Easier said than done.
Your dad is more than just a competitor.
He is a three-time world champion steer roper.
Your grandpa was a professional rodeo athlete too.
You feel like you have to be good at this.
You don't just have to stand out from the other racers.
You have to live up to your family's legacy.
Your dad tips his hat to you and old Pelican and leaves to find his seat in the crowd.
Your heart pounds so hard it feels like it's gonna burst out of your chest for a minute.
It feels like you're flying as Pelican thunders towards the first barrel.
And they are out of the gates like a rocket.
First barrel complete.
Maybe there really was nothing to be worried about.
Pelican races even faster.
Now it really feels like you're flying.
Wait, you are flying.
Through the air.
Looks like Pelican has stumbled.
And down goes the rider.
You hit the dirt and roll over onto your back.
Great.
You wanted to stand out, but not like this.
Then you feel a fire ignite in your chest.
This is not how your first barrel race is gonna end.
Your body's a little sore from the fall, but you sit up, wipe the dirt off your hands and get back on Old Pelican to finish the race.
As you race around your final barrel, you spot your family cheering you on in the crowd.
You almost let yourself smile at your family, but then you remember to stay focused on the race.
If you're ever going to truly shine in this arena and be a real rodeo star.
You know you still have a lot more to prove to them and to everyone else.
For the next few years, you practice and compete in barrel racing.
You get better, but you're nowhere near as good as everyone else.
It's frustrating training so hard but still not being able to stand out in the way that you want to.
Luckily, there is one thing that always puts you in a good mood.
Whenever your family is driving to and from rodeo competitions, you all sing in the car together.
At least that cheers you up after a tough race.
In high school you form a musical group with two of your siblings and you perform all over Oklahoma.
Then you and some other students form a band.
You perform at school football games, state conventions, and even some dance halls.
And you're really excited when the band is hired to play music for an amazing competition.
Miss Ford Country.
It's a big competition, and the winner gets a car.
You decide you're not going to just sing with the band.
You're also going to compete for the grand prize.
Maybe this time, you'll finally be the star of the show.
It's the day of the Miss Ford Country Contest.
You're standing on stage with the other contestants, your heart racing.
All your friends and family have come to see you.
After all, you're doing double the work, performing with your band and competing in the contest.
And now you've made it to the finals.
The contest is an essay competition. you had to explain why you deserve to win a new car.
You wrote about how you're a singer and a rodeo competitor, so you really need some wheels.
You and your family could use this new car to drive all over the country to all of your different competitions and performances.
You thought your essay was pretty good, but looking at the crowd of other young women on stage, you wonder did you manage to stand out from all the others?
Ladies and gentlemen, it's time to reveal who will be our new Miss Ford Country.
Which one of these young ladies wrote the very best essay?
Can I get a drumroll, please?
David, one of the drummers in your band, starts playing a drumroll.
The winner of the Miss Ford Country competition is... It's you!
You can't believe it.
The host hands you a set of car keys, a giant sash that says Miss Ford Country and the biggest bouquet of flowers that you've ever seen.
You deserve this car, young lady.
Everyone here has heard you singing all day.
Now go use it to keep building your music career.
The crowd is still cheering as you walk off stage.
Ecstatic, you race towards the dressing room where the rest of your band is already packing up.
But before you step into the room, you stop right in your tracks.
It's only because of her dad.
It's your drummer, David, talking from inside of the dressing room.
You take a step closer.
He's a world champion.
The people from Ford just want to be able to say that a famous rodeo star is driving their car.
What a scam.
You can't believe what you're hearing.
David knows how hard you work, and he knows firsthand how much this means to you.
You hold your head high and stride right into the dressing room.
You take it back.
My father has nothing to do with winning this competition.
I earned that prize all on my own.
You grab your things from the dressing room and storm out as David stumbles through an apology.
You're more determined than ever to step out of your family's shadow and prove to everyone that you have what it takes to stand out.
You realize that it's time to make a choice in your life.
Rodeo or music.
In rodeo, you still struggle to keep up with the competition, much less outshine them.
But when you sing, everyone around you seems to agree.
It's like magic.
So...
Music it is.
Even though you don't barrel race anymore, you still love to go and watch.
When you're 19 years old, your dad has an idea.
What if you sang at the rodeo?
He arranges for you to sing the national anthem at the 1974 National Finals Rodeo in Oklahoma City, which will be broadcast far and wide.
Maybe this will finally be your chance to prove, once and for all, that you're one in a million.
It's the big day.
The biggest performance of your life.
You're standing by the starting gate of the arena.
And just like when you barrel raced as a kid, you have that nervous feeling in your stomach.
But this time, there's no old pelican.
Just you and a microphone.
Your dad sits with your family up in the stands, and your mama is right by your side.
Mama, I heard Red Stiegel is here in the crowd tonight, one of my favorite country music singers.
Maybe he'll help me get a record deal.
Well, you just focus on your song now.
If he is here, he's come to see some rodeo, not find his next opening act.
But you can see the twinkle in her eye.
She knows as well as you do that this is an amazing opportunity to stand out from the crowd.
You get your signal.
It's time to walk out into the arena to sing.
You squeeze your mama's hand and strut towards the podium in the center of the arena.
You look out across the crowd, hand on your heart.
Even though this is the biggest performance you've ever done, you feel right at home here at the rodeo.
You pause for a moment to take it all in.
Then you nod, your cue for the music to start.
As the band plays behind you, you begin to sing.
Finally, you feel it.
This is your moment.
You look into the crowd for your family and see the biggest smiles on their faces.
And for the first time, it all feels just right.
You weren't exactly the rodeo star they all wanted you to be, but this is the right path for you.
This is how you can shine.
The big performance launches your country music career.
Country music star Red Stiegel is in the crowd that day and loves your performance so much that he asks you to open for him on tour.
He also gets you signed with a record label.
You become the most popular female country music star of the 1980s and 90s and record more than 30 albums.
You're named Best Female Vocalist by the Country Music Association four times.
And in 2011, you are inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
But your success extends beyond country music.
You also star in your own popular TV show, book roles in movies and on Broadway, and become a coach on The Voice.
Through it all, you remain true to your Oklahoma roots.
You open Reba's Ranch House, a charity that helps people caring for loved ones in the hospital.
And in 2024, you get to revisit a song you know well, the national anthem, when you perform it at the Super Bowl.
You are known as the queen of country.
You are Reba McEntire.
If you like, Whose Amazing Life.
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From Wondery, this is Who's Amazing Life.
This episode contains reenactments and dramatized details.
While we can't know exactly what was said, we use many sources when researching our stories.
Some that were particularly helpful include Reba's autobiography, Reba My Story, CMT's Inside Fame and AE's biography, Reba McIntyre.
I'm your host, Jasmine Romero.
This episode was written by Chad Chennai.
Sound design by Andre Plus.
Additional audio assistance by Sergio Enriquez.
Desi Blaylock and Matt Gant are our managing producers.
Megan Begala, Ginny Bloom, and Jennifer Klein Walker are our senior producers.
Executive producers are Jenny Lauer Beckman, Marshall Louis, and Aaron O'Flaherty for Wondery.
