The reigning queen of country music has pursued a musical career since the age of 5. In junior high, she performed with her siblings as the Singing McEntires. A fine athlete, McEntire followed in the footsteps of her rodeo champion father in competitive barrel racing. Her performance of the "Star Spangled Banner" at the 1974 National Finals Rodeo in Oklahoma City caught the attention of songwriter, Red Steagall who suggested she consider a career in country music. She has since earned 7 gold and 5 platinum albums and 2 Grammy Awards. She has also explored other avenues of entertainment, serving as a guest host on "Good Morning, America" and earning generally favorable reviews for her acting in the movie Tremors and the miniseries Buffalo Girls. In 1988, she formed Starstruck Entertainment to oversee the various aspects of her career.
Her sister, Susie Luchsinger, (Susie McEntire) is a Christian music star. Was James Cameron's first choice to play "the unsinkable" Molly Brown in Titanic, but she had to decline because her touring schedule overlapped the filming date. 1991: Her entire band died in a plane crash. February 1990: Son Shelby Steven McEntire Blackstock born. 1993: Had a patch of skin cancer on her forehead removed. 1996 tour statistics: 16 trucks, 7 buses, 1 jet, 100 dates (12,500 per date) concerts, 200-foot expandable stages, 3 separate performance areas, 10 dancers, 5 video cameras, 6 video screens, 96-person crew, 40 tons of equipment. 2000: Named the #2 Best-selling Female Artist (of all genres) of All Time, following Barbra Streisand. 2000L Named the #1 Best-selling Female Country Singer of All Time. Attendend Kiowa High School and Southeastern State University. Her first public performance was "Away In A Manger" for a first-grade Christmas production. Majored in Elementary Education and minored in Music. Daughter of Jacqueline (11/6/1926) and Clark McEntire (11/30/1927). Sister of Alice Foran (b. 3 December 1951), Pake McEntire (b. 23 June 1953), and Susie Luchsinger (b. 8 November 1957) (Susie McEntire). Has won two Grammy awards, nine People's Choice Awards (for singing *and* acting), seven CMA (Country Music Association) Awards (including an unprecedented Female Vocalist of the Year four years in a row), two Country Radio Awards, 11 ACM (Academy of Country Music) Awards (including an unprecedented Top Female Vocalist seven times), 14 American Music Awards (including an unprecedented Favorite Female Country Singer 10 times), five TNN/Music City News Awards, three International Awards and the 2001 Drama Desk Award for her Broadway debut in "Annie Get Your Gun." 1995: Inducted into the Hall of Great Western Performers of the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum. Her father, Clark McEntire (1927- ), was world steer roping champion for the years 1957-1958 & 1961. He was inducted into the Rodeo Hall of Fame of the Rodeo Historical Society (a support group of the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum) in 1988. Her grandfather, John Wesley McEntire (1897-1976 ), was world steer roping champion for 1934 and was also a calf roper. He was inducted into the Rodeo Hall of Fame of the Rodeo Historical Society (a support group of the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum) in 1984. Garett Beck is her niece. At one time was a classmate of Garth Brooks, in Oklahoma.