Country music singer Reba McEntire has a career that has spanned almost 40 years, and during that time, she has recorded 80 number one singles and has won a number of awards from the Academy of Country Music. However, many of Reba’s most well-known works were not originally hers. While to outsiders this approach may seem underhanded, covering songs is a country music tradition and is one of the highest forms of respect you can pay a fellow musician. Here is a look at five of our favorite Reba McEntire tributes.
“Fancy”
People these days may associate “Fancy” with Iggy Azalea, but Reba had a 90s hit by the same name when the Australian rapper was still in diapers. However, this southern ballad about the plight of a poor teenage prostitute from Louisiana was actually first performed by country superstar Bobbie Gentry in 1969. While Gentry’s version placed at a respectable 26 on the Billboard country charts, McEntire took the song all the way to number eight.
“The Night the Lights Went out in Georgia”
“The Night the Lights Went out in Georgia” was first performed by Vicki Lawrence in 1972, who took it all the way to number one on the Billboard Hot 100. While Reba’s 1992 version only peaked at number 12, her music video provided a new and exciting dimension to this song about infidelity, murder, and the corrupt justice system in a small Georgia town.
“Jolene”
As the song’s writer and original singer, Dolly Parton is the true master of “Jolene.” However, Reba included this wildly popular song about the uncertainty of love on her 1989 album Reba Live and proved that there’s plenty of room in the country music pantheon for her to stand alongside Parton and the other country queens who helped pave the way for her own success.
“If I Were a Boy”
Reba has done her fair share of country music covers, but in recent years she’s also branched out and added some distinctly un-country songs to her repertoire—including Beyonce’s 2008 hit “If I Were a Boy.” The song appears on McEntire’s 2011 album All the Women I Am and peaked at number 22 on the charts.
“Because of You”
In 2007, McEntire released an album entitled Reba: Duets that had the country star sharing the spotlight with an array of other talented musicians including Trisha Yearwood, Rascal Flatts, and Faith Hill. However, the duet that received the most attention was “Because of You,” which she performed with American Idol winner Kelly Clarkson. While critics had mixed responses to the duo, it was easily one of the most adventurous choices McEntire has made over the course of her singing career.
