Off The Record
Reba McEntire Makes An Honest Confession About Her Son Shelby
Popular singer and actress Reba McEntire is adored by fans for her humble nature.
This outlook didn’t spring from a desire to boost album sales, but rather from her country upbringing.
In a recent interview, she revealed a personal truth about her life as a mother to her only son, highlighting the importance of her rural upbringing.
Reba is one of the music industry’s rare beauties; she or he is totally cool and grounded. The 67-year-old music legend is a true country girl at heart, having been raised on a ranch in Chockie, Oklahoma.
She played in a family band or helped herd cattle when she wasn’t in class. Reba’s family has a long history of rodeo success; both her father and grandpa won multiple titles.
Reba’s upbringing in the country instilled in her a set of principles that served her well throughout her life.
“Mama and Daddy always said to me, ‘If you tell somebody you’re going to be somewhere at a certain time, you show up,” she told People.
“That’s the way I was raised.”
In 1990, she gave birth to her first child, a son named Shelby, and was already a huge celebrity. Despite having a famous mother, she was aware that she would need to take extra care in bringing her son up appropriately.
Reba was firm in her convictions as she raised Shelby, despite having to make some difficult choices.
“When we would play games or cards, I’d never let Shelby win,” she said.
“He wouldn’t have learned anything that way. I always told Shelby, ‘I’ll always love you, but I want other people to like you. So don’t be a little jerk. Don’t be a spoiled brat.’”
The GRAMMY-winning singer and her ex-husband, Narvel Blackstock, worked hard to teach their son, the professional racing car racer Shelby, humility and respect for others.
“A lot of people have told me you would never know (he) had been blessed with the life he was given,” she said.
McEntire has also stated that, prior to having her kid, she was a bit more self-centered. She tried to be around him as much as possible.
“I had the best nannies, and I took him on the road with me,” she said. “When I couldn’t, I would fly home after a concert, get him up in the morning, take him to school and pick him up. We’d play until I had to fly out again for a concert that night. I wanted to be with Shelby. Still do.”
The country music artist has spoken publicly about her son’s ADHD. When he was younger, he struggled to even finish a short book, but now that he’s in his 30s, he devours literature.
”He’s always trying to improve and do better. His daddy did a great job too. Shelby is a gift from God to me. We’re very close. I was a very self-centered person to a degree before Shelby. But then there’s a little character who you are given the job to protect and nurture and love and teach, so all the attention’s not on you anymore.”
Reba has always been proud of her son, but she is especially happy for him now that he is married to her daughter-in-law, Marissa. Their wedding at Walt Disney World seemed like something out of a fairy tale.
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