After 50 years in showbiz, Reba McEntire has done it all. From the rodeo circuit to the Country Music Hall of Fame, the 70-year-old icon has been a constant presence on stage and screen. Now, after a year of incredible personal highs and deep lows, the singer is opening up about her future, including her official thoughts on retirement.
Fans who are worried about Reba hanging up her boots and microphone can breathe a huge sigh of relief. The country music icon has officially announced that she has no plans to retire now, though she is thinking seriously about the need to “slow down.”
In a candid new cover story for People released Thursday, the country music superstar explained her philosophy on the matter, revealing a pivotal conversation she had with fellow legend, Dolly Parton, 79.
“I don’t know when. It could be in 20 years,” Reba said about retirement. “I think I’ll know when it’s the time. Dolly [Parton] and I talked about that an awful lot when she did the Reba show, and I said, ‘Are you going to retire?'”
Dolly’s response was one that stuck with Reba. “She said, ‘Why would I? What in the world could I do and have as much fun as what I’m doing in this job right now?'”
Reba’s final decision on the matter? “I agree with her a hundred percent,” she declared. “Slow down, maybe, but no plans of retiring.”
That “no-plans-of-retiring” attitude is precisely what turned Reba from a “rodeo cowgirl” in Oklahoma into a global superstar. Since signing her first record deal in 1975, she has become one of the most successful female country performers of her generation, according to the official website of The Country Music Hall of Fame.
But her success is not just on the charts. Reba built a multimedia empire, founding Starstruck Entertainment in 1988. She also became a beloved household name with her hit TV comedy, Reba, which ran for six seasons from 2001 to 2007.
Throughout it all, she has been a voice for her fans.
“I’m trying to sing songs for women, to say for them what they can’t say for themselves,” she told the Chicago Tribune in 1986. “Before, a lot of women identified with [Loretta Lynn’s] ‘Don’t Come Home A-Drinkin’ With Lovin On Your Mind.’ Now, it’s ‘don’t even think about coming home, because I ain’t gonna be here. I ain’t gonna put up with that kind of carrying on.’”
The decision to keep working comes during a chapter in her life that has brought both immense joy and deep sorrow.
In August, Reba mourned the tragic loss of her late stepson, Brandon Blackstock, who died of cancer at age 48. Blackstock was the son of her ex-husband Narvel Blackstock and the ex-husband of Kelly Clarkson.
“My relationship with my stepson, Brandon Blackstock, was precious,” McEntire told People on Tuesday. “I absolutely loved that child.”
Amid that profound loss, Reba has also found incredible happiness. She is currently engaged to her Happy’s Place co-star, actor Rex Linn, 68.
The star says she is “happier now than I’ve ever been in my life.”
Reba is not just saying she is not retiring—her schedule proves it. The country icon is currently busier than ever with a slate of high-profile projects.
This fall, she is pulling double duty on NBC, returning as a coach for Season 28 of The Voice and starring in Season 2 of her hit sitcom Happy’s Place, which premieres on November 7.
She is also kicking off the holiday season in a big way. On December 3, Reba will host the beloved Christmas in Rockefeller Center special, an honor she says she is “really excited” about.
“It’s something that I’ve always wanted to do,” she told People on Thursday.
It is clear that Reba is living her own advice to “enjoy every minute” that a long life has to offer.
“I love this chapter in my life,” she told People. “I’m very grateful.”
This story was originally reported by Parade on Oct 24, 2025, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.