Reba McEntire’s induction onto the Super Bowl stage feels like a storybook moment—a full-circle triumph fifty years in the making. In early February, Las Vegas’s Allegiant Stadium will hum with anticipation as Reba, the “Queen of Country,” steps to the microphone to deliver the National Anthem before Super Bowl LVII airs on CBS. She learned the news the same way many of us would: via a phone call from her manager. Her fiancé, Rex Linn—an unabashed football fan—needed no convincing. “She’ll do it, absolutely,” he declared, sealing her place in history.
Preparing for an event of this magnitude is, in Reba’s words, surprisingly familiar: “Warm up like you do for a concert, sing it five or six times, and trust your training.” But for Reba, this performance means more than any other. It was here—at the 1974 National Finals Rodeo in Oklahoma—that a young Reba first captured hearts with that same stirring rendition. Now, exactly half a century later, she returns to her roots under the brightest lights the world has to offer.
Reba’s recent media tour—with appearances alongside Gayle King on CBS Mornings, playful CMT “ask me anything” segments, and interviews with collaborators like Cody Johnson and Dierks Bentley—has showcased her quick wit and enduring passion. Asked about her favorite “death-row meal,” she didn’t hesitate: “A Sonic Number One cheeseburger—no onions, ketchup, mustard, mayo, and pickles.” On redeye cups, she laughed, “Green is my favorite color,” proving that even legends embrace a little whimsy.
She’s reminisced about her acclaimed music videos and television movies—the dramatic turn in her early ’90s films, her heated performance with Linda Davis, and the historic 2021 reunion with Dolly Parton that earned them a Grammy nomination. She’s won awards—ACM Video of the Year in 1991, her first Grammy in 1987—and inspired the next generation, as when Carrie Underwood affectionately dubbed Underwood’s own “Church Bells” a “little sister” to Reba’s classic “Fancy.”
Yet amid the milestones and accolades, it’s that young woman on the rodeo stage who shines brightest. When Reba steps up to the Super Bowl mic, she’ll carry five decades of dreams, an unwavering work ethic, and the prayers of fans worldwide. “I can’t think of a better way to celebrate my anniversary,” she says, voice steady with pride. And as the national anthem soars, it will mark not just a kickoff to football’s grandest day, but a triumphant homecoming for a country music legend who never forgot where she began.