When I heard that Reba McEntire was going to be there, the only thing I asked for for Christmas three years ago was tickets to Bayou Country Superfest in Baton Rouge, LA. Bayou Country Superfest is run by the same people that put on the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, and it is held at legendary Tiger Stadium at LSU. It’s three days of 55,000 people enjoying only the best live country music. This year, Reba was among a fabulous line-up, including Florida Georgia Line, Luke Bryan, George Strait, Jason Aldean, Joe Nichols, Lee Brice and Hunter Hayes. Yeah, all that and more in three days. Unreal, right?
Reba has been my all time favorite female performer since I was very young. When I was seven, the first CD I ever bought with my own allowance money was her “Read My Mind” album. My best friend in grade school and I knew that album back to front and would often sing “Why Haven’t I Heard From You” at the top of our lungs in her room after school. Granted, we didn’t know what any of the music we were listening to was really about, but we loved it anyway. While our friends were hooked on Britney and the Spice Girls, we were Reba fans all the way.
I can honestly say that there is no song Reba has ever recorded that I don’t like. Certainly I have my favorites, like “Is There Life Out There,” “I’m a Survivor,” “The Fear of Being Alone,” and “Walk On,” but all of her music is relatable and, for the most part, uplifting. Reba is also a real, down-to-earth person. She’s never been involved in any “scandals" (aside from her recent amicable divorce), and you never hear about her being ugly to her fans or having a bad attitude. She’s worked her way to where she is today and is totally genuine. The woman is probably one of the most talented living singers, an incredible actress, and has a great sense of humor. Yeah, I’d say I’m a bit of a fan.
And that’s why I almost hyperventilated when I found out I'd be meeting her that Friday night at the Superfest. Just thinking about it takes my breath away all over again. One of my absolutely wonderful clients used her contacts and managed to set up a PRIVATE meet and greet with the Queen of Country for me just before her performance at Tiger Stadium. When I got that phone call at 3 PM Friday, I literally could barely speak (which NEVER happens to me)! To think that I’d be meeting the woman who’s been one of my idols for eighteen years was absolutely crazy! To say I was excited was definitely an understatement!
After a few hours of passing the time, the big moment had finally arrived. My friend, Christy, and I were escorted into the entryway of a private building behind the stadium, and Reba and her entourage pulled up outside the glass doors in a golf cart shortly thereafter. I think I forgot how to breathe for the twenty seconds it took them to get out and come through the doors.
Let me just tell you, Reba is absolutely gorgeous. Her make-up was flawless, her clothes were beautiful, and she was basically glowing (okay, maybe not glowing, but that’s how I saw her at the time!). She introduced herself (as if I didn’t know her name), and I managed to tell her mine and shake her hand. After that first second, oxygen got back to my brain and I actually had a coherent conversation with her! I brought her one of my books, and was able to show it to her and talk to her about it a little bit. I told her how much I loved her and her music and how long I’ve been a fan of hers (corny, I know). She actually remembered seeing me in the front row of a few of her other shows over the years too. So awesome!
When it was time to take our pictures with her, she grabbed my book back from her assistant and said, “Wait! Let’s get the book in here! Free publicity!” Oh. My. Gawd. Is she not the BEST??!! I looked at her and said, “Now THIS will be great for my Facebook page!!” She also said she couldn’t wait to read it, and as sweet as she was, I truly think she will. Reba McEntire said she can’t wait to read MY book. Somebody pinch me!
All in all, we got spend about five to seven minutes talking to her and taking pictures by ourselves before she had to go do the rest of her public meet and greets. We were escorted back to the stadium where the show was absolutely amazing. Reba saw us from the stage and waved a couple times. She smiled when she saw that I was singing every word back to her. One of the security guards asked me afterwards if there was a Reba song that I didn’t know. Uhhh…NO. I’m pretty sure I know them all.
This was by far one of the best experiences of my life. It’s always wonderful to meet someone you hold to such high standards and idolize and realize that they really are as amazing as you think they are. I look at girls these days and who they idolize and think, “man, y’all have no idea.” Everyone should want to be as good of a person as Reba McEntire.
