Reba McEntire Nearly Missed Her Grand Ole Opry Debut Because Security Didn’t Have Her Name On The List: “My Heart Stopped”

48 years ago today… Reba graced the Grand Ole Opry stage for the very first time. Her family drove nearly 1,500 miles round trip to see her step into that iconic circle, but thanks to a little security snafu, they almost missed her all together.

As many of us know, the life of a touring musician is full of road blocks, and I don’t mean literally, although bad traffic can certainly be a problem as well. Bus or van trouble, uncontrollable weather situations, sickness, vocal chord issues, brushing your teeth in a McDonalds’s bathroom, the occasional hangover perhaps… it’s hard on your mind, body and soul to bring music to the masses. Lately, we seen artists take time off to prioritize their mental and physical health, and I suspect it will continue to be more common. Nobody ever wants to let down their fans, but if you don’t take care of yourself, you’re not going to be around anyways.

Of course, when you get invited to grace the most historic stage in country music, you do everything possible to get there… on time, if not early, but whatever it takes.

Oklahoma native and country music icon, Reba McEntire, made her Opry debut on September 17th, 1977, and while she made sure she was on time, she still ran into a devastating issue trying to get in the door. One that almost caused her to miss her entire debut. When Reba showed up at the venue, her dad rolled down the window and the security guards would not let her in as her name was not on the list of artists performing that night. And remember, this is 1977… it’s not like you can whip out your cellphone, call your manager, and get it figured out while you’re standing there.

Reba says her “heart stopped,” and the McEntire family hurried over to find a nearby phone at a gas station, and called her booking agent to resolve the matter.

Once her team talked to security to allow her backstage, she dashed to prepare for the stage. However, once backstage, she would run into another bump in the road. Her two-song performance was cut short to just one song, her cover of Roger Miller’s “Invitation to the Blues,” because Dolly Parton was making a surprise appearance and taking over one of her songs during the radio show.

“I got my outfit on and they came up to me and said, ‘Reba, we’re gonna have to take one of your songs… Dolly Parton just pulled into the parking lot and we’re gonna give her one of your songs.”

Reba remembers her response being:

“Shoot, she can take both of them. Can I meet her?”

However, Reba said that Parton only took one of her songs, as planned, and she got to share her Grand Ole Opry debut with one of her musical heroes.

With her performance cut short, Reba’s family made that 1,400-mile round trip from Oklahoma to see her take the stage for all of what… three minutes? But those three minutes, however, would be the highlight of her career thus far. And you can’t put a price on a Grand Ole Opry debut.

And fun fact… Reba actually visited the Grand Ole Opry as an audience member when she was just 7 years old, but got sick and wound up leaving the venue to throw up on the front steps. So while her Opry debut had its own share of problems, it went a little better than the first time.

Listen to that performance below:

The following year, Reba would make her first filmed appearance on the show, performing “Why Can’t He Be You” from her debut, self-titled album, Reba McEntire. And the rest as they say… is history.

Reba’s career would continue to hit new highs in the years to come, eventually solidifying her place among the icons of country music.

The post Reba McEntire Nearly Missed Her Grand Ole Opry Debut Because Security Didn’t Have Her Name On The List: “My Heart Stopped” first appeared on Whiskey Riff.