Reba Says Miranda Lambert Told Her She Didn’t Want To Win Another Major Country Award Because It Was Time For Someone Else: “I Was Shocked”

Passing the torch.

Of course, country icon Reba McEntire has had an incredible career — after first being discovered singing the National Anthem at the 1974 National Finals Rodeo by country music star Red Steagall, he helped her record a demo, which eventually lead to a contract with Mercury Records.

After Reba released her self-titled 1977 debut album, her career took off in the early 1980s with several hit songs and her first #1 hit “Can’t Even Get the Blues” in 1983, and she has gone on to won 16 ACM Awards, six CMA Awards and three Grammys. Additionally, she has had an impressive acting career, notably starring in her hit sitcom Reba which is an all-time classic, in my humble opinion. She has done it all, and at 70-years young, Reba recently revealed that she’s engaged to longtime boyfriend Rex Linn, who is also an actor.

And one of the things I love most about Reba is her refreshingly honest personality and quick wit, because she’s never one to shy away from telling the truth and her feelings on winning major awards is no exception.

In an extensive feature with Esquire, Reba admitted that she isn’t always content with winning awards and scoring 31 hits… she has a competitive edge and always wants more, even though she’s been doing it forever. Most artists won’t admit they actually want to win big awards, but Reba revealed that she always has the desire to win, and she recalled a moment at either the ACM Awards or CMA Awards when she realized not everyone feels the same way.

Reba says Miranda Lambert was up for Female Vocalist of the Year, and had already won it in years prior, and Reba wished her luck. Miranda responded that she didn’t really want to win, and wanted someone else to have their time since she had already had that experience as an artist:

“I get a number-one record, I want another number-one record. I won an award, I want another one. I’ll never forget Miranda Lambert coming up to me when she was nominated for Female Vocalist of the Year after she’d already won it, and I said, ‘Good luck, Miranda.’

She said, ‘Oh, I already won, it’s time for somebody else.’ What person lets that come out of their mouth? I was shocked. I thought everybody was just like me.”

I’d be willing to bet this was probably at the ACM Awards because Miranda is the most decorated artist in ACM Awards history, having won 37 Academy of Country Music Awards thus far. She’s won Female Vocalist of the Year nine times, so I guess it would be nice of some of the younger ladies eventually started winning that one some, too.

Miranda has always been one to take younger artists under her wing, so to speak, like Lainey Wilson and Ella Langley, for example, and I think this private moment with a legend like Reba really speaks to the fact that Miranda puts her money where her mouth is, so to speak, when it comes to genuinely supporting and helping artists coming up behind her.

But still, love that Reba still has that fire to win after all these decades…

Speaking of Miranda and Reba, they performed together at this years ACM Awards:

The post Reba Says Miranda Lambert Told Her She Didn’t Want To Win Another Major Country Award Because It Was Time For Someone Else: “I Was Shocked” first appeared on Whiskey Riff.