Believe it or not, but Reba McEntire is a rodeo cowgirl. She and her sister grew up singing the National Anthem at rodeos, and she even entered as a contestant from time to time.
So when Reba left the sport of rodeo to pursue her music career, it was a bittersweet change for the country music icon. She tells Cody Johnson in a sit-down interview her story about walking away from her barrel-racing career.
“It took me to the 70s when I realized that my rodeo career was going absolutely nowhere. That I did have a God-given talent that I need to be using it. Daddy used to always say, ‘Reba why do you want to do something that you can’t do? Why do you always want to do things you’re not good at?'”
Reba goes onto say that her dad said these things out of a place of love. “I know he was triggering me tryin’ to get back my music. My God-given gift. And so it was kind of like a reminder that it’s going to be ok. That if you do leave rodeo for the music you’re going to be ok. I’m going to miss it.”
She admits she was mad and was going to miss the family that comes with the sport of rodeo. But country music and rodeo go hand-in-hand, which made the transition a bit easier for McEntire.
Reba McEntire and Cody Johnson’s New Single
Reba McEntire joins Cody Johnson on a newly released single, “Dear Rodeo.” One might think that this song only sings about roping and riding, but think again. Not only does the song address the sport of rodeo, but it also applies to break-ups and certain relationships.
Johnson’s no rookie when it comes to talking rodeo. He actually used to ride bulls so this song hit home for him, too. He’s also known for his red-dirt country music, giving him the foundation that’s he’s built into the “CoJo Nation,” his strong fan base.
