After 42 Years, Reba McEntire Celebrates Exciting Career First

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Reba McEntire has been able to enjoy one of the most monumental careers of any country artist in history. In the 42 years since she made her debut, McEntire has sold more than 85 million records, earned 40 number one hits, and acquired numerous awards. 

After devoting herself to country music for so long, McEntire steered herself in a different direction for her latest album, Sing It Now: Songs of Faith & Hope. Released in February, Sing It Now is the first gospel record McEntire has ever released.

McEntire has been singing gospel music since she was young, but was hesitant to venture into the genre. Her sister, Susie, is a well-known gospel singer, and she always worried about stepping on her toes.

“But she was fine with it and really encouraged me,” McEntire told Yahoo! “I think that timing is everything. I was pleased that everybody was on board and enthusiastic about me doing a gospel album.“

That enthusiasm was evident in the amount of support that fans showed for the album and its single “Back to God.” The song charted at the top spot on the Billboard Christian chart and also claimed the 25th spot on the Hot Country Songs chart.

Equally successful was the music video for the song, which was released in January. Since then, the video has managed to generate well over eight million views.

It’s clear that McEntire’s venture into gospel music was a successful one. Now, that venture is being rewarded in a way that marks a milestone in her career.

As announced via a press release on Thursday (August 10), “Back to God” has been nominated for a Dove Award for Bluegrass/Country/Roots Recorded Song Of The Year. This is huge news for McEntire, since it is the first time she has ever been nominated for a Dove Award.

The Dove Awards are issued by the Gospel Music Association as a way of honoring the artists and songs that have contributed to genre in the past year. As a country artist first and foremost, it’s a big deal for McEntire to earn a nomination!

This year’s Dove Awards will air on TBN on October 22. Be sure to tune in to see if McEntire walks home with an award!

Until then, enjoy her breathtaking music video for her nominated single, “Back to God.” You can catch it below.

Congratulations to McEntire on her Dove Awards nomination!