Reba McEntire was on stage at the Grand Ole Opry on Friday (Jan. 16) to induct her friend, Suzy Bogguss, but additionally the Opry celebrated Reba’s 40th Opry anniversary, with the legend closing the show with “I’m A Survivor,” “Happy’s Place” and “Back To God” before bringing her friends and fellow Opry members Suzy Bogguss, Terri Clark, Kathy Mattea and Trisha Yearwood back out for a fun performance of “Why Haven’t I Heard From You” to close the show.
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The Country Music Hall of Fame member and Kennedy Center Honor recipient was officially inducted into the Opry family on January 14, 1986, after making her debut in 1977. She almost didn’t make it in the door that night after a guard missed her name on the list on the night’s performers. She found a nearby phone and called her booking agent, who arranged for her to get past security. Her parents and older sister, Alice, drove 1,400 miles round trip from their Oklahoma home to see what turned out to be Reba’s three-minute performance that night. Her act was cut from two songs to just one — “Invitation to the Blues” — because of a surprise appearance from Dolly Parton.
Even with all of the confusion, that evening still turned out better than the first time Reba came to the Opry. She was 7 years old and visiting as an audience member, but got sick during the show, ran outside and promptly threw up on the front steps. But what she did see of the show that night inspired her, and, not too many years later, she began singing professionally
