The Reba McEntire and Narvel Blackstock Split: Tragic Ending After 26 Years of Marriage

Country music superstar Reba McEntire’s ex-husband Narvel Blackstock was born on August 31, 1956, in Tarrant Country, Texas, USA. Narvel Blackstock was known for the works he has done with the country queen, Reba McEntire.

Narvel Blackstock and Reba McEntire

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As is common to career people, Narvel Blackstock and Reba McEntire met at work. Reba McEntire started her career with her siblings, “The Singing McEntires.” The trio would be seen performing at rodeos where their father was playing. The group would later separate, but Reba continued her career as a solo act.

Reba married her first husband, Charlie Battles, in 1976. Battles was a steer wrestling champion and a rancher. Battle and Reba would later move to Oklahoma, where they would own a ranch. Battle was a decade older than Reba, and their marriage bore fruit two children. Reba was 21 when she married Battles. When Battles decided to divorce his wife, Reba was devastated, shocked, and even disillusioned with what had happened. Reba’s break-up with Battle happened when her career was soaring and was gaining much attention. Reba, however, stated that the reason for her and Battles’ break up was her decision to prioritize her career over her marriage. She ended her 11-year marriage with Battles in 1987.

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After all the divorce hullabaloo, Narvel Blackstock came into the scene. He and Reba had a whirlwind romance. Because of her immediate relationship with Blackstock following a divorce, Reba’s reputation was really criticized by her fans. People said that Reba’s divorce was an incongruous behavior. This was due to the fact that Reba built her early career as a “home-sweet-home” kind of image. Yet, despite all the criticisms, this didn’t stop Reba from marrying Narvel in 1988 in Lake Tahoe, California. The couple welcomed a child in 1990 whom they named, Shelby McEntire Blackstock.

Through-out the years, Narvel Blackstock and Reba McEntire had worked hand-in-hand as partners in the industry and as a couple. Narvel didn’t make a big splash in the country music scene prior to his relationship with Reba. When he married Reba, he started to manage Reba’s career and produced several hits and award-winning songs for Reba. Besides Reba, Narvel also managed some good talents such as Secret of Giving, Malibu Country, and Not So Family Christmas. Reba McEntire and Blackstock also built a company popularly known as Starstruck Entertainment.

Divorce

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For more than 25 years, Reba McEntire and Narvel Blackstock’s marriage could well be considered as one of the most dynamic duos in the country music scene. But to the shock of everybody, especially Reba, Narvel filed a divorce after his 26 years of marriage with the For My Broken Heart singer. Reba said that the divorce was not her choice, and she never would want to end the relationship. Reba had a hard time adjusting after their separation.

As a result, Reba withdrew from Starstruck Entertainment and began to manage herself. Narvel, on the other hand, had finalized their divorce in December 2015. But, Narvel was found with a new relationship just a month after his divorce with Reba. Laura Putty Stroud was a common friend of Reba and Narvel. It was also reported that Narvel and Stroud were very serious and would likely to get married soon. As for Reba, she faced every issue and gossip with her head held high, and she focused more on mastering her craft like never before.

Reba, despite the strains the divorce brought, kept a close relationship with her three stepchildren. When asked about the divorce, Reba said that it happened because someone was not happy about the relationship. Reba agreed with the divorce because she would not want to shackle anyone to stay with her and that life is just short to continue being miserable. Reba also added that God became her primary help and reason to have the strength to overcome the pain and to keep moving forward. Reba said that she prayed every day to ask God for her daily strength to keep going and for guidance on the next steps that she would take.