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Ahead of her Super Bowl LVIII performance, the Queen of Country reflects on her path to Vegas.

Shed just earned her first No.

It was 1983, and the Oklahoma native beelined for an old rotary phone.

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The first person I called was Mama, McEntire, 68, tells Bustle.

Shed spent the previous five-plus years traveling around the United States, trying to break into the country world.

And that was just the beginning.

For a young Reba McEntire, pursuing music meant months on the road without chart success.

Now, 41 years later, McEntire has racked up 25 No.

1s and has no plans of slowing down.

And in January, NBC announced that shellfront a new comedy series.

A young Reba McIntire performs in New York in 1982.

Fittingly, it was while singing The Star-Spangled Bannerat the 1974 National Finals Rodeo.

Take me back to 1983 and 1984, when you were 28.

What were you doing?

Where were you living?

I was living in Stringtown, Oklahoma, and had just had my first No.

Life was good going into 84.

It was the beginning.

Around that time, you left PolyGram/Mercury Records and signed on to MCA Records.

Whyd you do that?

Jimmy Bowen was coming in to take over MCA.

It was one of the reasons why I went, but then he was cleaning house.

I thought, Oh my God, Im going to be dropped.

What have I done?

I heard that Irving Azoff said, Youre not going to drop her.

Shes an up-and-coming entertainer and singer.

So I stayed on with MCA, and been under that umbrella with Universal Music ever since.

Who was your support system around you during that transition?

My band and crew.

I mean, we stayed on tour all the time, so they were my family.

They supported, encouraged, and taught me.

The learning is never over in the music business.

Technology has changed so much since I started.

There are new ways of recording, new ways of getting music out to fans.

Everythings changed except that love for music.

Whats a song from that time that really touched people’s hearts?

Cant Even Get the Blues No More evidently did.

Somebody Should Leave, a very sad song that I absolutely love.

How Blue was another.

What did a typical Friday night look like for you?

Well, come Friday night, wed be performing.

We were working Thursday, Friday, Saturday that’s why I never knew anything aboutSaturday Night Live.

And what was your go-to outfit at the time?

Did you participate in fashion trends?

It was trial and error: see what worked, see what didnt.

If its not comfortable, Im not wearing it.

That started in the 80s, when I had to be comfortable.

Aside from your own music, what were you listening to back then?

I was continually listening to song demos.

Is there any advice youd give your 28-year-old self, looking back?

I took everything so seriously.

I came from a ranch and rodeo family.

You show up, you come prepared, you know your stuff.

So when I went to record, I had everything ready to go.

Was there a moment when you felt like youd made it?

I still dont think Ive made it.

Im still working hard.

I think its harder to maintain [success] than it is to get it.

Im competitive with myself.

I think its very healthy I love to do new things so that Im challenged.

Oh, Im proud of all the awards that Ive won, but its not only me.

Nowadays, it’s not so much about the awards.

It’s about putting out quality material, whether it’s acting or music.

I want em to walk out saying, Man, that was good.

Because people work hard.

I dont want to waste their time or money.

A lot of our readers are in their 20s and 30s.

How did you think about money during that time of your life?

I approved every one of my bills.

I wasnt always that way, and I regret that.

If you have a question about your financial situation, ask.

Be interested, pay attention.

The more you pay attention, the more the people who are handling your finances will pay attention.

I like that advice.

Theres a lot of stigma about discussing finances with other people.

What would you describe as your best memory from that time period?

I remember looking around in the old greasy garage.

Some of the band was on the bus watching TV.

I walked up and said, We got our first No.

How did you celebrate later in the day?

I cried tears of joy.

Jumping forward to today: Howd you react to the TikToks of people using yourIm a Survivor song fromReba?

I was very flattered and entertained.

It was very creative.

And youposted your ownas well, with your horses, I believe.

Yeah, the donkeys.

We had a blast with it.

And it shows a different side of my personality.

Who wouldve thought Id be out there feeding the donkeys?

This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.