Reba’s Dad Continues to Improve After Stroke

Reba's father, Clark McEntire, was with his daughter in spirit when she was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame Sunday night. The singer told The Boot that she didn't talk to her dad before she went to the event, but she did mention it to him when she was in Oklahoma earlier in the week.

"I asked him if he remembered that I was going into the Hall of Fame on Sunday and he said, 'Oh yeah, I remember.' I found about this honor and was able to tell him about it just two days before he went into the coma."

Reba reports that her father is doing a bit better. "He was in a coma over a month, but now he's awake and feeding himself," she says. "He was walking 30 steps a day, then he had another attack. We think he had an infection in his kidneys, so he's back in ICU. My brother Pake is home taking care of him while we're all here."

Adds the singer, "He's having a big time, telling wild west stories and cutting up with the nurses. He's in his element; he's doing great."

The 84-year old patriarch of the McEntire family suffered a stroke in February of this year. He was hospitalized in Tulsa, where he fell into a coma on March 1, at the same time inductees into the Hall of Fame were announced in Nashville. Reba had been scheduled to attend the announcement ceremony, along with fellow inductees Grand Ole Opry star Jean Shepard and songwriter Bobby Braddock.

Reba's family turned out in large numbers to see her induction into the Hall of Fame. Her mother, Jackie, was there along with her sisters and other family members, including husband Narvel Blackstock, son Shelby and step-kids Shawna, Brandon and Chassidy. Reba's sister, Susie, performed with Trisha Yearwood on a version of Reba's 'How Blue' during the event.

Jackie also walked the red carpet on Sunday night, telling reporters that country music had been a part of the family's musical repertoire since the children were young. She noticed Reba's penchant for music and while not discouraging it, recommended to her daughter that she go to college and study music along with taking education classes so she could earn a living as a teacher if the music thing didn't work out.

Thanks to Texas singer and songwriter Red Steagall, Reba never had to fall back on her teaching skills. Red, who was also in attendance at the Hall of Fame induction, discovered Reba when she sang the national anthem at the 1974 National Finals Rodeo in Oklahoma City. He also had the opportunity to hear her sing later in the week, and realized how much potential the future Queen of Country Music had.

Red paid for Reba to travel to Nashville to record some demos for him, thus helping launch a career that has spanned three decades, earning her numerous hits and awards, and has also included an acting career that includes Broadway, television and movies. Reba and her husband also have a management company in Nashville with clients including Blake Shelton and Kelly Clarkson. In addition, Reba's line of clothing can be found in retail shops around the country.