Reba Returns to the Opry Stage

The first time Reba McEntire performed on the Grand Ole Opry, Dolly Parton cut into her time on the world-famous radio show. That didn't happen Saturday night when Reba made her first appearance on the Opry since 2000.

The country icon performed four songs, including her new single, 'Strange.' The audience reaction was deafening when Reba was introduced. Fans clapped and sang along as she opened with one of her classic hits, 'Why Haven't I Heard From You.'

"This building is very important to me," McEntire told The Boot just prior to her performance. "On September 17, 1977, I appeared on the Grand Ole Opry for the first time. My mama and daddy and older sister Alice drove in from Oklahoma to see me because it was a dream come true for the whole family."

She then recounted her first introduction to Dolly. "Dolly pulled up unexpectedly and took one of my songs, but I said she could have both of them if I could just meet her," the songstress said, laughing at the memory.

Reba explains that the Opry has always held a special place with her family. "When daddy was out working the rodeo circuit, he and mama would listen to the Grand Ole Opry. This was the only place the McEntire family every came on vacation, was to Nashville and the Grand Ole Opry."

Prior to her performance on Saturday, Reba was presented with the Opry Member Award, commemorating her 1986 induction into the Opry family by the Opry's Pete Fisher. The statue is a replica of the old Opry microphone with the stand made of wood taken from the Ryman Auditorium. The singer was delighted with the miniature microphone and stand.

Reba's first album for the Valory Music Company, 'Keep On Loving You,' will be in stores August 18.