Reba McEntire Offers Rare Glimpse Into Previous Marriage Before Divorce: 'It Was Business'

Reba McEntire

Reba McEntire has been happily dating Rex Linn since 2020—but recently, she opened up about her previous 26-year marriage to Narvel Blackstock. And the country music singer admitted the relationship "was business" before their 2015 divorce.

On Friday, March 1, the "Survivor" songstress appeared on The Drew Barrymore Show. McEntire chatted about her current partner, Linn, and what it was like singing the national anthem at Super Bowl LVIII. She also opened up about her marriage to Blackstock.

"It was a situation that was always business," she admitted to Drew Barrymore. "I think it works for some people. They can be married or have a relationship and work together. Our work was all the time."

McEntire explained: "Our marriage was 26 years. We started out working together in the band. He was part of the band, and then became my manager, later on then my husband, but it was a situation that was always business—whether we were getting ready in the morning, pillow talk, whatever, but it was business."

Even when McEntire and Blackstock were on vacation, the conversation always came back to work. "About three days into a vacation it was like, 'You know what we can do?'" the singer told Barrymore.

During their marriage, McEntire and Blackstock welcomed a son, Shelby Blackstock, in 1990. Blackstock also has  three children, Chassidy, Shawna and Brandon (Kelly Clarkson's ex-husband), whom he shares with his ex-wife, Elisa Gayle Ritter. Reportedly, Blackstock walked away with $47.5 million in the divorce.

Next: Who Is Reba McEntire’s Boyfriend Rex Lynn? All About Her Current Relationship and Past Husbands