Kelly Clarkson Thinks Reba McEntire Is “An Icon”

Kelly Clarkson and Reba McEntire go way back. The two superstar singers have been friends for years, and have collaborated many times.

Most famously, the duo recorded a country version of Kelly’s hit song “Because of You.” Their duet rendition was nominated for a Grammy and reached the second spot on the Hot Country Songs chart.

On top of being close friends, Clarkson and McEntire were once part of each other’s family. Reba was married to Narvel Blackstock whose son, Brandon, married Kelly. That means Reba was Kelly’s mother-in-law!

Reba treated Brandon and Kelly’s two kids as her own grandchildren. Even after Reba and Narvel split in 2015, she and Kelly remained close.

Kelly and Brandon have since split up as well. But her relationship with Reba is just as strong as it ever was.

As a guest on an episode of I Miss…90s Country Radio with Nick Hoffman on Apple Music, Kelly spoke about why she admires Reba so much:

“I’ve never seen a woman work so much harder than her male counterparts,” she said. “She’s just not afraid of anything. And she was always just working so hard and she had to work so much harder than a lot of the guys that didn’t have to do as much. But man, wasn’t it worth it? What an icon.”

Kelly went on to speak about Reba’s extensive catalog of songs and the career she has built for herself:

“Her catalog is literally one of the best catalogs like in music, not just country,” she said. “Like she has so many, not even that they’re number ones, just so many songs that just reach so many people.”

We agree with Kelly…Reba is a true country music icon!

When Reba was recognized during the Kennedy Center Honors in 2018, it was Kelly who took to the stage to sing “Fancy” in her honor. Watch her performance and hear her speak more about how much she looks up to Reba by tuning in to the video below.