During her March 1 appearance on "The Drew Barrymore Show," Reba McEntire got candid about her marriage to ex-husband Narvel Blackstock, her former steel guitarist turned manager. Barrymore prompted the discussion by asking what it was like to work so closely within the entertainment business with a spouse.
Videos by Wide Open Country
"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 said. "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."
McEntire described the marriage, which lasted from 1989 to 2015, as "a situation that was always business," even when the couple attempted to relax for a spell.
"When we were on vacation to recharge the batteries, about three days into a vacation it was like, 'You know what we can do?'" McEntire said.
Narvel is the father of McEntire's 34-year-old son Shelby. The country superstar was married to her first husband, a rodeo rider named Charlie Battles, from 1976 to 1987.
McEntire has been dating her partner, actor Rex Linn, since early 2020.
"We had talked and communicated throughout the years, had a mutual friend and we stayed in contact," McEntire told Barrymore. "But for some reason, that night was just so special."
McEntire first met Linn on the set of the 1991 Kenny Rogers film "The Gambler Returns: The Luck of the Draw." Almost 30 years later, they crossed paths again when McEntire guest-starred on "Young Shelton." Linn plays a recurring character on the "Big Bang Theory" spin-off.
