The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum opened the exhibit Reba: All The Women I Am at the Museum’s East Gallery in Nashville, Tennessee on August 9, 2013. The exhibit is scheduled to run through June 8, 2014.
“Reba: All the Women I Am traces her stories from grade school performances to prestigous concert stages and from tragedy to her triumphant broadway debut,” says Kyle Young, Director of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum at the debut of the exhibit. See more of the opening night in the following video.
Reba’s career has spanned more than four decades and she is not only a recording artist, but she is also a performer having appeared on Broadway and on television. Reba has garnered fans all over the world with her charm and talent and has been an inspiration to so many artists. In a video tribute to Reba, Blake Shelton said it best, “You’ve opened the door for more than just women in country music, you’ve kicked in the door for guys like me who are from exactly where you’re from in Oklahoma in the middle of nowhere, and growing up … that was the bar, you set the bar! And I remember telling people I wanted to be a country singer and the answer was always, ‘man, you’re gonna make it like Reba did.’”
Best Wishes from Reba’s friends:
The exhibit will explore the life and impact Reba had on the country music industry. On display will be some of Reba’s personal possessions, vintage photographs, audio and video throughout her career, as well as more than two dozen of her costumes from her Broadway and movie performances.
The exhibit will feature dozens of artifacts including:
-A handbill from Kiowa Elementary School’s Dec. 22, 1965, Christmas program. The program featured 5th grader Reba singing “Blue Christmas.”
-A report card from Reba’s sophomore year at Kiowa High School (she earned straight As)
-Reba’s first official stage costume, a silky blue blouse with coordinating vest
-Larry Mahan boots, worn by Reba while participating in barrel-racing competitions
-A check stub for a $25 payment to the McEntires (Reba and her siblings Pake and Susie) for a 1971 performance
-“The red dress”-the red jersey gown with nearly sheer bodice, designed by Sandi Spika and worn by Reba at the 1993 CMA Awards. Reba later said, “I got more press off that dress than if I’d won Entertainer of the Year.”
-Assorted red dresses worn by Reba through the years when she performed her concert finale, “Fancy”
-Reba’s “favorite” dress, a Sandi Spika-designed, teal, two-piece, silk shantung gown featuring a long train and beaded, sequined bodice
-Costume worn by Reba when she starred in the Broadway production Annie Get Your Gun, including a suede fringed jacket and chaps, corset, hat and boots
-Costumes worn by Reba in the films The Gambler Returns: The Luck of the Draw, North and Is There Life Out There?
–Dozens of awards, from childhood ribbons for barrel-racing and athletic prowess; to a selection of the superstar’s Grammy, CMA and ACM trophies
-Items that reflect Reba’s status as a pop culture icon, including a Reba Barbie, a Reba lunch box and a bag of Fritos featuring the superstar’s likeness
For more details, visit the Country Music Hall of Fame’s website here.
Source: Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum website
