Reba McEntire has often credited her mother, Jacqueline, for giving her the confidence to shine from a very young age. On the April 23 episode of Sunday Sitdown, McEntire opened up to Willie Geist about the early encouragement that helped shape her legendary career.

Growing up in Oklahoma, Reba and her siblings sang constantly—sometimes simply to pass the time. “The automobile didn’t have a radio. Mama would ask us to sing to kill time while the four children were roughhousing in the backseat,” she recalled. “The Singing McEntires were us.”

It was during a Christmas show at Kiowa High School that Reba realized her voice could capture attention. “I wanted attention,” she said. “And I figured out the best kind of attention I could get was when I would sing. Not running barrels, not playing basketball, but singing. That’s when everybody kind of leaned forward and listened a little bit more.”

Her mother’s reassurance was simple but powerful. “Well, Mama was encouraging me, saying, ‘It’ll be fine. You can do it.’ And so when you have that kind of help, you can just do about anything,” McEntire said.

Even later in life, Jacqueline’s guidance influenced Reba’s career choices. When she ventured into acting, her mother warned her that she “had the attention span of a 2-year-old,” suggesting she needed variety to stay engaged. Reba laughed, admitting, “I do something so long, do the same thing, I get bored.” That restless energy eventually led her to star in the hit sitcom Reba, which ran for six seasons, and to take on the stage in productions like Annie Get Your Gun, experiences she credits with giving her the credentials to succeed in television.

Looking back on her career, Reba remembers moments of self-doubt but also the reassurance of the audience and her family’s support. After finishing her latest tour at Madison Square Garden—her first time performing there—she became emotional. “It holds such history for me and my family. Grandpap roped there during the rodeo in the ‘30s. Daddy roped there during the rodeo in the ‘40s … And it felt like they were with us there at Madison Square Garden.”

Even as tears ran down her face, Reba kept performing. “The adoration or the acceptance — everybody wants to be loved and accepted, I’m no different. I mean, we’re up there on the stage, razzle dazzle, but we’re very insecure people on the inside. And after the second song, the applause went on for a long time.”

From singing in the backseat of a car to commanding the stage at one of the world’s most iconic venues, Reba McEntire’s journey is a testament to her mother’s early encouragement and the power of believing in yourself.