Reba McEntire has sold more than 50 million albums, scored more than two dozen number one hits, and joined the company of those recognized worldwide by merely her first name. Although she has won scores of honors including Grammy awards and People's Choice awards, the major contribution of the feisty redhead may be that she has shattered stereotypes within and without the country music industry. She has shown Nashville that "girl singers" may be limited in their achievements, but women singers can play with the big boys, and she has shown the music industry at large that a country singer can be as glamorous and as successful as any pop diva.

Because she has diversified into movies and assorted business interests, McEntire is frequently compared to Dolly Parton, but a more telling comparison may be to Loretta Lynn, who earned her fame singing songs of...