Reba McEntire’s Son Keeps Their Framed Pic - She’s ‘Best Mom’ though Her Dad Never Said He Loved Her

• Reba McEntire is a mother of an only child, her long-awaited son Shelby, who turned 33.

• The singer's cowboy father was "tough" and never said he loved her.

• She became a different parent to her son than her father, yet was shocked when her son decided to be a racer.

In October 2022, Reba McEntire revealed how close she was to her only son, Shelby Steven McEntire Blackstock, and her daughter-in-law, Marissa Branch. Shelby and his wife, who married in 2022, were very busy working.

However, Reba revealed that when she got to go home to Nashville, she saw the pair by joining them for brunch or dinner. The star's daughter-in-law gave fans a glimpse inside the home she shared with the singer's son.

In an Instagram Story post, Branch uploaded a photo of a table with a lit candle and a photo frame behind it. In the frame was a rare and never-seen-before image of her husband posing alongside his mother, smiling at an event, showing how much Shelby loved his mother.

The country music singer once confessed that "one of the happiest times of my life" was bonding with Branch and her son. For 2017's Mother's Day, Shelby honored his mother by sharing several Instagram pictures of him with her.

In the post's caption, the professional race car driver wished Reba a happy Mother's Day and said she was "the best #mom a son could ever ask for" and that he loved her "very much." Although the country singer was an incredible parent, she didn't receive the same parenting from her father.

What Happened between Reba and Her Cowboy Father?

In her book, "Reba: My Story," Shelby's mother revealed that she grew up on a ranch her parents built together. The star said she realized from age five that singing was the best way for her to get attention.

Being the third-born child of four, not the oldest, youngest, or a boy, Reba could only get noticed by making trouble. However, the attention she got, which she fought for, from doing that wasn't what she craved, and her father, Clark McEntire, didn't accept excuses.

Growing up, the songstress regretted not hearing her father telling them he "loved" them. Clark, who died in 2014, was a three-time world champion steer roper, "tough as dirt," and liked being known as a "champion cowboy," with Reba adding:

"You didn’t have to worry about what was on his mind. He would tell you in a heartbeat. By our standards, they would say he was cruel.”

The star recalled her father asking her why she always wanted to do things she wasn't good at, like playing basketball, barrel racing, and anything but singing. Ironically, she was pretty good at those sports and collected championships and ribbons, but not as good at them as singing.

Despite not having a great role model in her father and their complex relationship, the country musician still wanted to become a parent. However, Reba became a different parent compared to Clark.

Did Reba Really Want to Become a Mother?

Perhaps her relationship with her father made Reba not rush into becoming a mother, but when she did, she was thrilled! In her book, she recalled sitting in her condominium on the bathtub's edge, waiting for the pregnancy test to turn bright pink!

Before she welcomed Shelby at age 34, she'd prayed for a happy, healthy, compassionate, and fun baby - which she got! The singer had wanted a child long before she and her now ex-husband, Narvel Blackstock, married.

So as soon as they tied the knot, Reba went to work trying to realize her dream. Becoming pregnant was ''the greatest thing'' that ever had happened to her, and she enjoyed carrying her baby, but most of the final four months of her pregnancy were spent in bed.

The songstress explained that she was bedridden because her son wanted to arrive early. On February 23, 1990, he weighed six pounds 10 ounces and was lucky because he got a parent different from his grandfather.

Does Reba Show Love and Support to Her Son, Unlike Her Father?

In a past interview, Reba shared that she never let Shelby win when they played cards or games. The goal was for him to learn, and she felt he wouldn't if she let him win, and the star (unlike her father) told him, "I'll always love you," but wanted other people to like him.

The artist told her son not to be a jerk or a spoiled brat, but she was proud of him. Shelby grew up battling ADHD and could barely read, but as an adult, he'd read ten books in 2022 and was working on improving.

Giving Narvel credit, Reba said she'd done a great job helping to raise their son. The singer also shared that "Shelby is a gift from God to me," and they were very close, but she was self-centered before she had him.

The country star changed her ways when she realized she had someone she was given whom she had to love, protect, teach, and nurture, with the attention moving away from her. In 2014, Reba confessed that she wasn't too pleased when he son called her midway through his first semester at the University of Arizona with the news.

Narvel [Blackstock] and his ex-wife [Reba McEntire] have since become their son's [Shelby Steven McEntire Blackstock] number one fans!

Shelby told her he wanted to drop college and become a race car driver! Reba tried to talk him out of it and was "shocked to pieces!" when he revealed what career he wanted to undertake, with him explaining that he'd always loved cars.

The musician acknowledged her son's undying love for cars but noted how she could become a mechanic or car dealer instead. The star didn't have a choice but to compromise with Shelby and bribed him by asking that he finish his year in college, then she and Narvel would send him to Phoenix's racing school.

Branch's husband finished that year, then attended Bob Bondurant's school, where he was a natural and set a track record gaining his parents' attention. He made his official racing debut in August 2010 and has been getting noticed in the racing world.

Narvel and his ex-wife have since become their son's number-one fans! On Shelby's 33rd birthday in 2023, his mother shared a lovely Instagram tribute and photos of him as a child and through the years.

The video of her son was set to background music by Stevie Wonder singing "Happy Birthday." Reba wished her son a happy day and revealed that he was the "best accomplishment" she'd "ever done" before telling him she loved him.

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