10. When McEntire was 12, she made her first-ever recording, with brother Pake and sister Susie. The song, “The Ballad of John McEntire,” was written by family friend Clark Rhyne and recorded in Oklahoma City, Okla.
9. At 16, McEntire won the title of Miss Ford Country. The prize — which she received for writing a winning essay — was the use of a new Ford for six months. She put 18,000 miles on the car.
8. She loves a good corndog.
7. In college, McEntire was a member of a campus singing and dancing group called the Chorvettes.
6. McEntire, who was also an avid barrel racer, was discovered by cowboy singing star Red Steagall while singing the National Anthem at the National Finals Rodeo in Oklahoma City in December 1974.