McEntire reportedly taught herself how to play the guitar. On drives home from their father's rodeos, the McEntire siblings learned songs and how to harmonize from their mother, eventually forming a vocal group called the "Singing McEntires" with her brother Pake and younger sister Susie (their elder sister Alice did not participate). McEntire played guitar in the group and wrote all of the songs. The group later sang at rodeos and recorded Reba's song "The Ballad of John McEntire". Released on the indie label Boss, one thousand copies of the early 45 rpm record were pressed, but the recording was not promoted in a full commercial radio-promoted release.