Reba McEntire has had plenty of hits over the years -- 50 years worth, in fact. But in spite of more than 100 singles released, McEntire says there is one, namely "Fancy," which remains her favorite, even though it is 35 years old.
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"[It's] because it's a story song," McEntire tells People. "I loved it when Bobbie Gentry had it out in '68. She made it famous. She wrote it. And then when I got to record it in 1990, it was a song that had always been one of my favorites. And that's the last song I sing at every concert."
"Fancy" was released in 1990 on McEntire's Rumor Has It album, becoming a single one year later. Perhaps surprisingly, although the song is now iconic, it wasn't a No. 1 hit for McEntire.
"It's a rags-to-riches story. I love rags-to-riches stories. Cinderella, Annie Get Your Gun, all poverty and then make it big in the world," McEntire tells Country Living. "Fancy — she had a lot going against her and she persevered and moved on ... I always wanted to record it. Then [producer] Tony Brown said, 'What's a song you'd like to do a remake of?' And I said, 'Fancy.' He said, 'That's one of my favorite songs, too.' And so we recorded it."
Reba McEntire's Historic Success
McEntire has had far more success than most, but it's not just because of her talent. The 70-year-old says she likely wouldn't have the career she has, if not for growing up on a ranch in Oklahoma,
"When I started out in the music business, I didn't know anything about it," McEntire tells Variety. "What I did know is that in rodeo and ranching, it's a man's world: You insert yourself, you work your a-- off; you don't b---h about it, you don't complain, you just work harder. When I got into the music business, that work ethic was still there."
The work ethic was there, but so were McEntire's fans, including those who have been with her since the beginning.
"I thank God for the fans, because they are people who travel, spend their hard-earned money to buy tickets, to buy albums," McEntire praises. "They're faithful. And I don't care what kind of entertainment business you're in, whether it's race cars or movies, singing or writing books. If you don't have the fans, you might as well be singing in the shower, because they're the ones that put food on our tables."
