Reba was almost part of the movie, Titanic, in 1997. It was considered one of the greatest movies ever made. With her acting experiences over the years, Reba was supposed to play the role of the “Unsinkable” Molly Brown. However, conflict in her schedule made her decline the offer of director James Cameron. At the time, she had booked performances wherein tickets were already sold. She just couldn’t cancel them.
Director, James Cameron, himself actually chose Reba to play the role, but Reba had a good reason for saying no. The schedule of her tour and performances were already in place, and she could no longer fit the shooting of the movie in or around it. The role was given to Kathy Bates instead, which was still a good decision on Cameron’s part, because Bates won for her portrayal of the role a Blockbuster Entertainment Award. The movie was, for quite some time, the highest gross film of all time. It took many years (and the arrival of the Marvel franchise) for it to be knocked down on the list.
A Bold Woman
AIDS was one of the most avoided topics in the 90s. Especially so in country music, as people despised even the thought of it. However, Reba is open-minded and liberal in her thinking. In her album, “Read My Mind,” is the song “She Thinks His Name Was John,” which tells of a woman who was drunk and slept with someone from whom she got AIDS. This song wasn’t even her most controversial song, as the gutsy singer had a number of them.
Reba is truly a remarkable, unique, and revolutionary artist. She speaks her mind and heart through her music. She was brave enough to have songs with very sensitive and controversial content such as domestic abuse, mercy killing, illegal immigration, and much more.
Harsh Times
In 1995, Reba released her nineteenth studio album, “Starting Over.” The album was a collection of all her favorite songs that were original records from the 50s to the 80s, paying tribute to her favorite artists. For so many years, Reba had been releasing newly recorded albums, but this album was more like a compilation and a throwback. The intention of the album was to celebrate Reba’s twenty years of making music.
However, many music critics found it less appealing than her previous albums. The album was considered a "rebirth" for Reba, but it seemed like some songs were recorded merely for entertainment only, as critics commented. Nonetheless, the criticisms didn’t affect Reba and in just two months from its release, the album was even made Platinum. One song on the album, "Ring on Her Finger, Time on Her Hands" went top 10 as a hit single.
Back To Success
Reba’s twentieth album in 1997, “What If It’s You,” was like a redemption for her from the criticized nineteenth album. It was a major comeback for her with much appreciation and praises from critics. The songs on this album were top hits, including the album's lead single, "The Fear of Being Alone," and other singles such as "How Was I to Know," and "I'd Rather Ride Around with You.”
Bruce Hinton, the chairperson of MCA Nashville, was very happy with this album of Reba’s, calling the tracks nothing short of "powerful." Among the many successful writers and many great country songs in Nashville, Reba is definitely a vital part of the scene. The album reached the number one spot of the Top Country Albums chart and it peaked at number fifteen on the Billboard 200. Selling over two million copies by 1999, the album was her first one in three years to have multi-platinum sales. In the same year, Reba also recorded her charity song, "What If," which hit the number twenty-three rank on the charts. All the sales from this song went to the Salvation Army.
Broadway Break
In 2001, Reba released her album, “Greatest Hits Vol. 3: I'm a Survivor.” With this album, Reba was awarded her third gold certification and became the most certified female country singer. The song, "I'm a Survivor" hit number three on the chart. Reba is indeed one of the greatest female country artists of all time in the music world.
After the “I'm a Survivor” album, Reba went on a temporary hiatus from music, as she turned her attention to her very own television series, Reba, as well as to theatrical arts. She also played the lead in a Broadway show, a revival of Annie Get Your Gun. Reba considered it as some of the hardest work she had done in her career. People were very pleased with her performance in the musical comedy.