Reba McEntire Is a Proud Mom to Shelby Blackstock! Meet Her Son With Ex-Husband Narvel Blackstock

Reba McEntire is nothing but proud of son Shelby Blackstock, whom she shares with ex-husband Narvel Blackstock.

Who Is Shelby Blackstock?

Shelby was born on February 23, 1990, to Reba and Narvel in Nashville, Tennessee, one year after their wedding. The Reba actress opened up about raising Shelby with strong values just as she was raised in Oklahoma.

“When we would play games or cards, I’d never let Shelby win,” she told People in October 2022. “He wouldn’t have learned anything that way. I always told Shelby, ‘I’ll always love you, but I want other people to like you. So don’t be a little jerk. Don’t be a spoiled brat.'”

Reba went on to say that “a lot of people have told me you would never know [he] had been blessed with the life he was given.” She credited Narvel for helping raise him to be a gentleman. The “Fancy” singer and the producer were married from 1989 to 2015.

“I’m very proud of him,” she gushed over her son. “He was a kid who had ADHD and could barely read in school, and now he’s read 10 books this year. He’s always trying to improve and do better. His daddy did a great job too.”

During their marriage, Reba became a stepmom to Narvel’s kids Shawna Blackstock, Brandon Blackstock and Chassidy Blackstock from his marriage to his first wife, Elisa Gayle Ritter. She also grew close to stepkids Lance Battles and Coty Battles during her marriage to her first husband, Charlie Battles.

While her career has never slowed over the years, Reba has always made sure that motherhood remained her top priority.

“Shelby is a gift from God to me,” the Voice coach said. “We’re very close. I was a very self-centered person to a degree before Shelby. But then there’s a little character who you are given the job to protect and nurture and love and teach, so all the attention’s not on you anymore.”

What Is Shelby Blackstock’s Job?

Shelby is a race car driver, making his first big appearances in the racing world in 2010 and 2011. Reba revealed that her son’s sense of adventure started when he was young.

“Shelby would jump on the golf cart, and he would be driving,” the Grammy winner recalled. “He could barely touch the gas pedal. He would drive me around the place, and he would say, ‘Hang on! It’s going to be a bumpy ride!’ and we would chase the geese all around.”

Shelby decided to drop out of college to pursue racing full time.

“He came to me when he was a freshman in college and said, ‘I don’t want to go to college anymore. I want to be a race car driver!’ I said, ‘Who are you, and what have you done with Shelby?’” Reba revealed. “I had no idea.”

Who Is Shelby Blackstock’s Wife?

On February 12, 2022, Shelby married Marissa Branch at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. He met the influencer and licensed esthetician on the dating app Tinder in 2014. Reba attended the festivities with her boyfriend, Rex Linn, whom she began dating in 2020. Narvel was also in attendance for his son’s special day.

“Everyone was in close proximity, but it felt like a happy family event,” an insider told Closer in March 2022. “Nobody created any awkwardness.”