The Happy’s Place actress couldn’t be prouder of her only son.

Happy’s Place star Reba McEntire’s son Shelby Blackstock may have inherited his mama’s fiery red hair, but when it comes to their professions, the two couldn’t be more different. She’s an actress and country star and he’s an executive — who also happened to be a race car driver! Read all about his career, here.

What does Reba McEntire’s son do?

The 35-year-old is a principal and co-founder at B&R Developments, a construction company based in Texas.

But he’s just as passionate about his side gig as a racer. As he put it on LinkedIn, “Discovered the passion for racing while I attended college at The University of Arizona in 2010. Deciding to put aside the conventional college dream, I dedicated 100% of my time to a career in racing…From 2012-2017 I contended in the Mazda Road to Indy series (a ladder system to aid young drivers in preparation for the Indy Car series, the top level of American open wheel racing). Within those years, I picked up various podiums and a win.”

What does Reba think of her son’s career?

To put it simply: She’s thrilled that he discovered his passion. “This thing with Shelby and his racing came out of nowhere. Ever since he was a little bitty boy we’d be driving somewhere and he’d say ‘mom, you know what kind of car that is?’ I’d say, ‘blue?’ He’d say, ‘no! That’s a Mazda so and so and so and so and so.’ The year and everything. I was just like, ‘how does he know all that?’ And it’s always been cars, cars,” she recalled of her son’s early interests.

Grand-Am Continental Tire Challenge driver Shelby Blackstock attends the Brickyard 400 presented by BigMachineRecords.com at Indianapolis Motorspeedway on July 31, 2011 in Indianapolis, Indiana. Photo: Rick Diamond/WireImage

“He was just so unhappy in college. I said ‘Shelby, what is it that makes you happy?’ He says, ‘racing.’ You could have slapped me in the face and I wouldn’t’ve been more shocked. I said, ‘What do you mean racing?’” she continued.

On the last day of school, a friend of the family took Blackstock out to brunch to meet an acquaintance with a series of car dealerships and a racing team in upstate New York. Blackstock ended up joining the man’s pit crew.

Shelby Blackstock, Dan Wheldon, Scott Borchetta and Reba McEntire arrive for the Brickyard 400 Qualifying presented by BigMachineRecords.com on July 30, 2011 in Indianapolis, Indiana. Photo: Rick Diamond/WireImage

There are “so many great people in the race car business. I’m just thrilled to death. It’s kind of like being in the rodeo business? It’s like a family,” McEntire explained, adding, “I feel so grateful that he is so blessed to be in such a wonderful family. I didn’t say I wasn’t nervous. When that green flag drops, my stomach goes right to my throat.”

Reba McEntire Started Driving before She Was in Elementary School

Known for Happy’s Place and The Voice, Reba McEntire likes being in the driver’s seat when it comes to work.

Reba McEntire has done an outstanding job steering her way through her illustrious career.

Then again, being behind the wheel for this bright star of Happy’s Place and The Voice is her comfort zone – and it has been ever since she was 5 years old.

Reba McEntire enjoys being in the driver’s seat

McEntire revealed to the Wall Street Journal that growing on her family’s 8,000-acre cattle ranch in Chockie, Oklahoma meant that there were always chores for her and her three siblings, Alice, Susie, and Pake, to get done. So, she didn’t wait to get a learner’s permit to learn to drive; she picked up that skill before grade school.

“I began working on our ranch at age 5,” McEntire said. “If Daddy needed a driver to move grain in his pickup truck, he came in and got whoever was there.” When she was chosen, a few adjustments would be made to accommodate the pint-sized cowgirl.

“I was so little that Daddy put a 50-pound feed sack on the driver’s seat before putting me on top of it,” McEntire recalled to WSJ. “I’d be on my knees to work the steering wheel.”

Her father, Clark McEntire, a champion steer roper when he was running cattle, would jump out of the vehicle after shifting into “granny gear” that enabled the truck to crawl along at a snail’s pace. “And off I’d go,” said McEntire.

Reba McEntire attends the 59th Academy of Country Music Awards at Omni Frisco Hotel at The Star on May 16, 2024 in Frisco, Texas. Photo: Omar Vega/WireImage

Reba McEntire’s big break

And she just kept on going! Even as she rolled up her sleeves and tended to livestock, McEntire envisioned herself in front of a live audience. “I always wanted to be on stage,” she shared with WSJ. Performing was a way to stand out among her siblings. “I had to carve out something for me to gain attention, and that was singing,” she said.

McEntire’s life led her to Southeastern Oklahoma State, where she majored in education, minored in music, and continued to use her vocal talents. As a sophomore in 1974, she belted out “The Star-Spangled Banner” at the National Finals Rodeo in Oklahoma City and country artist Red Steagall heard her.

The following year, thanks to some nudging by her mother, Jackie, Steagall took McEntire to Nashville to record a demo tape. It launched her career as a singer. She traded cattle trucks for tour buses and an ever-evolving, award-winning career.

Reba McEntire on The Voice Season 26 Episode 9. Photo: Tyler Golden/NBC

Reba McEntire’s award-winning career on stage and screen

At 70, McEntire is a three-time Grammy-winning singer and actress who divides her time between Los Angeles and Nashville.

McEntire has a long history with The Voice. She debuted on the NBC reality competition as a Battle Advisor on Season 1, and the show clearly struck a chord. McEntire returned as a Coach for Seasons 24 through 26. She won Season 25 with contestant Asher HaVon.

Bobbie (Reba McEntire) and Isabella (Belissa Escobedo) during the Pilot Episode of Happy’s Place. Photo: Casey Durkin/NBC

On the new hit NBC comedy Happy’s Place, which premiered in October 2024, McEntire plays Bobbie, a woman who inherits her late father’s tavern and discovers she has a younger half-sister. The show has been renewed for Season 2.

McEntire has acknowledged that being busy has always been her happy place. “I am that little girl who was craving to be rich and famous,” she told Parade. “I had the drive of a competitor. I always wanted more.”