LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Despite her ripe age of 68, country queen Reba McEntire is showing no signs of slowing down her professional life. The sexagenarian continues to record, and actively tour across the country promoting her music. After announcing that she would replace Blake Shelton as the celebrity coach on NBC's hit singing competition show 'The Voice' Season 24, Reba unveiled a three-floor restaurant called Reba's Place in Oklahoma.

While Reba's jam-packed career is a testament to her success, being in the spotlight has brought along its fair share of rumors. In 2012, the 68-year-old Oklahoma native found herself as the victim of the internet's bizarre fake news when rumors of her alleged death began doing rounds. According to various reports at that time, Reba reportedly fell off a cliff in Austria while filming a movie.

Thankfully, Reba immediately jumped onto her social media and reassured her fans that she was "alive and kicking." The 'Fancy' singer wrote, "There is a rumor going around that I died after falling off a mountain in Austria yesterday while shooting a movie. While I would love to be shooting a movie in Austria, I definitely did not fall off a mountain! Nor am I dead! I am alive and kicking!!!"

Reba McEntire's early life and career

Born in 1955, Reba displayed her musical talents from a very early age. At the tender age of 4, she began making money by singing 'Jesus Loves Me' while standing in a hotel lobby in Cheyenne, Wyoming. But it wasn't until 1976, that Reba released her self-titled debut album, 'Reba McEntire'. This marked the beginning of a remarkable journey for the talented artist.

Fast forward to 1981, and Reba achieved a major milestone in her career with her first number-one country hit, 'Can't Even Get the Blues'. This song not only showcased her incredible vocal abilities but also solidified her status as a rising star in the country music scene.

In 1984, Reba's talent was recognized on an even grander scale when she won her first Grammy Award for Best Female Country Vocal Performance. This prestigious accolade was just the beginning of many more awards and achievements to come for this iconic artist, including induction into the prestigious Country Music Hall of Fame in 2010.

Reba McEntire loses her band in plane crash

Reba experienced a major tragedy on March 16, 1991, when one of her band's two charter jet jets crashed in San Diego, California, while they were on tour promoting an album. Along with the pilot and co-pilot, the disaster claimed the lives of eight members of her band.

According to a representative at the time, "She was very close to all of them. Some of them had known her for a long time. This has completely crushed Reba. It's similar to losing a member of your family."

Despite the tragedy, she performed at the 63rd Academy Awards to perform her Best Original Song nominee. Her sixteenth album, For My Broken Heart, was released in October of that year and was dedicated to her late band members.

When will 'The Voice' Season 24 air?

'The Voice' Season 24 premieres on Monday, September 25 at 8/7c on NBC. The show will be available for streaming next day on Peacock.