The 1980s were the golden years of country music, when big hair, rhinestones and power ballads were omnipresent. From Reba McEntire's soulful hits to The Judds' impeccable harmonies, the '80s produced some of the genre's most influential and enduring icons, some of whom are still recording today. Many of these stars not only ruled the airwaves, but also crossed over into other pursuits, like acting and entrepreneurship, making them household names. But what became of them after they were supplanted by stars like Garth Brooks and Shania Twain? Join HELLO! as we discover where life has taken the biggest country singers of the '80s.
Reba McEntire
Everyone has heard of Reba McEntire – even my sister, who swears she has never listened to a country song in her life, knows who Reba is. The redhead is one of the most popular female country artists of all time, and has had over 100 singles make it onto the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. She could probably release a voicemail and it would become a radio hit.
Her first single debuted in 1976, and she fought against her label at the time, who wanted her to be more pop-focused. "I said, 'I would really like things more country. I don’t want orchestra and violins. I want a steel guitar and a fiddle.' That started me having more control of the songs that I recorded," she told PBS.
"I did find my own way, but I went back to my teachers – Dolly [Parton], Loretta [Lynn], Tammy [Wynette] – and saw what they did to pave the way for women in country music. And I took that wisdom and added it to what I wanted to do." Thank goodness she listened to her gut – it proved to be right on the money.
She went on to top the Billboard Country Singles chart in 1982 with 'Can't Even Get the Blues', and subsequently dominated the '80s country scene. Reba was even crowned Female Vocalist of the Year four years in a row at the CMAs (1984-1987). In other words, she basically owned the entire decade.
Reba, who had been married to rancher Charlie Battles from 1976 to 1987, fell in love with her manager, Narvel Blackstock, and the duo tied the knot in 1989. They were the very definition of a power couple. Together they built an entire business empire, complete with a talent management firm, a construction company, a horse farm and even a jet charter service.
In the '90s, the star took a hard left turn towards Hollywood, making her film debut in the 1990 horror comedy Tremors. She then later landed her own sitcom, Reba, which ran from 2001 to 2007, featuring one of TV's catchiest theme songs (it hasn't left my head in days). The Grammy winner published her autobiography, Reba: My Story, in 1994, four years after welcoming her only child, Shelby Blackstock.
Life wasn't without its lows, though. Reba and Narvel's decades-long marriage ended in 2015, and she was forced to pay her former husband half of her fortune in the divorce settlement. She bounced back, however, and began dating actor Rex Linn in 2020, with the pair sweetly announcing their engagement in 2025. She's a comeback queen, if you ask me!
Dwight Yoakam
Dwight is a country legend, and an outsider who walked into Nashville in the '80s and changed it forever. He has quite the resume, and has racked up more than 30 singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. Twelve of his albums were gold-certified, nine went platinum, and This Time was a triple-platinum success.
Like many on this list, he tried his hand at acting, and fully committed to the career change with major roles in Red Rock West, Sling Blade, Panic Room, Wedding Crashers and South of Heaven, West of Hell, the latter of which he wrote and directed. He also appeared in several TV shows, including P.S. I Luv U, Under the Dome and Goliath.
Dwight was still fiercely dedicated to his music and won two Grammy Awards during his storied career. He is credited for bringing back the Bakersfield Sound, distinctive for its heavy rock influences.
In his personal life, the singer enjoyed several high profile relationships over the years, including with Sharon Stone (yes, really) and Karen Duffy, before he traded it all for domestic bliss with Emily Joyce. The couple had an intimate wedding in May 2020 (thank you Covid) and welcomed their son, Dalton, in August of that year.
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Emmylou Harris
Ever heard of the term, "I'm your favourite artist's favourite artist"? That is what Emmylou Harris is to many of country's most famous and influential stars, including Carrie Underwood, Sheryl Crow, Reba McEntire, Kacey Musgraves and Patty Loveless. Known for her seamless country-rock blend, Emmylou's '80s albums spawned hit singles like 'Wayfaring Stranger', 'Born to Run' and 'Last Date'.
She collaborated with music royalty Dolly Parton and Linda Ronstadt for the 1987 album Trio, which went platinum, and inspired their second album together, Trio II, in 1999. It’s a shame they didn’t do a third and name it Trio Trio.
The brunette beauty racked up 13 Grammy Awards during her career and received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018. She was also inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2008, and is one of the genre's most celebrated songwriters. As if that weren't enough, Emmylou is a dedicated animal rights activist and founded a dog rescue in 2004, which is still in operation. Is there anything she can't do?
Her personal life has been marred by ups and downs – she has been married and divorced three times, and is a mother to daughters Hallie and Meghann – yet through it all, the icon has remained the ultimate storyteller.
Emmylou's legacy is undeniable, and her success comes down to her uncanny ability to connect with people over universal feelings. "It seems to me that country music follows us through our lives. You have to get a job, you fall in love," she told PBS. "And then you face losing your job, losing a loved one – the devastating things that can happen to all of us in our lives. Country music has always told that story.
"Whatever age we are, we’re all going to experience loss. We’re all going to experience joy. And I think country music has, over the generations, been the place that we’ve told those stories to each other and about each other. And, hopefully, that will continue."
George Strait
George is not only one of the most successful country artists of all time, but also one of the most successful recording artists across all genres. In essence, he's the country star. His 1981 debut single 'Unwound' was an instant hit and launched him into superstardom. The legend has sold over 120 million records worldwide, and many critics have dubbed him the King of Country Music, no easy feat in a talent pool that includes Willie Nelson, Garth Brooks and Johnny Cash.
Aside from music, George also dabbled in acting, starring in 1982's The Soldier and 1992's Pure Country, and appearing in Grand Champion, King of the Hill and Pure Country 2: The Gift. He has clinched the CMA's Entertainer of the Year prize three times (1989, 1990 and 2013) and received the Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award in 2024. He surely has a whole room dedicated to his countless prizes.
These days, he devotes much of his time to philanthropy. Most recently, he raised over $6 million for those affected by the devastating Texas floods in July 2025, which claimed the lives of more than 130 people.
George's home life has been marked by both love and tragedy; he married his high school sweetheart, Norma Voss, in 1971, and together they welcomed kids Jenifer and George "Bubba" Jr. Jenifer was tragically killed in a car accident in 1986 when she was just 13 years old, and the couple refused to talk about her for many years during the grieving process.
Barbara Mandrell
Barbara Mandrell, instantly recognisable for her bouffant blonde hair and versatile singing voice, took the country music industry by storm in the '80s, becoming the first artist to win the CMA's Entertainer of the Year Award twice. If you know country music, you know that’s a huge deal. Let's not forget that she also nabbed the award for Favourite Country Female Artist at the American Music Awards in 1981, 1983, 1984, 1985 and 1987. At that point, they should've just named the award after her!
She is a two-time Grammy winner and was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2009. The songstress also headed the hit variety TV show Barbara Mandrell and the Mandrell Sisters from 1980 to 1982, but was forced to quit the series due to vocal strain and exhaustion. Even legends have their limits.
Tragedy struck Barbara and her family in 1984 when she was involved in a car accident with two of her children; luckily, they walked away with only minor injuries, but the country star suffered a brain injury that took three years to heal. She went on to release her bestselling autobiography, Get to the Heart: My Story, in 1990, and co-wrote, co-produced and starred in a TV adaptation of the book. That's what I call a comeback!
Barbara effectively quit music altogether in 1997 in favour of an acting career, and is credited with roles in Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, Touched by an Angel, Baywatch, Sunset Beach and Stolen from the Heart. She hasn't played or sung publicly since her retirement, and reportedly sold her instruments too. The icon has been married to her high school sweetheart, Ken Dudney, since 1967, and the couple shares kids Matthew, Jaime and Nathan.
Kenny Rogers
Kenny Rogers was a certified country legend – if you haven't sung 'Islands in the Stream' at the top of your lungs at least once in your life, then you are missing out (just ask David and Victoria Beckham).
The bearded crooner rose to fame thanks to hits like 'Lady', 'Lucille', 'Through the Years' and 'The Gambler', the latter of which spawned its own film in 1980, inspired by the track. In the flick, Kenny played a seasoned gambler teaching a young protégé the tricks of the trade, and he went on to star in the franchise's four sequels. You read that right – four.
'Islands in the Stream' (which, fun fact, was written by the Bee Gees) dropped in 1983, and became a massive crossover hit, reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The track sparked a decades-long friendship and musical partnership between Kenny and Dolly Parton.
Kenny started his own record label, Dreamcatcher Entertainment, in 1998, and later gave fans a peek into his life with his memoir, Luck or Something Like It, in 2012. Over the years, the genre-bending artist achieved a lot; he won three Grammys, received the Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award at the CMAs in 2013, was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in the same year, and drew in incredible crowds for his 2016 farewell tour.
Sadly, his tour was cut short in April 2018 due to health concerns, just four months before it was set to wrap up. Kenny had been diagnosed with bladder cancer, a disease which claimed his life in March 2020. Offstage, he had a colourful personal life, marrying five times. He fathered five kids: Carole, Kenny Jr., Christopher, and twins Justin and Jordan.
The Judds
The Judds were a musical force in the '80s, with the mother-daughter duo proving that stunning harmonies and family ties were a winning combo. Naomi and Wynonna began singing together in the late '70s, before they were signed in 1983 and made it big with 'Mama He's Crazy' and 'Why Not Me' the following year.
They had the special honour of being named the CMAs Vocal Group of the Year every single year from 1985 to 1991 – a truly extraordinary feat. Sadly, The Judds were forced to end their stellar run in 1991 when Naomi was diagnosed with chronic hepatitis C, which she contracted through a needle stick injury during her time as a nurse.
Wynonna went on to enjoy a successful solo career after her mother retired from music, with three of her singles hitting number one on the Billboard Country Music charts in 1992. The singer released her memoir, Coming Home To Myself, in 2005, and Naomi took up writing too, becoming the author of several children's books and self-help guides.
Naomi and Wynonna reunited on stage in 1999 and toured together again in 2000, a decade before their reunion tour sparked a TV series simply titled The Judds. Just one day before the duo were set to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in April 2022, Naomi passed away, leaving behind Wynonna and her other daughter, Hollywood star Ashley Judd.
"Today, we sisters experienced a tragedy. We lost our beautiful mother to the disease of mental illness," they wrote in a joint online statement. "We are shattered. We are navigating profound grief and know that, as we loved her, she was loved by her public. We are in unknown territory."
A televised memorial was held for the star, with appearances from A-listers like Oprah Winfrey, Bette Midler, Bono, Reba McEntire, Morgan Freeman and Salma Hayek, proving that her legacy reached far beyond the world of country music.
Ronnie Milsap
I couldn't end this list with anyone else but Ronnie Milsap, a country superstar who spawned 35 number-one hits and is regarded as one of the most influential country artists of all time.
Blind since birth, Ronnie originally dabbled in the Motown genre before switching to country and finding his feet. Sometimes you just have to follow the twang, I guess. One of his biggest hits, 1981's '(There's) No Getting' Over Me', topped the country charts and reached number five on the Billboard Hot 100.
He is a winner of six Grammy Awards, and has won Male Vocalist of the Year at the CMAs four times. That's almost more hardware than an actual hardware store. His turn in the Country Music Hall of Fame came in 2014, when he cemented his place in the hallowed ground.
While the numbers began to decline for Ronnie in the '90s, he still records to this day, and celebrated his 80th birthday on stage at the iconic Grand Ole Opry in January 2023 (where else would he be?!). He played his final concert in October of that year.
Ronnie certainly had his fair share of heartbreak. He was married to his sweetheart, Joyce Reeves, from 1965 until her death in 2021, and the couple shared a son, Ronald, who was found dead on his houseboat in 2019.