Reba and Rex Linn on the flight to New York, she posts: Up up and away! NYC, here we come. Time to light up the tree for #ChristmasInRockefellerCenter on Wednesday! Also going to visit so many of my friends on the Today Show tomorrow morning and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon Tuesday evening, so be sure to tune in! It’s Christmas time in the city. With that bubbly dispatch from 30,000 feet, snapped mid-sip of in-flight coffee and captioned with a cascade of snowflake emojis, Reba McEntire ignited the holiday spirit across her 2.5 million Instagram followers. The photo—Reba in oversized shades and a cozy cashmere sweater, Rex Linn’s hand playfully draped over her knee, both grinning like kids on a sugar rush—captured more than a jet-set jaunt. It was a snapshot of love in full bloom, a country queen and her silver-screen soulmate hurtling toward Manhattan’s twinkling embrace, ready to sprinkle stardust on one of the season’s most cherished traditions. As the plane banked toward LaGuardia on November 30, 2025, the world buzzed with anticipation: Reba wasn’t just arriving; she was about to orchestrate yuletide joy on a scale as grand as her Grammy shelf.

At 70, Reba McEntire remains the undisputed empress of entertainment, a force who’s traded Oklahoma dirt roads for global stages without missing a beat. Born Reba Nell Hart on March 28, 1955, in McAlester, Oklahoma, to a world-champion steer roper dad and a barrel-racing mom, her childhood was a whirlwind of rodeos and ranch life. By 5, she was harmonizing with siblings Susie and Pippi in the Singing McEntires, crooning Hank Williams covers at county fairs for pocket change and pure thrill. College at Oklahoma State University sharpened her edge—education major by day, demo-tape hustler by night—until a 1975 rodeo gig caught Red Steagall’s ear, landing her a Decca Records deal. Nashville beckoned in 1976, but the path was paved with pitfalls: label woes, a near-fatal 1991 plane crash that claimed seven bandmates, and a 1988 divorce from Charlie Battles that left her rebuilding from scratch. Yet Reba rose, phoenix-like, with hits like “Fancy” (a Bobbie Gentry cover that became her signature strut) and “The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia,” amassing 75 million records sold, three Grammys, and inductions into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2011.

Her pivot to the screen was seamless—starring as Reba Hart in the WB sitcom Reba (2001-2007), a sassy single mom navigating teen pregnancies and Texas twisters, which drew 15 million viewers at its peak and spawned syndication gold. Broadway’s Annie Get Your Gun in 2001 earned her a Tony nom, while The Hammer (2023) showcased her dramatic chops as a rodeo-riding attorney. Now, she’s doubling down on NBC: coaching on The Voice Season 28, where her no-nonsense wisdom and killer harmonies have steered contestants to finals, and headlining Happy’s Place, the 2025 sitcom reboot of her family formula. Set in a Knoxville honky-tonk, it reunites her with Melissa Peterman as the wisecracking bartender Gabby, with Rex Linn as the gruff-but-golden Emmett, her on-screen (and off) love interest. Season 2, fresh off its November 7 premiere, has critics raving about its “warm-as-bourbon banter,” pulling 8 million viewers in its debut week. “Reba’s the glue,” one reviewer noted. “She makes chaos feel like home.”

And then there’s Rex—the 68-year-old Texan tornado who’s stolen her heart and half her punchlines. Born Ray Rex Linn on November 8, 1957, in Spearman, Texas, to a family of farmers and oilmen, Rex cut his teeth in theater at Baylor University before storming Hollywood. His breakout was a chilling turn as unhinged airline exec Bob Bingham in Cliffhanger (1993), but it’s voice work that cemented his growl: the bombastic Sergeant Howell in The Zeta Project cartoons, the villainous Mr. Chick in Cars, and the thunderous principal in Young Sheldon. With over 150 credits, from CSI to The Ranch, Rex is the guy you hear before you see—his basso profundo booming like a bass line in a bar fight. But beneath the bravado lies a gentle giant: a voracious reader of Civil War histories, a barbecue savant who once slow-smoked a brisket for 18 hours, and a man whose laugh could thaw a February freeze.

Their meet-cute was pure rom-com serendipity: a 2017 Reba cast reunion dinner that sparked a platonic pen-pal phase—texts about recipes and ranch life—until COVID lockdowns in 2020 turned pixels to passion. “We talked every day,” Reba recalled in a 2024 People interview, “like two old souls catching up on lost time.” By January 2020, dinners turned to declarations; by 2023, they were red-carpet royalty, arm-in-arm at the CMAs. The engagement? A clandestine creek-side kneel on Christmas Eve 2024, Rex’s “I wanna cross the finish line with you” met with Reba’s teary yes. They kept it under wraps for nine months, savoring the secret amid Happy’s Place shoots where their chemistry crackled off-script. Revealed at the 2025 Emmys on September 14—E! News slipping “fiancé” into a red-carpet quip— it sent fans into a frenzy, #RebaRexWedding trending for days. “We’re best friends,” Rex told WBIR in October. “No rush on the aisle— we’re in the fun phase.” Their nuptials? Nontraditional, they teased to E! News in November: “Lots of laughs, live music, maybe a mechanical bull.” No date set, but whispers point to a spring 2026 Oklahoma bash, with Melissa Peterman eyeing bridesmaid duties and a vow to “roast the groom properly.”

Now, as their private jet (courtesy of Reba’s tour fleet) slices through cumulonimbus clouds, the couple’s holiday itinerary gleams like tinsel on a timberline. Touching down at LaGuardia around noon, they’re whisked to the Lotte New York Palace in a blacked-out SUV, the Plaza’s gilded arches a nod to Reba’s Arthur cameo days. Check-in’s a blur of bellhops and bear hugs from Voice alums crashing nearby. Lunch? A power nosh at Sarabeth’s—Reba’s blueberry pancakes, Rex’s corned beef hash—fueled by gossip about the tree’s 75-foot Norway spruce, felled from Festivale, Maine, and trucked south in a 10-day odyssey. Adorned with 50,000 multicolored LEDs (eco-upgraded in 2020 to sip just 1,297 kWh daily, powered by rooftop solar), the tree’s a behemoth of tradition, its lighting since 1933 a beacon for dreamers from Dublin to Des Moines.

Monday, December 1, dawns crisp at 7 AM: Reba’s alarm blares “Fancy” as she slips into a crimson sheath dress, hair teased to perfection by stylist Tiffany Benton. Rex, in a tailored gray suit that hugs his 6’3″ frame, plays chauffeur to Rockefeller Plaza, where Today show’s Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb await with steaming mugs of eggnog latte. The segment, taped live at 8:30 AM ET, is a festive frolic: Reba leading a plaza pep rally with carolers in elf ears, dishing on Happy’s Place Season 2’s “holiday hijinks” episode (airing December 12), and teasing her tree-hosting gig. “Darlin’, Christmas ain’t complete without a little twang,” she drawls, belting a snippet of “Jingle Bell Rock” that has Al Roker two-stepping. Rex, mic’d up for a surprise cameo, deadpans about his “elf on the shelf” fears, drawing belly laughs and a viral clip that racks 2 million views by lunch. Off-air, it’s family hour: hugs for Craig Melvin, selfies with Jenna Bush Hager, and a quiet promise to Hoda: “We’ll save you a front-row seat Wednesday.”

By evening, the pace pulses: a sunset stroll through Bryant Park’s Winter Village, where Rex treats Reba to mulled wine and a spin on the ice rink—her laughter echoing as she wobbles, his steady arm the hero. Dinner’s intimate at Del Frisco’s, steaks sizzling amid whispers of wedding whoops (Patsy Cline on the playlist? Non-negotiable). Tuesday, December 2, amps the glamour: Reba in emerald velvet for The Tonight Show, arriving at 30 Rock with Rex in tow, his bowtie a cheeky nod to her “Fancy” feathers. Jimmy Fallon’s studio glows festive—fake snow drifting from the rafters, the Roots in Santa hats—as Reba settles into the blue couch at 11:35 PM ET. The monologue zings: Fallon’s riff on her engagement (“Rex proposed by a creek? Romantic—or was it a setup for ‘Cry Me a River’?”), met with Reba’s eye-roll and a sassy “Boy, I’ll school you in two-steppin’ yet.” Chat turns tender: she recounts the proposal’s secrecy (“Nine months of sneaky smiles—best-kept secret since my mullet”), plugs Christmas in Rockefeller Center (“Tune in, y’all—I’ll make that tree jealous”), and shares a Happy’s Place sneak peek, Rex popping in for a flirty “Emmett approves” bit that has the audience whooping.

Fallon’s house band backs her performance: a soulful “O Holy Night” laced with country quiver, her four-octave range sending shivers down spines. Musical guests Of Monsters and Men follow with indie-folk cheer, but Reba steals the afterglow—post-taping selfies with Kon Knueppel (the NBA rookie’s courtside plea for Voice advice) and Amanda Seyfried (gushing over Babygirl‘s grit). Back at the hotel by 2 AM, Rex uncorks champagne: “To lightin’ trees and stealin’ shows, darlin’.” Sleep’s fleeting—Wednesday’s the crescendo.

December 3, 8 PM ET: Rockefeller Plaza thrums with 10,000 bundled fans, barricades bulging under the weight of wool coats and wide-eyed wonder. The 75-foot spruce looms, swathed in netting, its baubles glinting like captured stars. Reba, resplendent in a white fur-trimmed gown (custom Bob Mackie, natch), takes the stage at 7:45, her “How y’all doin’?” booming through NBC’s feed to 15 million households. Joined by Guthrie, Kotb, Roker, and Melvin, she emcees with effortless élan: intros for Laufey’s jazzy “Winter Wonderland,” Gwen Stefani’s ska-infused “You Make It Feel Like Christmas,” Marc Anthony’s salsa-spiced “Feliz Navidad,” and Brad Paisley’s twangy “Winter Wonderland.” Reba weaves in her own medley—”I’ll Be Home for Christmas” into “Fancy” (elf ears optional)—her voice a velvet hearth fire warming the 32-degree chill.

Rex, VIP balcony perch, films it all, his cheers the loudest amid the throng. Backstage, Melissa Peterman crashes the green room with eggnog shots; the Voice coaches (Gwen included) text group-hug emojis. Climax at 9:50 PM: countdown chants swell—”Ten! Nine!”—as Reba flips the ceremonial switch. Fifty thousand LEDs blaze in a symphony of crimson, gold, and evergreen, the tree a towering testament to twinkling tenacity. Fireworks crackle over 30 Rock, confetti cannons shower the crowd, and Reba’s finale—”It’s the most wonderful time of the year”—fades into cheers that echo to Times Square.

As the broadcast wraps, Reba and Rex slip away to a post-lighting soiree at The Rainbow Room—360-degree skyline views, jazz trio crooning standards, and a corner table for two. “Up up and away brought us here,” she toasts, clinking flutes. “And NYC’s lightin’ our way home.” By dawn December 4, they’re airborne again, bound for Oklahoma’s quiet, hearts full as the carry-on stuffed with swag: tree ornaments, Fallon mugs, and a lifetime of memories. For Reba, it’s more than gigs—it’s legacy: from rodeo ropes to Rockefeller rites, proving holiday magic’s best when shared with your forever plus-one. In a season of jingle bells and joyful noise, Reba McEntire reminds us: the real lights? They’re the ones we carry within, flickering eternal against the winter night.