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Although Charlie Battles is most known as Reba McEntire‘s first husband, he was much more than that, as he was a prime example of an authentically American man. Charlie Battles was a Southerner at heart, having been born and bred there.

In 1945, Earl and Ocey Battles welcomed Charlie Battles into the world in Oklahoma. He was raised in a fairly typical manner. Charlie Battles heeded Uncle Sam’s call, as did other teens at the time, and enlisted in the US army in 1962. Charlie Battles wasn’t sent to Vietnam, though, in contrast to many other army personnel. Instead, he spent ten months at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, receiving training.

After that, he served most of his army career abroad. He was a specialist in armored intelligence in Germany. Charlie Battles was honorably discharged in 1965 and went back to his hometown, Oklahoma. Charlie Battles began steer wrestling after his time in the service was over, and he became very good at it. He began competing in rodeo competitions all around the country and won the title three years in a row, in 1968, 1970, and 1971. He demonstrated his abilities even further by earning a spot in the 1974 PRCA National Finals.

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In 1966, Charlie settled down with Sherrie, his first wife. The Battles family expanded from there as Lance and Coty were born from their love. Sadly, the rodeo wasn’t providing a means of subsistence, so Charlie Battles went to work as a cow rancher even though he was still competing in the rodeo.

On June 21st, 1976, young country music singer Reba McEntire, then 21 years old, married champion steer wrestler Charlie Battles, then 31. Reba was beginning her own country music career in addition to being newlywed and getting used to being a stepmother. On the Billboard country singles charts, her song “I Don’t Want to be a One-Night Stand” peaked at No. 88.

Unfortunately, Reba McEntire and the Battles’ sons had little in common. Charlie also did little to foster a relationship with his two sons and his second wife. Reba felt completely cut off from the family because the married couple had no children. It got to the point where if Reba McEntire requested to participate in some activities with the father and his two sons, Charlie Battles entirely disregarded her requests.

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Reba McEntire found consolation in her music, and her husband, Charlie Battles, was a wonderful support. As a result, Reba McEntire later relocated to Tennessee to further her musical career, which was a wise decision. Charlie Battle’s protectiveness and support, which Reba McEntire so appreciated, quickly turned into possessiveness and jealousy as her fame increased. All of the money Reba earned from her work would go to Battles because he controlled their assets. He went so far as to steal money from her handbag because he felt so deserving of his achievement.

Reba filed for divorce in 1987 with the help of her parents and sister. Charlie never desired this divorce, regardless of whether it was motivated, and that made him withdraw all the money from their joint account after learning that Reba had requested a divorce in an effort to convince her to stay.

After his divorce from Reba, Charlie Battles instantly rose to his feet and resumed his favorite activity, rodeoing. He bought his own ranch in Stringtown in 1993 and started rodeoing there. Charlie also entered the business world, maybe as a result of his experience managing Reba and their assets while he was with her. Charlie Battles then bought his own business, which is now known as Charlie Battles PRCA Rodeo Livestock Company.

In 1998, Charlie Battles experienced a fresh love affair and married Donna Granger, who would become his third wife. But they never had kids. Charlie Battles regrettably experienced a stroke in 2006. He was totally crippled after that. He died in 2013 as a result of complications from a stroke and heart failure and was buried in Sulphur, Louisiana.

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