Charlie Battles is an American man, specifically famous for being Reba McEntire’s first husband. He was born in Oklahoma in 1945 to Earl and Ocey Battles. Charlie belongs to a typical family where people want to join the Army or Air Force.
Charlie joined the US Army in 1962 after completing his education. During the training, Charlie spent a few months in Missouri. There are two more siblings who belong to the Battles family: Jim Battles, his brother, and Roxy Battles, his sister.
Charlie Battles is best known for his marriage to Reba McEntire, an iconic figure in country music. After all, Battles played a significant role in McEntire’s career launch. Nevertheless, their bond was like a rollercoaster.
Charlie Battles still had a full life apart from Reba McEntire, with a successful steer wrestling career after his military duty ended, two children, and a later marriage in 1998.
We’ll go over all the significant events in Charlie Battles’ life in this article, including his union and divorce from Reba McEntire, his time spent as a cattle rancher, and his demise.
Life of Charlie Battles in the US Army
He responded to “Uncle Simon’s call” and enlisted in the US Army. He received his soldier’s training and enlisted in the army in 1962.
About 10 months of his training, which he spent at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri. They were not sent to Vietnam as regular training soldiers were.
His training was over in 1965, and he was now an actual army man. He was respectfully returned to his native Oklahoma. In Germany, Charlie Battles also worked as an armor intelligence specialist.
What Did He Do After His Army Training?
He served as an intelligence officer in Germany, and after a few years of his duty, he arrived back in Oklahoma. After finishing his military service, he started to steer wrestling.
He was proficient in steer wrestling rodeo events and participated in different competitions. Charlie won the championship in three consecutive years, from 1968 to 1971.
Additionally, Charlie took part in the PRCA National in 1974 as the steer champion. He was unknown at the time and was working hard to pursue his career in cattle ranching.
After a few years, rodeo events became unsettled. He then worked as a cow rancher and still participated in rodeo events. It was the time when he first married Sherrie.
A Short Overview of Charlie’s Life
| Name | Charlie Warner Battles |
| Date of birth | March 9, 1945 |
| Place of birth | Oklahoma |
| Belongs | America |
| Children | Two kids |
| Spouse | Sherrie, Reba McEntire, and Donna Granger |
| Profession | Steer Wrestler, cattle rancher |
| Net worth | $1-$5 million |
| Date of death | April 21, 2013 |
Married With Reba McEntire
Charlie and Sherrie had two children. After a few years of their marriage, Charlie met Reba in his hometown, Oklahoma, where Charlie was busy riding in the competition.
Reba lost her heart after meeting Charlie, and they both started dating almost a year later. In 1974, she had to sing the national anthem at the National Rodeo Finals, which Charlie and McEntire enjoyed a lot.
Later, they both married in 1976. Charlie left her first wife for McEntire. At the time of their marriage, Reba was at the start of her music career.
She was 21; her husband, Charlie, was 31. On the other hand, she became a stepmother of two children at her rise.
Reba McEntire turned to music as a source of comfort, and her husband, Charlie Battles, was a big help. In order to further her singing career, Reba McEntire made the right choice to move to Tennessee.
As Reba McEntire’s fame increased, Charlie Battle’s protectiveness and support quickly turned into jealousy and possessiveness. Battles would receive all of Reba’s wages because he owned their property. He felt so deserving of his accomplishment that he even grabbed money from her purse.
Personal life
As a matter of fact, according to McEntire’s autobiography, she wrote about her first wife; she was a hardworking girl, but she did not match her, they were as different as day and night.
Charlie and Reba started their lives happily, but as time passed, Charlie showed a lack of intimacy and effort toward his family.
Charles denied MMcEntire’s request to become close to his sons. His bad behavior and other ups and downs made McEntire take action.
According to McEntire, Charlie was the first great love of her life. Later on, Reba had to start her music career.
Her song I Don’t Want to Be a One-night Stand scored 88 on the Billboard Country Music Chart. They both moved to Tennessee to pursue her goal, and Charlie supported her a lot.
Reba was an ambitious girl, and she wrote in her biography Reba My Story that Charlie’s love and support turned into another version that was a jealous and greedy person. She also mentioned that Battles took cash from her purse, and when she asked, he argued.
They both divorced after eleven years of marriage and had no children. They did not reveal many rumors about their relationship.
Charlie Focused His Career
Subsequently, their separation Battles focused on his interest and started rodeoing again. It was his passion, and for this purpose, he started his own ranch at String Town.
On the other hand, he contributed to the business world and launched his own name livestock company named PRCA Live Stock Rodeo in Texas.
Charlie’s Second Marriage
A time when he stood on his feet in 1998, he married Donna Granger. She was his third wife and remained with him till his last.
Donna and Charlie had no children. He transferred to Sulphur, Louisiana, and stayed there till his death.
His Net Worth
As the businessman and a cattle rancher also foremost as McEntire’s first husband, Charlie’s estimated pecuniary worth is $1 to $5 million dollars.
Last Days
Life was going smoothly when he was afflicted with a heart attack in 2006. He became completely paralyzed and had special needs.
His family took care of him, and he fought for survival for about seven years. After fighting for several years, he lost his inner power, and due to heart stroke problems, he suffered from heart failure and died in 2013.
His journey is not merely about accomplishments; it’s about the ethos of exploration and the spirit of resilience. His story reminds us that every individual has the potential to carve a unique path—one that contributes to the collective tapestry of human progress.
Last Words
- Charles Battles was the first husband of actress and singer Reba McEntire. They spent eleven years together but had no children.
- He was a cattle rancher and got three championships for three years in a row.
- He later started his business and his own cattle ranchers.
- He married three times in his whole life and had two sons from his first wife, Sherrie.
- He died in 2013 due to heart failure and left two sons and a wife, Donna Grangers.
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