Every country fan knows the red hair before they even see the face.

Reba McEntire’s firetruck-red, sky-high hair has been as iconic as her voice for decades. So when a photo from a 1982 performance at The Lone Star Café in New York City resurfaced, showing the Queen of Country rocking soft, strawberry blonde waves, fans were understandably shook. It wasn’t quite a full-on disguise, but damn near close for anyone who grew up seeing her bold red locks towering over honky-tonk stages and award show carpets.

At just 27 years old, Reba was still carving her space into the country music world. But make no mistake, she was already on the rise. That night in July 1982, she wasn’t just trying on a new hair shade. She was introducing a new version of herself to a New York crowd far removed from her Oklahoma roots. And that crowd was watching a woman on the brink of country music domination.

She had just released her fifth studio album, Unlimited, a record that would go on to earn her back-to-back number-one hits with “Can’t Even Get the Blues” and “You’re the First Time I’ve Thought About Leaving.” That tour was one of those turning points, where everything starts clicking. The songs, the voice, the image. But that red hair? Still in transition.

Wearing a sequined blouse and a belt buckle big enough to stop traffic, Reba looked every bit the rising star. But her lighter reddish-blonde hair gave her a softer look than what we’ve come to expect. It’s not that she looked bad, not even close. It’s just a trip seeing her without that signature, fiery crown. It’s like spotting Willie Nelson in a suit and tie or Dolly without a rhinestone in sight. It throws you off in the best way.

Decades later, Reba would reflect on her hair journey in a 2024 Glamour interview, admitting her one true hair regret. “In the early ’80s, I got a perm,” she said. “I have naturally curly hair. So when my hair would be a little past my shoulders with a perm, it was just super tight. If you add a perm to natural curly hair, it looks angry. And it did.”

She’s not wrong. That perm had attitude.

Then came the ’90s chop. The pixie cut that left some fans heartbroken and others cheering. Reba described it as “freedom.” She had to fight for it, too. “It took almost a year for me to talk my team into letting me cut it. They told me my hair was my image. I said, ‘Well, it’ll give you something else to talk about.’” Spoken like a true outlaw in a red pantsuit.

That’s the thing with Reba. Whether she’s’ belting out heartbreakers, throwing haymakers of wisdom on The Voice, or delivering the sassiest sitcom lines on Reba, she’s always evolving while staying completely herself. That hair might’ve changed shades or lengths over the years, but the heart under it hasn’t budged an inch.

Seeing her with strawberry blonde hair in 1982 doesn’t change a thing about her legacy. If anything, it reminds us that every icon has a few in-between moments that make the final version even more legendary.

So sure, she looked almost unrecognizable. But the spark, the presence, and that unstoppable voice? That’s been Reba since day one.