37 Years Ago In 1989, Reba McEntire Topped the Charts With a Heartbreaking Song She Didn't Write
On May 1, 1989, Reba McEntire released Sweet Sixteen, her appropriately titled sixteenth studio album. The release quickly became one of the most dominant of her career because it was packed with hits and staying power.
In fact, the record spent an impressive 16 consecutive weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard country albums chart, fueled by four successful singles: "Walk On," "Til Love Comes Again," "Little Girl," and another standout track that carries a particularly interesting legacy.
That's because the song "Cathy's Clown" is a remake of the 1960 classic originally recorded by The Everly Brothers.
Written by Don Everly and Phil Everly, the original version was a massive pop hit, known for its emotional vulnerability and tight sibling harmonies. It topped the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 for five weeks starting May 23, 1960.
Nearly three decades later, McEntire, 71, took that familiar heartbreak and reshaped it for a country audience. Impressively, the country queen managed to do so without losing the song's core sentiment.
Rather than simply covering the track, McEntire reinterpreted it. Her version leaned into a more dramatic, narrative-driven style, swapping the Everlys' polished harmonies for a solo vocal performance filled with nuance and quiet intensity.
It was a shift that made the song feel less like a pop lament and more like a deeply personal country confession. The production followed suit, trading the original's orchestral pop feel for a cleaner, contemporary country arrangement that fit seamlessly into late-1980s radio.
The gamble paid off because McEntire's version of "Cathy's Clown" climbed to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. Like so many covers of songs, her take on the oldie proved even a well-known hit could find new life in the right hands.
More importantly, McEntire's remake demonstrated her skill as someone who could take existing material and make it distinctly her own.
Within the context of the album Sweet Sixteen, the song stood as both a tribute and a transformation. It connected McEntire to an earlier era of popular music while reinforcing her place at the forefront of country in 1989.
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This story was originally published May 1, 2026 at 7:44 AM.