Reba McEntire looks really outgoing and friendly. Sure, she’s the reigning Queen of Country and she has a stature in the music industry that is just about unmatched. Still, this gifted lady is seemingly so approachable just the same. It’s easy to imagine her hob-nobbing gleefully with her peers.

So it was a big surprise when we heard that there was one country legend that she did not want to meet. Was it Dolly Parton? Alan Jackson? Toby Keith?

Have you ever dreamed of meeting your favorite movie star, singer, or pro sports hero? What if you did meet them and were disappointed? What a huge letdown that would be!

Well, Reba McEntire, 69, was not eager to meet the late, great Merle Haggard for that reason. She was afraid that he would fall short of her expectations. Per People, Reba explained why she felt that way. Happily, her worries turned out to be wholly unfounded.

“I never wanted to meet my heroes because I didn’t want them to disappoint me. Ever. I was doing shows with Merle Haggard and I did not want to meet him. I did not want to meet him because I did not want to be disappointed because I looked up to him for so long and when I did he was the nicest, most cordial gentlemen and I was like, phew.”

Reba added that top female singers she idolized, like Tammy Wynette, Loretta Lynn, Barbara Mandrell, and Dolly Parton “were sweet as they can be.”

This season’s coaches include Reba McEntire, Gwen Stefani, Michael Buble, and Snoop Dogg. The contestants will certainly be judged by the very best in the biz! We can’t wait to see the talent that emerges on the new season of this popular vocal competition show.