 McEntire has often been regarded as one of country music 's most influential female vocalists and most beloved entertainers . She has also been highly credited for remaining one of country 's most popular female artists for nearly four decades , maintaining her success by continually incorporating contemporary musical sounds without changing her traditional vocal style . For many new artists , she has been credited as the inspiration to their careers in country music , including Faith Hill , Martina McBride , Trisha Yearwood , and LeAnn Rimes . She has also been credited as an inspiration to other performers such as Sara Evans , Kelly Clarkson , Lee Ann Womack , Terri Clark , Taylor Swift , and Carrie Underwood , The Net Music Countdown second @-@ handedly reported , " That influence has manifested itself in many ways . As a role model , she 's shown others how to handle fame with grace and good humor while never backing down from her values or goals . Just as importantly , she 's shown others to refuse to accept limitations on what she can do or how much she can achieve . " McEntire also explained to the online website , " Whatever I 'm doing , I feel like I 'm representing country music " . " It 's always been my main career , and it 's where my loyalties lie . I feel like I 'm waving the flag of country music wherever I go , and I couldn 't be prouder to do it . " 
