Thomas Rhett’s Childhood Babysitter Is a Country Legend

Growing up in the world of country music sure does have its perks. Just ask Thomas Rhett, who recently revealed his childhood babysitter was none other than Reba McEntire.

The country singer shared the news during a round of “Most Likely To” with CMT, divulging the information when asked who in country music would be the best babysitter.

“Reba has babysat me,” he shares, holding up a cutout of McEntire’s face. “My dad used to tour with Reba.”

This begs the question of what kind of babysitter was the “Fancy” singer. Was she a pushover, or did she lay down the law? According to Rhett, she was the latter.

“This one time me and her son Shelby were playing with some toy or something that we were arguing over, and Reba came and stopped that really fast,” he recalls.

“Nothing would fly under Reba’s watch,” Rhett adds.

Rhett and McEntire’s son Shelby Blackstock are the same age, and they spent plenty of time together while their parents toured the country.

Who Is Thomas Rhett’s Father?

The “Beautiful as You” singer has country music flowing through his veins. His father is Rhett Akins, who not only opened for McEntire, but has also had a good career run in the industry.

After moving to Nashville in the early ’90s, Akins started his journey as a demo singer. He then started putting out his own records, with his last offering, Down South, arriving in 2008 as a self-release.

He has since become a prominent songwriter in Nashville. Some of his credits include Parker McCollum‘s “To Be Loved by You,” John Pardi‘s “Dirt on My Boots,” Rodney Atkins‘ “Take a Back Road” and more.

Akins and Rhett have also written quite a few songs together, including “It Goes Like This,” “Get Me Some of That” and “Star of the Show” — all of which have been released by Rhett.

The two spent a lot of time on the road. It wasn’t uncommon for Rhett to join his dad on stage, even at five years old. Look at this young county hitmaker with his mullet and cowboy hat.