Reba McEntire Reflects On The Day Her Bandmates And Tour Manager Died In A Heart-Wrenching Plane Crash In 1991

Oct 03, 2023 by apost team

Reba McEntire is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She has been called the "Queen of Country Music" and has sold over 75 million records around the world. With more than 100 singles making it to the Billboard Country Charts, McEntire has solidified herself as a household name. 

She first started recording songs in the late 1970s but hit her stride in the early 1980s. From 2001 to 2007, McEntire starred in her own sitcom called "Reba," and launched herself to even higher success. 

The singer's first number-one song was "Can't Even Get the Blues" in 1983. Then, in 1984, McEntire signed with MCA Records, and her second studio album, "My Kind of Country," became her breakthrough release. 

Her best-selling album came after losing seven of her band members as well as her tour manager in a plane crash in 1991. The album is called "For My Broken Heart," and it garnered critical acclaim. 

One of her signature songs came from her 1990 release "Rumor Has It." The song was actually a cover called "Fancy," and it is possibly her most popular song.

In her personal life, McEntire has been married twice. Her first marriage was from 1976 to 1987 to a rancher named Charlie Battles. They lived together on a ranch in Oklahoma, the same area where McEntire grew up with her family.

After ending the marriage, the singer moved to Nashville to further her career in music. In 1989, McEntire married her manager, Narvel Blackstock. She became a stepmother to his three children, and together, they only had one son, Shelby Blackstock. 

Sadly, McEntire has been through heartbreaks. Over the years, she has used social media to reflect on the devastating plane crash that claimed the lives of her bandmates and her tour manager.

In March 2020, Reba McEntire shared heartbreaking news to the world, confirming that her mother, Jacqueline, had passed away at the age of 93.

According to a report published by CNN Entertainment at the time, the mother, who previously worked with the country singer in the past as she had songwriting credits on the track “I Got the Lord on My Side,” died after a battle with cancer.

Although losing her mom was devastating, this wasn’t the first time McEntire suffered from a heart-wrenching loss, as there was a time in her career when some of her closest friends died in a tragic accident.

During McEntire’s prime years, the singer worked with her beloved bandmates: Jim Hammon, Kirk Cappello, Michael Thomas, Tony Saputo, Paula Kaye Evans, Terry Jackson, Joey Cigainero, and Chris Austin.

Unfortunately, all of the names mentioned above didn’t survive a horrific plane crash that happened shortly after they all performed together and were about to travel to the next city for their next concert.

According to the San Diego Union-Tribune, McEntire, who was 35 years old at the time, performed at a private concert with her bandmates. 

Their next stop was Fort Wayne, Indiana, where they embarked on a private jet.

Unfortunately, they were met with a real-life nightmare as the aircraft crashed at around 1:45 in the morning on March 16, 1991.

Aside from her seven bandmates, her tour manager had also passed away due to the devastating accident.

Even though the actress wasn’t part of the incident, she was heartbroken with what happened, as her spokeswoman, Jenny Bohler, said, “Many of them had been with her for several years. Many were like family. Some band members had been with her for two or three years.”

apost.com

Years after the shocking incident, the country superstar never shied away from telling what she felt that day, as she told in an interview with CBS This Morning in December 2018 that it was rough for her.

“It was rough, it was awful, it was horrible. By far the hardest thing I’ve ever had to go through in my life,” she said.

She also noted that getting back on track and recording new songs following the horrific accident was also hard for her.

McEntire noted that the dedication album for the band, “For My Broken Heart,” was the saddest album she ever had in her career. There was a time while she was recording the album when “the guys” would tell her that there should be happy songs in the musical project, but she only replied with: “Nope, not this one.”

In a separate interview with CNN in 2011, McEntire described the incident as a “nightmare” and it also made her realize “how precious life is.”

Amid the death of her mother in 2020, McEntire paid tribute to her bandmates in an emotional Instagram post.

"29 years ago today, I lost my friends in a plane crash. The timing of Mama’s passing with that anniversary seems appropriate. I know they’re all in Heaven together and taking care of each other,” she wrote in the caption.

The singer/actress also gave a few words of wisdom about taking care of each other while people still have time.

“Let’s keep finding ways to take care of each other down here on earth and never take one moment with our loved ones for granted,” she added.

What do you think of Reba McEntire’s dedication to her beloved bandmates and tour manager? Let us know your thoughts, and make sure to pass this on to your friends and family.