Family Announces Heartbreaking News: Legendary Singer Reba McEntire Says Farewell
Reba McEntire, a beloved country music icon, has faced her share of heartbreak and tragedy throughout her life. One of the most devastating moments came in 1991 when she lost several of her close band members and her tour manager in a tragic plane crash. The incident, which occurred on March 16, 1991, is something McEntire has often spoken about with deep sorrow.
The night before the fatal crash, Reba McEntire and her band performed at a private event in San Diego, California. Afterward, two planes were scheduled to transport McEntire’s band and tour manager to Fort Wayne, Indiana, where they had another performance scheduled. McEntire, her then-manager Narvel Blackstock, and her stylist Sandi Spika stayed behind in San Diego for the night.
However, the fate of the other plane took a tragic turn. Shortly after taking off from Brown Field Municipal Airport, the first plane carrying McEntire’s band members and tour manager crashed just ten miles east of the airport. Tragically, all aboard the aircraft perished, while the second plane, which had already taken off, arrived safely at its destination.
In a 2012 interview with Oprah Winfrey, McEntire recalled that harrowing day with heartbreaking clarity, recalling how the crash forever altered her and her band’s lives. It was an event that would haunt her for years, and one that McEntire would never fully get over, despite her eventual return to her music career. The loss remains one of the most painful chapters in her life.
