Having experienced great loss and pain herself, Reba McEntire has a profound understanding of their enormity.
The unthinkable catastrophe that befell country music’s biggest performer in 1991 marked a watershed moment in the genre’s history.
Her loyal tour manager and seven adored band mates tragically perished in a plane crash on the way to one of her shows.
On March 16, 1991, after a dazzling performance by Reba McEntire and her band at a prominent event in San Diego, a terrible tragedy occurred.
Members of the band will be flying out of Brown Field Municipal Airport to play in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
The band and tour manager had already departed San Diego for the night when Reba, her then-husband and manager Narvel Blackstock, and her stylist Sandi Spika were left behind.
In a powerful interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2012, Reba McEntire had the strength to discuss the incident. The second flight took off normally and landed without incident.
Tragically, the first aircraft transporting the people Reba held dear crashed barely 10 miles east of the airport, changing the lives of those left behind forever.
Reproachfully, Reba told Oprah, “the plane’s wing struck a boulder on the edge of Otay Mountain, taking the lives of everyone on board.” When we heard the news, Narvel went to our pilot and broke the bad news to him.
About two or three in the morning, Narvel went back to the hotel room where Reba was waiting for news.
The incident hung heavily on the environment as Reba sought answers. Narvel said, “One of the planes crashed.”
Reba saw a ray of optimism and inquired how their friends were doing. Asking, “Are they okay?” Narvel’s response crushed her dreams, and she felt let down. When he said, “I don’t think so,” he cast a shadow of uncertainty over their confidence.
Their interest in the tragedy that had befallen their loved ones was evident, and they were riveted by, what Reba had to say.
She spoke with real passion, saying, Narvel went from room to room, holding the phone, searching desperately for information.
I’m sorry, but even though it’s been 20 years, the sadness hasn’t gone away,” she said. But I can imagine that happening. Narvel, inconsolable, was pacing back and forth incessantly.
During this time of great sorrow, Reba McEntire found solace in the unwavering support of her friends, especially Vince Gill and Dolly Parton.
These kind individuals granted their bands the opportunity to complete the tour after the catastrophe. While Reba appreciated their generosity, she respectfully refused their offers.
Instead, she embarked on a path of self-healing and poured her emotions into the record that followed, aptly titled “For My Broken Heart”.
She dedicated the album to her late comrades as a demonstration of her unending devotion to them and an homage to their memories.
The album “For My Broken Heart” was a huge commercial success, selling over four million copies and debuting at No. 1 on the highly regarded Billboard Top Country Albums list.
On the sad anniversary of the awful event, Reba McEntire always takes the time to mourn those who lost their lives.
She does this via social media to keep their legacy alive. In 2014, on the first anniversary of the tragedy, she made a beautiful tribute for her millions of Instagram followers.
And so it was that in 2016, on the terrible 25th anniversary of the disaster, Reba made a heartbreaking pilgrimage to San Diego.
A city that would always have a particular place in her heart. She graciously updated her passionate fans and following on her rehabilitation through many social media platforms.
Reba sent a personal letter in which she reflected on the aircraft crash’s silver anniversary. In November, I flew back to San Diego to investigate the sad crash site by helicopter.
I had an overwhelming feeling that our loved ones who have gone on are aware of how much we miss them.
My heart is heavy for everyone who has lost someone in this catastrophe, and I will be praying for them.