Reba McEntire is reflecting on one of the worst tragedies in her personal and professional life. It was the plane crash in 1991 that took the lives of eight of her crew and band members. The accident happened after McEntire, 70, gave a concert in San Diego. She, her husband at the time, and her stylist were fortunately on another flight. But the "Consider Me Gone" singer felt the acute pain of the terrible, shattering loss. It was truly unimaginable.
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Other Country Stars Came to McEntire's Aid
Many country music luminaries came forward with offers to assist her in the wake of the crash. McEntire described the depth of her grief and the sincere kindness of her colleagues when she spoke to Garden & Gun. Their caring and compassion eased her anguish.
She candidly shared, "It was really hard for me to get back onstage, but Vince Gill called and said, 'Buddy, I'll be there for you.' Dolly Parton said, 'Here, take my band.' It was such a gift to see how many people stepped forward to help, and to reassure, because so many of us had hearts that were broken."
She Still Maintained a Forward-Looking Attitude
The star of Happy's Place did not allow herself to wallow in self-pity or sorrow. She had to go past the sadness and try to regroup. Per the outlet, Reba McEntire explained, "You have to look at it as something that has happened—now, how are you going to deal with it? I was out walking one time when one of these situations happened in my life. I said, 'Lord, what am I going to do? What do I say?' And it came to me."
She added, " It said, 'Oh, well. There's nothing you can do about it.' You might as well move forward and find something to occupy your time. Go work, go do something else."
Although McEntire could not change reality, she found a way to survive it. She bounced back stronger than ever. Undoubtedly the some of the bereavement still lingers, but Reba McEntire is a genuine survivor. Whatever life has dealt her, she resolutely keeps going.
