Reba McEntire reflects on 1991 plane crash that killed 8 band members
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Reba McEntire reflects on a traumatic moment in her past.
In a recent interview Garden and GunThe 70-year-old musician talked about the plane crash that killed eight members of his band in 1991 and the deaths of his famous friends who helped him.
“It was really hard for me to get back on stage, but Vince Gill called and said, ‘Dude, I’ll be there for you,'” he recalled. “Dolly Parton said, ‘Here, take my band.’ It was such a gift to see how many people stepped forward to help and reassure because so many of us were heartbroken.”
His band and crew were flying from San Diego when their chartered jet plane crashed after a concert. The singer was not on the plane and was scheduled to leave San Diego the next morning.
McEntire shared that Parton and Gill helped her after the plane crash that killed eight band members. (Trae Patton/NBC via Getty Images)
REBA MCENTIRE SAYS ABOUT FAKE PREGNANCY PHOTOS CREATED WITH ARTIFICIAL SUPPORT AND DOLLY PARTON ‘DEATH BED’ IMAGES
McEntire’s tour manager Jim Hammon, keyboardist and bandleader Kirk Cappello, keyboardist Joey Cigainero, drummer Tony Saputo, guitarist Michael Thomas, guitarist Chris Austin, bassist Terry Jackson and vocalist Paula Kaye Evans, as well as two pilots Donald Holmes and Christopher Hollinger, died in the accident.
“I didn’t know if I could keep going,” McEntire told People magazine in October 2022 about the accident. “But it showed me how precious life is, and I realized they were going to a better place because of God’s grace and my faith.”
Following the loss of her friends, McEntire wrote “For My Broken Heart,” which was released about eight months after the accident and honored those who died. The album included hits such as “Is There Life There”, “The Lights Are Out in Georgia” and “The Greatest Man I Never Knew”.
Also in 1991, McEntire met her fiancé, Rex Linn. However, they did not begin a romantic relationship until the country singer’s appearance on “Young Sheldon” in 2020.
Linn and McEntire met in 1991 but didn’t start dating until 2020. (Amy Sussman/Getty Images))
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“We couldn’t see each other from January to June 16 [due to COVID]but by texting and talking on the phone, we created an intimacy that we wouldn’t have had if we had been together the entire time,” she told E! News in April 2024. “It was very special. “It was a great way to learn about each other without ever touching.”
TO! They publicly confirmed their engagement when a reporter for! News referred to Linn as McEntire’s fiancée ahead of the 2025 Golden Globe Awards and did not correct that. A representative for McEntire later confirmed the news to Fox News Digital.
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While speaking to Fox News Digital in May 2025, McEntire said the two “get along well in every way.”
McEntire said she loved the cowboy lifestyle with Linn. (Photo: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Roc Nation)
“He’s a better cook than me, so I definitely enjoy it,” he said. “We love longhorns, we love the cowboy lifestyle, the cowgirl lifestyle, and we both got into the entertainment industry.”
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“He is an actor. I am a singer. I love acting. We act together now,” he added. “So it’s an absolutely perfect union. And we get along very well. Now we argue. We argue a lot, but we have fun doing it.”
