Reba McEntire Opens Up About One Of The Biggest Tragedies In Her Life

For decades, Reba McEntire has made a name for herself as one of the hottest acts in the country music world. The star is most well-known for her signature red locks and countless hits like "Whoever's in New England" and her hit duet with Kelly Clarkson, "Because of You." Of course, she also starred in a self-titled comedy, but not everything in the star's life has been easy.

In 1991, tragedy hit close to home for McEntire when she lost eight people close to her in a fiery plane crash. According to The Boot, seven of McEntire's band members and her tour manager were on the chartered jet that crashed into a mountainside in San Diego after a show. As fate would have it, McEntire was scheduled to be on another flight the following day since she opted to stay in San Diego and continue recovering from a bout of bronchitis. Not long after the accident, the singer's spokesperson, Trisha McClanahan, issued a statement on McEntire's behalf via the Los Angeles Times. "She was very close to all of them. Some of them had been with her for years. Reba is totally devastated by this. It's like losing part of your family," she said, adding that McEntire simply wanted to return home to Nashville.

McEntire later put her emotions into music with the song "For My Broken Heart," which is about losing her team members. All these years later, she's opening up about the tragedy again.

Reba McEntire is getting candid on an incredibly tough topic. In an interview with People, the country music superstar talked about the tragic plane crash that killed eight members of her crew in 1991. Though many years have passed since the tragedy, that doesn't make it any less difficult for McEntire. 

"I didn't know if I was going to be able to continue," McEntire told People. "But it showed me how precious life is, and by the grace of God and my faith, I realized that they went on to a better place." She also revealed the tragedy helped her find a new perspective in life and said that she wanted to "take it one day at a time," while reminding others to be "grateful for the things that you have." In addition, the singer reminded readers to tell people in their inner circles "how much you love and appreciate them." McEntire said that while she doesn't blame God for the events that transpired, she will "have questions when I get up there."

The singer seems to be doing her best to keep their memory alive and posts about the accident on social media from time to time. In 2014, McEntire took to Instagram to share a plaque with the names of those who lost their lives — along with a gut-wrenching caption. "The plane crash [on] March 16, 1991, took the lives of my friends," she wrote. "They will never be forgotten." Ugh, heartbreaking.