In a recent interview on Today, Reba McEntire opened up about how she almost ended her career in country music following the death of her mother in 2020.

The inspiring country star, now 68, told hosts Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager that her grief after losing her 93-year-old mother Jacqueline to cancer in 2020 was almost too much to bear. She even said that she almost quit singing altogether.

Reba said that following her mother’s death, she sifted through some old photographs with her sister, Susie.

“I said, ‘I just don’t think I’m going to do this anymore,’” Reba recalled the conversation with her sister. “[Susie] said, ‘What?’ I said, ‘Sing.’ I said, ‘I always did it for Mama.’ She said, ‘Oh, you’ll get it back.’ I did.”

We definitely understand where Reba was coming from at that moment. Her mother was the one who inspired Reba’s love of music that spanned her entire family. Reba and her three siblings (including Pake and Alice) were often referred to as “the singing McEntires” as children.

“She was really encouraging for all of us kids, whatever we wanted to do,” said Reba. “She taught us harmony. Anytime anybody needed an opinion of who’s off, Mama would come in with her spatula after she was frying potatoes.”

Reba’s newest song “Seven Minutes In Heaven” from Not That Fancy is a tribute to her mother.

Reba Has Survived Heartbreak and Trauma Before, and It Only Makes Her More Inspiring

Long before Reba tragically lost her mother, she also faced serious heartbreak.

Back in 1991, seven members of her backing band, as well as crew, had perished in a plane crash that occurred after a performance in San Diego, California. Reba had opted to stay in California with her then-husband to recover from symptoms of bronchitis instead of getting on the plane with her band. That decision saved her life, but it also left her with lifelong trauma over the accident.

Brave as always, Reba pushed forward and wouldn’t let the accident be what ended her career. She never forgot her friends, either. Earlier this year, Reba posted a heartfelt tribute to her backing band 33 years after the accident.

If anyone in the country music world is inspiring, it’s Reba McEntire.

Photo by John Salangsang/Shutterstock

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.