“She said, ‘What do you need? Do you want my band?’” Reba recalls through tears.
It was March 16, 1991—a date forever etched into the heart of country music history. Just hours after a private show in San Diego, Reba McEntire received a 2 a.m. call in her hotel room that shattered her world. A plane carrying her entire band and tour manager had crashed while en route to the next tour stop in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
Among the ten souls lost were:
Jim Hammon (tour manager) Kirk Cappello and Joey Cigainero (keyboardists) Tony Saputo (drummer) Michael Thomas and Chris Austin (guitarists) Terry Jackson (bassist) Paula Kaye Evans (backup singer) Donald Holmes and Christopher Hollinger (pilots)
Reba had originally planned to be on one of the planes but stayed behind with her then-husband Narvel Blackstock and her stylist Sandy Spika, as she was feeling unwell. That last-minute decision likely saved her life.
“I lost my band, my friends, my road family,” Reba shared in a recent emotional interview. “It was the darkest moment of my life. I didn’t know how to move forward.”
Enter Dolly Parton—With a Lifeline
In the days following the crash, amid shock and unimaginable grief, Reba received a phone call.
It was Dolly Parton.
“‘Reba,’ she said, ‘What do you need? Do you want my band?’”
Dolly wasn’t offering sympathy—she was offering action. She immediately sent her longtime bandleader Gary Smith to help Reba piece together a new band. It wasn’t just a gesture—it was a life raft.
And she wasn’t alone. Vince Gill also reached out, offering to play with Reba and sing backup if she needed the support.
“They didn’t ask for anything,” Reba said. “They just showed up. Dolly and Vince were there when I could barely stand.”
The Kindness That Still Brings Reba to Tears
Though decades have passed, the pain of that night remains fresh in Reba’s memory. But so does the kindness she was shown.
Reba has publicly spoken about the deep bond forged through grief and grace with Dolly, especially during their 2021 duet “Does He Love You?” The collaboration took on new meaning, as it was built not just on artistry, but on shared healing.
More Than a Band—A Family
The loss of a band, to a touring artist, isn’t just professional—it’s personal. They were more than musicians. They were family. The ones who knew her rhythm, shared her late nights, and stood beside her under countless spotlights.
In a particularly moving moment that year, Reba accepted the ACM Award for Top Female Vocalist and dedicated it to her band. She held back tears onstage, but the weight of that tribute has never faded.
“To this day,” Reba said, “I carry them with me. Every time I sing, I honor them.”
It was a tragedy that could have ended everything.
But thanks to a phone call from Dolly, a helping hand from Vince, and the fierce strength Reba found in her music—she kept going.
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