In 1991, Reba McEntire experienced an event that would forever change her life. That event was the plane crash that killed several of her band members and other supporting figures. The accident transpired right outside of San Diego, California. This caused Reba McEntire a good deal of anguish, so much so that she didn’t know if she could continue a career in music. Luckily, the world of country music came to McEntire’s aid, including Kenny Rogers.
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About 30 years after the 1991 plane crash, Reba McEntire told People, “I didn’t know if I was going to be able to continue.” However, McEntire returned to the scene with her first album after the accident being For My Broken Heart, which was released months later in October of 1991. Other than the album, one other creative endeavor that helped McEntire cope with her loss was her role in the 1991 television movie, The Gambler Returns: The Luck Of The Draw, alongside Kenny Rogers.
How Rogers’ Film Kept Reba McEntire Busy and Sane
Concerning how Kenny Rogers helped her during the grieving process, Reba McEntire told Taste Of Country, “Kenny saved my sanity in ’91 when he asked me to come do the Gambler movie.” “I was still in a state of disbelief and not knowing what I’m gonna do moving forward after the plane crash.”
In addition to that comment, McEntire also wrote in Reba: My Story, “I really needed a distraction and … knew it would be a lot of fun to work with.” She continued, “I got to play a madam back at the turn of the century,” and “It was a western, so I rode a horse and wore beautiful full dresses.”
The TV movie, The Gambler Returns: The Luck Of The Draw, was Reba McEntire’s second acting role. Prior to her 1991 role in the Kenny Rogers project, she made her silver-screen debut in the 1990 sci-fi horror flick, Tremors. Regardless, it seems that in a way, fantasy helped Reba McEntire come to grips with reality. And McEntire would not have had the chance to do this if it weren’t for her friend, fellow musician, and film co-star, Kenny Rogers.
In addition to helping McEntire, the film also formed a new partnership between Roger and the “Fancy” singer. Following the film, Rogers and McEntire co-headlined a tour in Australia together in 1998 and have since collaborated on several different occasions.
Photo by Terry Wyatt/WireImage
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