Written by John Mendelsohn
Videos by American Songwriter
Legendary singer and actress Reba McEntire, 68, has revealed that she heavily considered leaving music behind after the death of her mother. On March 14, 2020, Reba’s mother, Jacqueline McEntire, sadly lost her battle with cancer.
Reba wrote a memorial for her mother back in 2020 that read, “Our Mother, Jacqueline McEntire, made that wonderful cross over into Heaven today. She had a wonderful, full, healthy life and was absolutely ready to go. The cancer might think it won the battle but we’re giving God all the credit on selecting the time for her to go home to Him.”
The “Fancy” singer revealed that her mother dreamed of being a singer, and helped her on her journey to becoming the powerhouse that she is now known as. She recently told ET she wanted to leave the music industry for “Probably about a month, maybe two,” after the loss of her beloved mom.
During the exclusive interview, Reba said, “Mama was living her dreams through me. So when she left, I was like, ‘Why am I doing this?’ We were home after Mama passed, and [my sister] Susie and I were working in Mom and Daddy’s house, you know, straightening everything out and cleaning it out and separating things. I told Susie that I don’t have a want to because mama was my want to….”
However, the 3-time Grammy winner soon decided that it was her destiny to be in the music industry. Reba added, “I realized, I’m still doing it because I love it. It’s my God-given gift that I cherish. I absolutely love to sing songs to make people feel something, whether it’s sad, happy, or whatever it is. So that’s what Mama, that’s the gift she gave me, and so, you’ve got to keep on going. I feel she’s still with me.” It has recently been announced that Reba will be a judge on the next season of The Voice.
Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images
