In the early morning hours of March 16, 1991, Reba McEntire was awoken to the tragic news that seven members of her band and crew had died in a plane crash following their private performance for IBM executives in San Diego, California. After the performance, McEntire decided to remain in California with her then-husband Narvel Blackstock and stylist to rest and recover from bronchitis. McEntire planned to fly out the following day, while the rest of her crew headed toward Fort Wayne, Indiana, where they were all scheduled to perform the next day.
Onboard the twin-engine Hawker Siddeley were musicians Joey Cigainero, Paula Evans, Chris Austin, Kirk Cappello, Terry Jackson, Anthony Saputo, Michael Thomas, and McEntire’s longtime tour manager Jim Hammon, along with pilot Donald Holms and co-pilot Chris Hollinger.
The flight was headed en route to Amarillo, Texas to refuel before its final destination. Just minutes after the plane took off, before 2 a.m., all perished when the aircraft crashed into Otay Mountain, located 33 miles southeast of San Diego at the U.S.-Mexico border.
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‘For My Broken Heart’
After the tragic event, McEntire considered leaving the music business for good. At one point, Dolly Parton and Vince Gill offered McEntire their bands to complete her Rumor Has It Tour, but she chose not to.
“I didn’t know if I was going to be able to continue,” revealed McEntire in 2022. “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.”
Instead of quitting music, McEntire channeled her grief back to music and released her 18th album, For My Broken Heart later that year. Co-produced by McEntire and Tony Brown, and dedicated to her lost crew, the album, which included the No. 1 hits “For My Broken Heart,” “Is There Life Out There” and “The Greatest Man I Never Knew,” topped the Billboard Top Country Albums chart, and peaked at No. 13 on the 200.
Kenny Rogers
McEntire credited Kenny Rogers, who died in 2020, with having “saved my sanity” by asking her to star with him in the 1991 film The Gambler Returns: The Luck of the Draw.
“From that I learned that you need to take it one day at a time and be very grateful for the things that you have,” said McEntire “Tell folks in your life how much you love and appreciate them.”
Each year, McEntire always thinks of Hammon and her band members and honors their memory. On the 25th anniversary of the crash, McEntire revealed that she took a special trip to San Diego and flew over the crash site in a helicopter.
“Thirty-three years today since Heaven gained some great angels,” shared McEntire in a 2024 social media post. “Rest in peace, my friends.”
Photo: Terry Wyatt/WireImage
