Reba McEntire’s Heart-Wrenching Tribute: Remembering the Day Tragedy Struck 32 Years Ago

Today, Reba McEntire is 68 years old, and she truly deserves all the praise she gets. It feels like she has been part of my life forever, and I still listen to her music several times a week.

However, Reba’s life hasn’t always been easy. This year marks the 32nd anniversary of a tragic plane crash that took the lives of several of her friends.

After breaking into country music in the late 1970s and early 1980s, Reba McEntire was named “best singer” for four years in a row by the Country Music Association. She also has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

But despite her amazing career and success, Reba has faced many personal challenges. In 2022, her mother, Jacqueline, lost her battle with cancer at the age of 93.

“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 for choosing the time for her to go home,” the country star wrote on social media.

Jacqueline McEntire always dreamed of being a professional country singer, and she was the one who taught Reba to sing, fulfilling her ambitions through her daughter.

“She left knowing how much she is loved, and we all know how much she loved us. We’re all going to miss her, but we have so many wonderful memories,” Reba said.

Reba truly understands what it means to face sorrow and loss.

shutterstock

Thirty-two years ago, on March 16, Reba McEntire lost seven of her band members and her tour manager in a tragic plane crash after a concert.

I remember that day in 1991. I was driving to work and heard about the crash on the radio. My heart skipped a beat when I thought Reba was also on the plane.

But she wasn’t.

Reba and her band had performed in San Diego on March 16, 1991, and were heading to Fort Wayne, Indiana, for their next concert on the tour.

Two planes were waiting at the airport in San Diego. The band members and tour manager flew on ahead while Reba, her husband, and her manager stayed overnight in San Diego.

The first plane tragically crashed just ten miles east of the airport.

Over the years, Reba has often remembered her lost friends.

In a heartfelt interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2012, she talked about the day her band died.

“The tip of the wing of the airplane hit a rock on the side of Otay Mountain, and it killed everyone on the plane,” McEntire told Winfrey.

“When we were notified, Narvel (Reba’s manager) went to meet with our pilot, and he told us what had happened. Narvel came back to the hotel room where I was — it was two or three o’clock in the morning — and he said one of the planes had crashed. I asked, ‘Are they OK?’ He said, ‘I don’t think so.’ I asked, ‘But you’re not sure?’ He said, ‘I don’t think so.’”

Reba had tears in her eyes as she remembered the details of the tragedy.

shutterstock

“Narvel was going room to room with a phone and calling…” she began, pausing as tears filled her eyes. “I’m sorry — it’s been 20 years, but it’s just like — I don’t guess it ever quits hurting,” she said. “But I can see that room. I can see Narvel walking back and forth.”

Now, 32 years have passed since the crash. Recently, she shared a photo of her band on Instagram to remember the tragic events of that day.

In 2020, she also paid tribute to her friends.

“29 years ago today, I lost my friends in a plane crash. The timing of Mama’s passing with that anniversary seems appropriate,” she wrote.

“I know they’re all in Heaven together and taking care of each other. Let’s keep finding ways to take care of each other down here on earth and never take one moment with our loved ones for granted.”

Reba’s fans quickly offered their support to the country star. Many sent positive thoughts and prayers.

“Reba, I’ve always loved your music, our shared horse background, and now following you on Insta. Prayers for you and your mother,” one fan wrote.

In 2023, Reba showed once again that she will never forget her friends and still mourns their tragic loss.

“Their love for music and the stage gives us all the strength to go on,” she wrote, sharing a video of the group performing together.

A woman converts a Boeing 747 into a fully functional home.

Buses, tiny houses, and shipping containers have all become popular building materials for one-of-a-kind homes.

These affordable substitutions for conventional housing provide the same level of comfort and a variety of customization options.

Jo Ann Ussery, on the other hand, designed her own unique home before it became popular.

She bought an old Boeing 727 and turned it into a lovely house.

Wonderful housing.

When Ussery’s home in Benoit, Mississippi, was destroyed in 1993, her adventure officially began.

She and her two kids needed a place to live because her husband had unexpectedly passed away, but they weren’t wealthy.

She had believed that purchasing a trailer would make all of her problems go away, but she soon realized she couldn’t afford a house big enough to accommodate her enormous family.

Ussery’s brother-in-law Bob, who works as an air traffic controller, suggested they try living aboard a plane.

Ussery was drawn to the idea and visited a Boeing 727 that had been disassembled for its parts.

Despite the piece’s $2,000 price tag (including shipping), she fell in love at first sight.
Ussery nicknamed her private Boeing 727 “Little Trump” after learning that Donald Trump also owned a private Boeing 727.

She started her expensive and time-consuming home improvements right away.

Less than $30,000 (or about $60,000 in modern currency) went toward the renovation.
While she worked on the inside, she needed to make sure it stayed in its current position.

Ussery made use of the lake that was already present on her property by bringing the plane down with its nose over the water. To achieve this specific goal, a sizable amount of concrete was used to secure the tail. The interior, which was roughly 1,500 square feet, was immediately demolished by her.

The aircraft measures 138 feet in length and has 76 windows.

Although the aircraft’s windows weren’t functional, as is typical of commercial aircraft, she wasn’t bothered by this because the air conditioning was working.

She upgraded the insulation and put in new flooring. What specific components of the original 727 were kept?

It is a brilliant idea to only have one airplane bathroom and overhead bins for your belongings.

The interior design.

Ussery was able to concentrate on the finer details and improved comforts once the significant changes were finished.

The remodeled jet had three bedrooms, a living room, a kitchen, and even a laundry room.

The washer and dryer were there, but it also had a phone and an oven.
Without a doubt, Ussery’s work on the cockpit’s view of the lake was the most significant improvement.

It was transformed into a royal master bathroom with a soaking tub by her.

She designed the room’s layout to give everyone who was in it the sensation of floating.

The renovation was completed entirely by Ussery, which is especially noteworthy.

Before deciding to make her converted plane into a public museum, she lived there from 1995 to 1999.

Sadly, after being transported a short distance, it fell off the carriage and collapsed.

Related Posts

Be the first to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.


*