In one of the most emotional interviews of her career, Reba McEntire recently revisited the heartbreaking plane crash that claimed the lives of her entire band in 1991—and the quiet, powerful way Dolly Parton stepped in to carry her through the darkest time of her life.
“It was 2 a.m. when I got the call,” Reba recalled, her voice trembling. On March 16, 1991, following a show in San Diego, one of the two planes carrying her band and crew crashed shortly after takeoff. In a split-second twist of fate, Reba had stayed behind that night—feeling slightly under the weather, she remained at the hotel with her then-husband, Narvel Blackstock, and stylist, Sandy Spika.
The tragedy took the lives of nine people:
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Tour manager Jim Hammon
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Keyboardists Kirk Cappello and Joey Cigainero
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Drummer Tony Saputo
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Guitarists Michael Thomas and Chris Austin
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Bassist Terry Jackson
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Backup singer Paula Kaye Evans
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Pilots Donald Holmes and Christopher Hollinger
“I wasn’t just grieving coworkers,” Reba said. “They were family. I’d spent every day on the road with them. I didn’t know how to move forward without them.”
And then, a call came—this time, from Dolly Parton.
Dolly’s Offer That Changed Everything
Reba shared that Dolly reached out without hesitation, her words simple but life-altering:
“Reba, if you need a band, mine’s yours.”
Dolly not only offered support—she acted on it. She sent her own bandleader, Gary Smith, to help Reba build a new band. Another close friend, Vince Gill, stepped up as well, offering to play and sing by her side if needed.
“She was an angel in rhinestones,” Reba said of Dolly. “She didn’t just offer comfort—she offered action. She gave me a way to keep going when I felt like I couldn’t.”
From Loss to Legacy
Despite the crushing grief, Reba didn’t stop. Later that year, she was honored as the ACM Top Female Vocalist—and dedicated the award to the memory of those she’d lost. Her speech, filled with raw emotion, still resonates with fans today.
Thirty years later, Reba and Dolly teamed up for a duet of “Does He Love You?”—a collaboration many saw as a full-circle moment between two country legends bonded by more than just music.
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A Friendship Forged in Grace
While Dolly is known for her generosity, Reba’s story reveals just how deeply her kindness runs. In moments of quiet tragedy, it’s not just the spotlight that matters—it’s who shows up behind the scenes.
Vince Gill. Gary Smith. Dolly Parton. When Reba lost her band, she found her people.
And in doing so, she reminded the world: in country music, family isn’t just blood. It’s the ones who show up when the stage lights go dark.
