Reba McEntire knows the pain of loss. In 1991, a plane crash killed seven of her band members and her tour manager. On March 16, McEntire performed at a private event in San Diego before her band departed on two aircraft for Fort Wayne, Indiana,

She, her manager Narvel Blackstock, and stylist Sandi Spika stayed behind. Tragically, the first jet crashed just 10 miles from Brown Field Municipal Airport, while the second landed safely.In a 2012 interview with Oprah Winfrey, McEntire recalled the devastating event, which deeply impacted her. Despite the tragedy, she continued her career, honoring her late bandmates’ memory through music.