Reba McEntire Says She Thought About Qutting Music After Her Mom Died

Corey Atad ETCanada.com

May 19, 2023 9:41 am

Reba McEntire wants to do her mother proud.

Sitting down with ET Canada’s Morgan Hoffman for the new special “One-on-One with Reba McEntire”, the country singer talks about almost quitting music after her mother died.

Asked how long she felt that way, Reba says, “Probably about a month, maybe two.”

Jacqueline McEntire, who was born in 1926, was an aspiring country singer who became a school teacher, librarian and a secretary.

Sharing the news of her mother’s death on March 14, 2020, Reba wrote, “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.”

She was ready to see our Daddy, her mama and daddy and all her family and friends. Down here, Alice, Pake, Susie and I, grandkids and great grandkids all got to visit with her either in person or over the phone.

— Reba McEntire (@reba) March 14, 2020

Looking back, Reba tells ET Canada, “We were home after Mama passed and Susie and I were working in Mom and Daddy’s house, you know, straightening everything out and cleaning it out and separating things.”

Going through that work, it occurred to Reba that she didn’t feel a “want” to continue her music career anymore.

“I told Susie that I don’t have a want to, because mama was my want to,” she says. “I did the recording contract. Mama was living her dreams through me. So when she left, I was like, ‘Why am I doing this?'”

The thought was only fleeting, though, as Reba explains, “But I realized I’m still doing it because I love it. And it’s my God given gift that I cherish. I absolutely love to get to sing songs to make people feel something, whether it’s sad, happy, whatever it is. And so that’s the gift she gave me and Susie and Pake. And so you got to keep on going.”

Finally, she adds, “I feel she’s still with me. I love that.”

Tune into “One-on-One with Reba McEntire” airing Friday, May 19 at 7:30 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT on Global, and streaming live and on demand on STACKTV and the Global TV App. See more from the special in the clip below.