Reba McEntire Says She Almost Quit Singing After Her Mother’s Death: “I Always Did It for Mama”

Reba McEntire has opened up about the initial struggle to find her passion for music again following her mother’s death.

During an interview Wednesday on Today With Hoda & Jenna, the country music legend revealed that she nearly quit music after her mom, Jacqueline, died from cancer in 2020.

McEntire said she was going through her parents’ belongings with her sister Susie after her mom’s death when she shared her thoughts about the future of her music career.

“I was going through pictures. I said, ‘I just don’t think I’m gonna do this anymore.’ She said, ‘What?’ I said, ‘Sing,'” the Grammy-winning singer said. “I said, ‘I always did it for Mama.’ She said, ‘Oh, you’ll get it back.’ I did.”

As McEntire continued to think back to her childhood, she explained how Jacqueline not only helped her fall in love with music, but also taught her and her siblings, Susie, Alice and Pake, how to sing.

“She was really encouraging for all of us kids, whatever we wanted to do,” she added. “She taught us harmony.”

The singer said music remained an important part of their lives through high school, as they were also known as “the singing McEntires.” But McEntire added that her mom was always making sure that they were learning and growing as singers, even correcting them if they sang a wrong note.

“Anytime anybody needed an opinion of who’s off — Susie’s on my part, I’m on Susie’s part — Mama would come in with her spatula after she was frying potatoes,” said McEntire, mimicking a pointing motion her mom would make with the utensil. “She would say, ‘OK, Reba, you’re on Susie’s part. Sing it again.’ We’d sing it, and she’d say, ‘Oh, that’s perfect,’ and she’d go back in and keep frying potatoes.”

McEntire released a new lifestyle book this week, Not That Fancy, as well as a new album of the same name. The album not only includes acoustic versions of her hits, but also the new song “Seven Minutes in Heaven,” which pays homage to her mother. The song was written by Olivia Rudeen and Matt Wynn.