On March 16, 1991, a plane carrying seven members of Reba’s band, her road manager, a pilot and co-pilot crashed killing everyone on board. Reba chose to perform despite the heartache she was going through. She took the stage at the Oscars where she sang “I’m Checkin’ Out” from Postcards From the Edge.
This year’s invitation evoked a lot of emotion from the singer.
“I was very emotional yesterday about the Oscars, because I said yes to the Oscars in ’91 and then the plane crash happened,” McEntire told reporters on March 24. “And then I went ahead and sang the song because I felt [road manager] Jim Hammon talking to me, saying, ‘Go do it for us. We’re checked out of this heartbreak hotel.’”
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When asked if she is excited for her upcoming performance, the singer said “I don’t feel excited.”
“And so I finally figured it out yesterday,” she added. “I thought if I got too excited, something could happen. So I said, ‘God, I’m just gonna give it up to you,’ and it lifted like a hundred pounds. We went to rehearsal and I had a great time.”