Photo: Getty Images
Reba McEntire shared a heartfelt tribute to her late band members who died in a plane crash more than three decades ago. The tragedy happened on March 16, 1991.
“I’d like to dedicate this show to Jim Hammon, Kirk Cappello, Michael Thomas, Tony Saputo, Paula Kaye Evans, Terry Jackson, Joey Cigainero, and Chris Austin,” McEntire said in a statement shared to Instagram on Thursday afternoon (March 16), as she remembered her friends whom she lost 32 years ago today and refelcted on a throwback performance of “Let The Music Lift You Up.” “They were eight leading professionals in the music industry. But most of all, they were my friends. Their love for music and the stage gives us all the strength to go on.”
The eight band and crew members died in the plane crash after leaving McEntire’s concert in San Diego, California. She previously said, per PEOPLE, that she “didnt know if I was going to be able to continue. But it showed me how precious life is, and by the grace of God and my faith, I realized that they went on to a better place. …From that I learned that you need to take it one day at a time and be very grateful for the things that you have. Tell folks in your life how much you love and appreciate them.”