Reba McEntire's Crushing Confession About Her Mom Has Many In Tears

Reba McEntire may be known as the "Queen of Country," but that title would mean nothing to her if not for the woman who made it all possible: her mother. Jacqueline McEntire was the driving force behind her daughter's rise to stardom, and in the nearly 50 years since Reba cut her first record, the McEntire matriarch has stuck by her side through thick and thin. But in the wake of Jaqueline's tragic passing in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, a heartbroken Reba recently revealed the unlikely source she turned to in order to cope with the unimaginable loss.

Mother & Mentor

For Reba, losing her mother wasn't just about losing a parent — she lost a mentor, too. Prior to becoming a school teacher, Jaqueline had her own dreams of making it as a country star, though she wound up putting her aspirations aside for the sake of her husband.

Sacrificing For Love

Reba's father, Clark McEntire, was a champion steer roper, a profession that brought the family plenty of recognition but little in the way of consistent income. To make ends meet, Jacqueline turned to teaching, though she also managed to keep her love of singing alive through her children.

Passing Down A Dream

Along with making sure they could sing well, Jacqueline would teach Reba and her three siblings how to harmonize and learn songs on their rides home from Clark's rodeo shows. Eventually, Reba taught herself to play guitar, leading the McEntire children to realize they could do more with music than just sing in the car.

First Taste of Fame

Alongside her brother Pake and sister Susie, Reba formed the vocal group the "Singing McEntires." With Jaqueline's help, the trio landed gigs at rodeos all over Oklahoma and even recorded a few songs, though it was only a matter of time before Reba took the leap her mother never got the chance at.