Reba McEntire Moves Her Mom to Tears with Emotional Song “You Never Gave Up On Me”

In February 2019, Reba McEntire announced that she would be releasing a new album on April 5th.

Titled Stronger Than The Truth, the album is her first country album in four years. Her last album, released in 2017, was a gospel album titled Sing It Now: Songs of Faith & Hope, which actually won a Grammy Award for Best Roots Gospel Album.

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“This is the most country record I’ve done in a long time and I can’t wait for you to hear it,” she wrote on Instagram announcing the new album.

Along with the album art, the “Fancy” singer released the track listing, which consisted of 12 songs including the title track, “Storm In A Shot Glass,” “Tammy Wynette Kind Of Pain,” “No U In Oklahoma,” and “You Never Gave Up On Me.”

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Since her initial announcement, McEntire released a few of the songs, and they are some of her best. There is one song that is highly emotional and has a cool backstory.

Titled “You Never Gave Up On Me,” McEntire admitted that she actually had this song when she was recording for her gospel album. Back then, she related it to God never giving up on her, but never ended up putting it on the album. When she was picking songs for Stronger Than The Truth, she came across “You Never Gave Up On Me” and thought it’d be a perfect song for her mother, Jackie.

“Who besides God has never given up on me? Mama,” she said.

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She recorded the emotional song in just one take, and when her producer, Buddy Cannon, asked if she wanted to do it again, McEntire responded, “I don’t think I can.”

“I sent it to Susie and Mark to play for Mama on Christmas Eve there in Oklahoma, I was here in Tennessee. And she sat there and listened to it,” she said. “I sent the lyrics and everything so she heard every word and she cried. She was very appreciative. She loved it.”

McEntire continued, “I meant it with all my heart.”

Watch her talk about the song below.


Now that her beloved mama has passed away, this song means so much more.

And listen to it in full below.