On Monday (September 13) country singer Cole Swindell lost his beloved mother, Betty Carol Rainey.
On his flight home to Georgia, Cole snapped a photo of the sun shining beautifully over the clouds in the sky. He saw it as a sign from his mom.
Cole shared that photo on his Instagram Story, and wrote:
“Took this on the flight home to Georgia this afternoon. Lost my sweet Mom today. I know she’s up there. Gonna miss her so much. Love y’all.”
Cole did not say how old his mother was or what caused her death.
During an interview with PopCulture.com in 2019, Cole spoke highly about his mother. He said she was the person who always helped keep him grounded:
“She’s the one that keeps me humble,” he said. “She’s the one that, no matter how stressed out I get, if I wanna be here or wanna be there, she is always the first person to remind me, ‘Come on, Cole. Think about it. Me and you would have never thought you’d be where you are right now.’ I always say that, but I mean it because it takes someone like her to put it all in perspective.”
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The death of Cole’s mother comes eight years after his father, William Keith Swindell, passed away unexpectedly at the age of 65. After his father’s death, Cole released the song “You Should Be Here” in his honor.
The song reached the #1 spot on both the Country Airplay and Hot Country Songs charts. It was certified 2x Platinum by the RIAA in 2019.
Now, we’re sure the song takes on a whole new meaning for Cole since his mother has passed away as well. Our hearts and prayers go out to Cole and his family during this sad time.
May Betty rest in peace.