Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s Mother, Brenda Jackson, Dies at 65: Reports

Dale Earnhardt Jr. in a file photo. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Jack Phillips

Breaking News Reporter

Jack Phillips is a breaking news reporter who covers a range of topics, including politics, U.S., and health news. A father of two, Jack grew up in California's Central Valley. Follow him on X: https://twitter.com/jackphillips5

View profile

April 28, 2019Updated: April 28, 2019

biggersmaller

The mother of NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. passed away at the age of 65, according to a report.

JR Motorsports announced the death of Brenda Jackson on its official website, saying she had been an employee with the racing team.

“Known for her wit, charisma and unparalleled ability to cut to the heart of any matter, Jackson became an instant favorite to her friends and colleagues at JR Motorsports when she joined the company as an accounting specialist in 2004,” said the company in a statement on April 22.

I’m glad her suffering has ended and she can be at peace. She would be in tears of happiness over the words of support and remembrance she’s been shown today. Our family appreciates it as well. She will live in our hearts forever. https://t.co/ioFclazYhI

— Dale Earnhardt Jr. (@DaleJr) April 23, 2019

The statement noted that she was battling cancer.

Jackson was married to Dale Earnhardt Sr. in 1972 before having two children, including Dale Jr. and Kelly.

“I’m glad her suffering has ended and she can be at peace. She would be in tears of happiness over the words of support and remembrance she’s been shown today. Our family appreciates it as well. She will live in our hearts forever,” Dale Jr. wrote on Twitter.

Kelly, in a statement on Twitter, wrote that there is “no more suffering [and] no more pain.”

JRM mourns the passing of Brenda Jackson.

Full Story ➡ https://t.co/sG47xurzfO pic.twitter.com/vF7280ZRWP

— JR Motorsports (@JRMotorsports) April 22, 2019

“Thank you to all that are offering your prayers, hugs & support,” she continued, according to PopCulture.com.

Fox Sports NASCAR analyst Larry McReynolds also posted a touching message about Jackson.

We all at @NASCARONFOX & @FS1 send our thoughts & prayers out to @DaleJr @EarnhardtKelley and the entire Earnhardt Family in the loss of a Very Special Woman, Brenda Jackson, Your Mom! She is in a much better place now than we are! #FB

— Larry McReynolds (@LarryMac28) April 22, 2019

“We all at [NASCAR on Fox and Fox Sports 1] send our thoughts & prayers out to [Dale Jr. and Kelley Earnhardt] and the entire Earnhardt Family in the loss of a Very Special Woman, Brenda Jackson, Your Mom!” McReynolds said via Twitter. “She is in a much better place now than we are!”

“I am a very, very lucky woman, as I get to interact with my kids almost every day,” she said in 2018, according to JR Motorsports.

Notable Celebrity Deaths in 2019

Nipsey Hussle

Epoch Times Photo — Nipsey Hussle and Lauren London in Los Angeles, Calif., on Feb. 7, 2019. The rapper was shot dead in late March. (Gregg DeGuire/Getty Images)

Luke Perry

Peter Tork

Albert Finney

James Ingram

Longtime R&B singer James Ingram died in late January. Quincy Jones, a collaborator of his, wrote, “With that soulful, whisky sounding voice, James Ingram was simply magical … every beautiful note that James sang pierced your essence and comfortably made itself at home.”

Fatima Ali

“Top Chef” alum Fatima Ali died on Jan. 25, after a battle with terminal cancer. She was 29.

Former “Top Chef” contestant Bruce Kalman paid tribute to her: “It’s with a heavy heart we say goodbye to Fatima Ali today, as she has lost her battle with cancer,” he wrote.