REBA McENTIRE SPOKEN THE EMMYS AWARDS — A BREATHTAKING TRIBUTE TO THE “GOLDEN GIRLS” AND A MOMENT NO ONE WAS PREPARED — the stage lights dimmed, the noise of the Emmys auditorium faded as Reba McEntire stepped out, standing alone in a space set up as a collective memory, where familiar melodies echoed and images of The Golden Girls gradually appeared behind her; Without fanfare or elaborate scripts, Reba chose to sing slowly and solemnly, each phrase delivered with absolute respect, causing the entire audience to almost hold their breath. Many lowered their heads, some wiping away tears as they realized this was not just a performance, but a farewell to a television era that would never be repeated. At the climax, Reba’s voice broke through just enough to touch the deepest emotions of the viewers, and that moment—before the applause could even begin—became an unforgettable highlight of the Emmys night, a brief second where the entire audience shared a common emotion without needing words.

Reba McEntire Pays Tribute to ‘Golden Girls’ with Epic Emmys Performance

She was joined by Karen Fairchild and Kimberly Schlapman

77th primetime emmy awards show

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The Emmys celebrate the best and brightest in today’s television programming, but tonight’s broadcast took a moment to throw it back to a classic show from the past on a milestone anniversary. It may be hard to believe, but The Golden Girls premiered on this date 40 years ago.

To commemorate the anniversary, Reba McEntire teamed up with Little Big Town singers Karen Fairchild and Kimberly Schlapman to perform the iconic theme song, “Thank You for Being a Friend.” The catchy tune was written and recorded by Andrew Gold in 1978, and Cynthia Fee covered it when the show premiered several years later.

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Before the broadcast, Reba walked the red carpet with boyfriend (and Happy’s Place costar) Rex Linn. She was asked which Golden Girl is her favorite, and she said, “That’s like who’s your best friend in the whole wide world. But I think maybe Blanche. I think I’m the Blanche and Karen is…Dorothy and then Kimberly is Rose. So that’s our characters tonight.”

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Before they took the stage, host Nate Bargatze told the audience that the show was a little edgy for its time and admitted, “I wasn’t allowed to watch the Blanche parts.”

The trio took the stage in a replica of the classic set to sing the theme song as the audience sang along. Then Reba took the mic to announce the winner for supporting actress in a comedy series, which went to Hannah Einbinder for Hacks.

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The Emmys are airing on CBS and streaming on Paramount+.

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