Country music icon and sitcom star Reba McEntire will take the stage at the 2025 Emmys on September 14, 2025, to honor one of TV’s most iconic comedies, “Golden Girls” — and “The Voice” coach won’t be alone.
McEntire, 70, revealed in a social media post on September 12, 2025, that she’ll be joined onstage by Little Big Town members Karen Fairchild and Kimberly Schlapman to sing the “Golden Girls” theme song, “Thank You For Being a Friend,” in honor of the sitcom’s 40th anniversary.
‘Golden Girls’ Theme Song Was a Moderate Hit in 1978, Long Before Show Debuted
McEntire, who stars in the NBC sitcom “Happy’s Place,” wrote in her post that she’d be “Celebrating 40 years of one of our favorite shows” in her Emmys post.
The “Golden Girls” theme song was originally released in 1978 by Andrew Gold, who had a top 10 hit the year before with his single “Lonely Boy,” according to Billboard. “Thank You For Being a Friend” wasn’t quite as successful, reaching number 25 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
But the tune has since become iconic. According to The Atlantic, a new version was recorded for the 1985 debut of the “Golden Girls” by jingle singer Cindy Vee. While Gold’s version was nearly four minutes long, the theme song runs just 41 seconds, per Billboard.
In 1986, Gold told Billboard, “They called me up and said they wanted to use it, and I said fine. It’s great. If I have a stroke or something, that will pay my hospital bill.”
The 77th Annual Emmys airs on CBS at 7 p.m. Eastern time. For those who want to revisit Rose, Blanche, Dorothy and Sophia’s hilarious roommate antics before McEntire’s tribute, Hallmark Channel began a 40-episode marathon at midnight on September 14 — the day the show debuted 40 years ago — that runs until the Emmys start. The network also airs reruns of the sitcom on weekdays.
Reba McEntire Has Multiple Primetime Appearances Coming Up
The night after the Emmys, McEntire will be back in primetime as NBC re-airs “Opry 100: A Live Celebration.” The country music celebration originally aired live in March from the Grand Ole Opry, hosted by former “Voice” coach Blake Shelton. During the three-hour special, McEntire sings a duet with Trisha Yearwood of “The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia.”
One week after the Emmys, on September 22, McEntire will be back in primetime again as season 28 of “The Voice” premieres on NBC. The country icon returns for her fourth time as a coach, alongside Snoop Dogg, Michael Bublé, and Niall Horan.
Meanwhile, the second season of McEntire’s sitcom, “Happy’s Place,” is scheduled to return on NBC with two back-to-back episodes on November 7, per The Popverse.
