The legendary Cher has shared a new rendition of Thank You for Being a Friend to honor the late, great Betty White, who appeared as Rose Nylund in the hit sitcom, The Golden Girls, during her career.
It was among the highlights of White’s career, which started as early as the late 1940s and continued into the past year. White passed away on December 31, just days ahead of her 100th birthday.
Many celebrities and fans paid tribute after learning about the legend’s passing, including Cher. Thanks to many friends, a further celebration for White arrives Monday as her legacy lives on.
Cher sings Thank You for Being a Friend in tribute to Betty White
On Friday, singer Cher posted a teaser clip from an upcoming television special honoring Betty White on her official Instagram. In the short video, Cher sings part of a cover of the classic Golden Girls theme song.
Andrew Gold originally recorded the song in 1978 and reached as high as No. 25 on that year’s Billboard Hot 100 chart. Cynthia Fee sang a cover of the song as the opening theme for the popular NBC sitcom, which aired seven seasons from 1985 until 1992.
Now Cher has unveiled a version years later that has been referred to as “iconic.”
“Every friend is golden,” Cher wrote in the caption, also letting fans know to tune in for the special on NBC to see the full version.
Cher also posted a message on her official Twitter account about the rendition of the song she did for the special and her connection with White over the years.
“This Was a Great Honor For Me. I’ve loved Betty Since I Was 7, & Change,” Cher wrote in her tweet, including memories of first watching White and later working together.
Life With Elizabeth was one of White’s major TV roles in the early 1950s. She played lead character Elizabeth in the series, which lasted two seasons, and earned White her first-ever nomination for the Primetime Emmy Awards.
Reactions arrive to Cher’s cover of theme song
Cher has over two million followers on her Instagram, and naturally, many came to the comments to recognize her performance of the classic theme song.
One commenter praised Cher for the song, saying it “felt like a warm blanket” wrapped around them.
“Omg and she sounds so good! Instantly iconic,” one fan gushed over Cher’s rendition of the song.
Another fan also referred to Cher’s version of the song as “iconic,” saying it was mindblowing to witness.
Many others stopped by sharing similar sentiments about Cher’s cover of Thank You for Being a Friend ahead of the entire performance on Monday night’s special.
Celebrating Betty White to feature many celebrities paying tribute
Monday’s special on NBC called Celebrating Betty White: America’s Golden Girl will include numerous celebrities remembering White and her career, which impacted many people.
White suffered a stroke on Christmas Day and passed away about a week later. A tribute film arrived exclusively in theaters called Betty White: A Celebration on January 17, which would have been White’s 100th birthday.
The new special coming to NBC on Monday will bring various individuals to the screen to honor the Golden Girls star. Cher will be among those appearing on the special along with President Joe Biden, Ted Danson, Ellen DeGeneres, Jay Leno, and Drew Barrymore.
Several Saturday Night Live stars are also included, such as Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon and former castmates Tina Fey, Ana Gasteyer, and Tracy Morgan.
Betty White hosted SNL in May 2010 thanks to a petition started online by fans. According to a People report, SNL creator and producer Lorne Michaels asked White to host three times between the 1970s and 1990s, but she reportedly rejected those offers. However, White hosted decades later due to the fan petition and set the record as the oldest individual to host the show at 88.
While the Celebrating Betty White special will first air on NBC on Monday night, viewers can check out the entire show on-demand the following day on the Peacock streaming platform.
Celebrating Betty White airs Monday, January 31st at 10/9c on NBC.