Skip to main content

Home Culture Culture Film & TV

Cher pays tribute to Betty White with stirring rendition of The Golden Girls theme tune

"Every Friend is Golden"

By Alastair James

Words: Alastair James; pictures: Instagram/@cher and Wiki

Cher has paid a touching tribute to the legendary actress, Betty White, by singing a version of The Golden Girls theme tune as part of a TV special dedicated to White.

Celebrating Betty White: America’s Golden Girl – which airs on Monday 31 January on NBC in the US – will see those who shared a stage or set with White pay homage to the late actress, who sadly died in December just two weeks shy of her 100th birthday.

White is best known for her role as Rose Nylund in The Golden Girls, which was on air between 1985 and 1992. She is reported to have died at her home in Los Angeles on 31 December from a stroke. 

“Every Friend is Golden”

In a preview clip which was also posted to Cher’s Instagram with the caption “Every Friend is Golden” on Friday (28 January) the ‘Believe’ singer performs The Golden Girls theme song ‘Thank You For Being a Friend’ on the same set where the show was once filmed.

The song was originally written and recorded in 1978 by Andrew Gold and was later covered by Cynthia Fee whose version was used for the show.

People magazine reports that the TV special will also feature: President Joe Biden, Drew Barrymore, Bryan Cranston, Ellen DeGeneres, Tina Fey, Ana Gasteyer, Goldie Hawn, Joel McHale, Tracy Morgan, Jean Smart, Mary Steenburgen, and many more.

Prior to her death, White had done an interview with People looking ahead to her 100th birthday – which would have been on 17 January – where she joked that that secret to getting to the centenary mark was “I try to avoid anything green. I think it’s working.”

The Attitude February issue is out now. Get your copy here