Then Kelly Clarkson stepped onto the stage in a long red gown.
Before she sang a note, Kelly spoke to Reba from the heart.
“I’ve been a fan of Reba since I was a little girl,” she said. “Her voice has always felt nostalgic for me. Even as an adult, there’s something about her tone and her storytelling that just feels like home.”
By then, the two were more than friends. They had become family.
“Sometimes when we meet our heroes, it doesn’t always pan out how you hope,” Kelly said. “But meeting Reba, being friends with her and eventually becoming family has been one of the highlights of my life, truly.”
Her voice began to shake. She thanked Reba for “comforting me on the phone through my tears, like a friend,” and for being “a really rad grandma” to her kids.
Then she laughed. “I love you so much. I hope you enjoy this song. Don’t judge me!”
The song was “Fancy.” Bobbie Gentry wrote and recorded it in 1969, but Reba made it her own in 1990, taking it into the country Top 10. For years, she has sung it in concert in a floor-length red gown.
Kelly gave it everything she had, from the soft, aching notes to the big, gritty ones. When she finished, the whole room rose to its feet. Reba leapt up with them and gave her two thumbs up.
“Thank you,” Kelly said. “I hope I did you justice!”
She did.
Is “Fancy” one of your favorite Reba songs? Share this with a friend who loves her too.