See ‘Nashville’ Star Clare Bowen Sing ‘Golden Girls’ Theme
In five seasons on the musical drama Nashville, Australian-born singer-actress Clare Bowen has forged friendships with a cast and crew that have become like a second family. Bowen – who recently debuted the video for “Love Steps In,” a powerful tribute to her brother Timothy’s cancer battle – celebrates family and friendship of another kind with a joyous acoustic rendition of “Thank You for Being a Friend,” the theme song of the long-running hit NBC comedy The Golden Girls.
To celebrate The Golden Girls‘ streaming debut on Hulu, Bowen, dressed in gold (with makeup to match) and accompanied by her fiancé Brandon Robert Young on acoustic guitar, offers a sweet, lively version of the song, which was penned by the late Andrew Gold, who scored a Top 30 pop hit with it in 1978. Seven years later, as performed by jingle singer Cindy Fee, the theme song opened the series that would span 180 episodes, winning 11 Emmy awards in its run from 1985 to 1992. All four stars of the show, Bea Arthur, Estelle Getty, Rue McClanahan and Betty White, earned Emmys for their roles. Bowen’s special memories of the series – and the song – are associated with one family member in particular.
“My Grandma Shirley and I used to rug up on the couch and watch together after dinner, laughing ourselves silly,” Bowen tells Rolling Stone Country. “The Golden Girls is such a special concept. These amazing women are telling stories about the life no one gets warned about – the life that happens after spouses and children and jobs and ‘ladylike’ has gone out the window. All I have to do is think about that iconic opening song, and I’m back on the couch with my beautiful grandmother.”
All seven seasons of The Golden Girls are available on Hulu beginning today. New episodes of Nashville air Thursdays at 9:00 p.m. ET on CMT, and are available on Hulu the following day.