Reba McEntire brings George W. Bush to tears as she sings at friend George H.W. Bush’s funeral – after his other country star buddies The Oak Ridge Boys sing ‘Amazing Grace’
Reba McEntire brought George W. Bush to tears when she sang at his father’s Houston funeral on Thursday just moments after fellow country music stars The Oak Ridge Boys also performed for their friend.
McEntire sang ‘The Lord’s Prayer’ during the service at the St. Martin’s Episcopal Church where the late George H.W. Bush and his family worshiped for decades.
The younger Bush could be seen wiping away tears during her performance.
Moments earlier, The Oak Ridge Boys performed an acappella version of ‘Amazing Grace’.
They recalled meeting Bush at the White House when he was vice president in the 80s.
‘Would you sing me a few songs, I’m a big fan,’ they said of their interaction.
‘For decades we sang for him’ before adding that they would sing again for him at the service.
The band also joked that their friend, the 41st president, had fancied himself to be a good bass singer – but clarified that ‘he was not’.
The response drew laughter from mourners, including his son’s George W. and Jeb Bush who were seated in the front row.
Bush was a noted fan of country music and had developed a close friendship with both McEntire and The Oak Ridge Boys over the years.
Following his death last Friday, McEntire shared a number of photos of them together throughout the years with the hashtags #greatpresident #greatfriend.
Meanwhile, Duane Allen of the Oak Ridge Boys said Bush had personally requested that the group sing ‘Amazing Grace’ at his funeral.
Allen told The Tennessean newspaper the band did an impromptu performance for Bush at the White House when he was vice president.
It sparked a decades-long friendship between them.
Allen said the band was honored to keep its promise to Bush to perform at his funeral.
The band posted a photo on Instagram en route to Houston on Thursday, saying: ‘Boys on a plane… Houston bound. #Honored to sing #AmazingGrace later today for #GeorgeHWBush’
About 1,200 mourners were expected to attend the Houston funeral service on Thursday morning.
Among the high profiles names to arrive at the church include Chuck Norris, Arnold Schwarzenegger and singer Crystal Gayle.
Former basketball star Yao Ming and Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt were among a handful of sports figures to attend.
Baseball Hall of Famers Nolan Ryan and Jeff Bagwell were also seen arriving.
Bush was a fan of his hometown teams. He joined his son, former President George W. Bush, on the field before Game 5 of the 2017 World Series in Houston.
