Brooks & Dunn Rock Reba’s ‘Why Haven’t I Heard From You’ at Kennedy Center Honors

At the 2018 Kennedy Center Honors ceremony, Kelly Clarkson and Lady Antebellum paid emotional tributes to honoree Reba McEntire. Thankfully for any audience members who forgot to wear waterproof mascara that evening, when Brooks & Dunn appeared onstage to pay homage to their longtime friend and frequent collaborator, the performance was more hard-rockin' than it was tear-jerking, although it was still a wild ride. Press play above to watch the country duo's performance.

Brooks & Dunn chose McEntire's 1994 uptempo hit, "Why Haven't I Heard From You," for their tribute performance to the country icon, resulting in one of the evening's most lively, bluesy moments. Switching off lead vocals, the veteran country performers bounced effortlessly through the song, as McEntire smiled from her seat in the hall. The performance marked the last of tribute performances honoring McEntire, and the other artists who paid tribute to her that evening joined Brooks & Dunn onstage after they finished the song for a group bow.

McEntire has been both a friend and collaborator to Brooks & Dunn over the years. In 1998, the duo joined McEntire on vocals for "If You See Him, If You See Her," off of her 24th studio album, If You See Him. The three country stars have also joined forces for a collaborative residency in Las Vegas, Reba, Brooks & Dunn: Together in Vegas, for the past three years, with plans to return for another six-show run in June and July of 2019.

The 2018 Kennedy Center Honors ceremony took place on Dec. 2, 2018 at the Kennedy Center Opera House, where it was recorded for television broadcast. The two-hour special subsequently aired on CBS on Dec. 26.

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