LeAnn Rimes Sings ‘The Greatest Man I Never Knew’ While Reba Watches

One Of Reba’s Most Emotional Songs. Reba McEntire has recorded her fair share of sad songs over the years, perhaps none more so than “The Greatest Man I Never Knew.” Written by Richard Leigh and Layng Martine, Jr., the song was partially inspired by Leigh’s relationship with his father.

The song is told from the perspective of a now-grown child, who reflects on her relationship with her father. Although her father cared about her, he was so overworked that he never let it show.

Because of this, the narrator grew up seeing him as the greatest man she had ever had the chance to meet.

At the end of the poem, the narrator reveals that her father passed away a year ago. She realizes he never told her he loved her, prompting a heartbreaking final line: “It seems he thought I knew.

While McEntire’s relationship with her father was loving, fans in the know would think otherwise of her rendition of “The Greatest Man I Never Knew.” Her ability to portray hidden pain in the song made it one of the biggest hits of her career.

LeAnn is trying it

In November 2006, it emerged that some of country music’s biggest stars were paying tribute to McEntire at a concert in her honor. The two-hour concert was taped and aired on CMT as part of the CMT Giants series.

One performer who stole the show that night was LeAnn Rimes. Wearing a delicate lace dress, Rimes took the stage to introduce McEntire to “The Greatest Man I Never Knew.”

It goes without saying that Rhimes’ performance was astounding.

In addition to the raw beauty of her voice, Rimes’ emotional investment in her performance made it truly remarkable. She could be seen fighting back tears at times but managed to keep her composure.

As a result, she gave a performance that brought everyone to their feet, including McEntire.

Everyone was touched

With tears in her eyes, McEntire rushed to offer Rimes a hug at the end of her performance. The two spoke briefly to each other before Rimes went to hug McIntyre’s mom and dad in the crowd.

This performance wasn’t the only time Rimes paid tribute to the country legend by singing their emotional song. She once graced Patsy Cline with a rousing rendition of “Crazy.”

If you love country music, you can’t go through the day without hearing Rimes sing there too. Below you can find a video of her performance.