“The Masked Singer” sent home a bonafide icon on Wednesday night. But, perhaps it was fitting, considering her swan song ended up being one that was explicitly made for her.
It was Elton John Night on the show this week, and the episode kicked off with a performance of “Tiny Dancer” by Robin Thicke, as his co-panelists rocked their best Rocket Man looks. (Yes, Ken Jeong even went all in on John’s famous sunglasses). Sadly, at the end of the night, there was always going to be one competitor who wasn’t still standing.
And that competitor was Royal Hen. After singing her heart out to “Philadelphia Freedom,” the giant bird was unmasked at the end of the night to reveal… Billie Jean King.
Of course, longtime fans know that John actually wrote that song for the tennis legend. It was written specifically to honor King, who was playing for the Philadelphia Freedoms in 1975, when it was released. John even included a dedication on the vinyl album, reading “with Love to B.J.K. and the sound of Philadelphia.”
John and King first met in 1973 and struck up a friendship that lasts to this day. As recently as last year, King posted to her Instagram about him, calling back to a show he played in Los Angeles in 1975, during which she joined him on stage, singing backup vocals and “jumping off his piano.”
In the end, perhaps it was karmically right that King be eliminated on Elton John Night.
