‘I Can’t Believe This Happened!:’ Deborah Cox In Awe, Belts Out Popular Song ‘Nobody’s Supposed to Be Here’ at Phylicia Rashad’s Request

Deborah Cox will likely never stop performing her infectious 1998 single “Nobody’s Supposed to Be Here.” Fans are gushing over an Instagram video of the Canadian vocalist singing her hit song for the legendary Phylicia Rashad. In the clip shared on Tuesday, June 7, the “Creed” actress had a fan-girl moment as she watched one of her favorite artists sing.

Cox expressed her admiration for Rashad in the post’s caption, where she explained that Rashad requested her to sing.

?I Can?t Believe This Happened!:? Deborah Cox In Awe, Belts Out Popular Song ?Nobody's Supposed to Be Here? at Phylicia Rashad?s Request
Deborah Cox (L) and Phylicia Rashad (R). @deborahcox/ Instagram

“@phyliciarashad was presenting the Lincoln Award to James E. Clyburn and after that, backstage she asked me to sing ‘Nobody’…. I cannot believe this happened,” the 47-year-old wrote. “Growing up she was the epitome of grace, elegance and style. I told her to excuse me if I keep staring. She laughed. I just LOVE her.”

Fans shared their enthusiasm for Deborah and Phylicia’s special meetup in the comments, including one said, “All that beauty and classiness in one room. #Queens.”

“This is everything! I love her!” added YouTube star and author Tabitha Brown and movie director Mara Brock Akil wrote, “Deborah! What a moment in time.”

Many were blown away by Cox and her impressive vocal range and her touching reaction to meeting the award-winning actress, who sang in the 2008 Broadway revival of Lorraine Hansberry‘s “A Raisin In The Sun.”

One individual said, “Chills! Wow… yes #QUEENS. That voice & the reaction LOVE US.”

A second person wrote, “Ooooo, Queen Phylicia gets her own personal performance from Queen Deb.”

Meanwhile, one fan paid tribute to the iconic role Rashad played on “The Cosby Show” from 1984 to 1992. “She’s truly a sweet lady in person as we’ve seen her as Claire Huxtable.”

Some noticed how excited Cox and Rashad were to meet each other in the video, including one person who said, “This is so precious! Love this! Ms. Rashad’s reaction is priceless. Just beautiful ladies.”

A handful raved about how young both actresses looked, while some commented on their skills in the entertainment industry. One person said, “First of All, @phyliciarashad looks AMAZING!! Literally has not aged in the face at all! And @deborahcox looks like a teenager.”

Another social media user said, “Yes Deborah, and yes Phylicia! Both can sing and are beautiful women.”

Still independent.

We hope this story was worth your time. For over 14 years, Atlanta Black Star has stayed Black-owned and independently run. We didn't get here by waiting on ad budgets that were never built to prioritize us. Our readers did that.

Corporate support for Black media has always been thin. Outlets like ours get roughly 1% of the $170 billion spent on U.S. advertising each year, and that margin is shrinking further as advertisers walk back the DEI-linked commitments they made in 2020. That's the backdrop. It's not why we're asking.

The wider picture isn't any steadier. Newspaper ad revenue has fallen more than 80% since 2005, and local newsrooms are closing at a rate of roughly two a week nationwide. When outlets go under, it's rarely the ones built to center a Black perspective from the ground up that get to stick around.

We know a request for support isn't why you came here. But without readers choosing to fund this work directly, the depth of reporting we can do at home and abroad shrinks along with everyone else's. If you're not in a position to give, that doesn't change how much we value you as a reader.

If you are able to, a recurring contribution does more for us than a single one-time gift, because it lets us plan the next investigation instead of just the next invoice. It takes about 30 seconds, no long form, no account. Thank you for continuing to support independent journalism and freedom of the press.

Back to top