Billie Eilish’s Old Choir Teacher Says Oscars Speech Shout-Out Was ‘The Ultimate Compliment’

Billie Eilish is making her former choir teacher proud!

When the 22-year-old singer and her brother Finneas won best original song for “What Was I Made For?” from Barbie at the 2024 Oscars on March 10, there was one person Eilish couldn’t leave out of her thank-yous.

“Mrs. Brigham, thank you for believing in me,” the “Ocean Eyes” hitmaker told the crowd.

She added: “Mrs. T, you didn’t like me, but you were good at your job.”

Finneas O’Connell and Billie Eilish, Oscars 2024.

PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images

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During the interview with The Hollywood ReporterMandy Brigham admitted that she wasn’t watching the annual awards show at the time of the announcement, but that she quickly got the message.

“I was at the tennis matches at the Indian Wells Open. And then I started receiving text messages. More text messages than I’ve ever received in my life,” the now-retired instructor said in an interview published Thursday.

The influential instructor taught the Grammy winner in the Los Angeles Children’s Chorus starting in 2010 when Eilish was 8 years old.

Los Angeles Children’s Choir.

Jamie Pham

When she heard about that mention, she was, to say the least, “stunned.”

“I never expected something like that to happen to me,” she said THR.

She also told the outlet how much it meant to her that Eilish remembered her influence all these years later.

Moves by Billie Eilish Barbie Actors brought to tears – and earned a standing ovation – with their performance at the 2024 Oscars

“That is the greatest compliment for a teacher,” she added.

THR did not locate “Ms. T” Eilish mentioned for comment.

While Eilish was on stage for her Best Original Song win with her sibling, the “Bad Guy” singer also offered her thanks Barbie director Greta Gerwig.

“I’m so grateful for this song and this movie and the way it made me feel, and this goes to everyone who was affected by the movie and how amazing it is,” she said.

Margot Robbie, ‘Barbie’.

Warner Bros.

She and Finneas also expressed their gratitude when they earned their Oscar nominations in January.

“We are incredibly honored to receive a nomination for ‘What Was I Made For?'” the couple said in a joint statement at the time. “As lifelong fans of the film, the music in the film and the Academy Awards, this means everything to us. We are extremely grateful to the Academy, its members and to be recognized alongside so many songwriters whom we respect and admire.”

They also gave their “deepest” thanks to “Gerwig and Noah Baumbach for their brilliant vision and execution, throughout Barbie cast and crew,” Lucky Chap Entertainment and Warner Bros. Pictures.

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Source: HIS Education