20+ Country Stars Unite for Emotional Dolly Parton Tribute Finale
Country music came together Wednesday night for one of its most emotional celebrations of Dolly Parton.
The two-hour television special, “CMA Presents I Will Always Love You: A Celebration of Dolly Parton,” aired live from Belmont University’s Fisher Center for the Performing Arts in Nashville on October 21.
The star-studded event brought together more than 20 artists to celebrate Dolly’s extraordinary life, music, career and legacy. The evening featured live performances, archival footage and personal stories from some of the artists who knew and admired her.
Among the performers were Carrie Underwood, Reba McEntire, Vince Gill, Lainey Wilson, Ella Langley, Brad Paisley, Ashley McBryde, Lady A, Darius Rucker, Little Big Town, Zac Brown, Lukas Nelson, Ricky Skaggs, Molly Tuttle, Carly Pearce, Kelsea Ballerini and others.
An Evening Dedicated to Dolly Parton
The special came less than two months after Dolly Parton died on August 25 at the age of 80.
Rather than focusing only on grief, the CMA celebration was designed to honor the full life of one of country music’s most influential artists.
Throughout the evening, viewers were treated to performances of Dolly’s songs, memories from fellow artists and archival moments highlighting her remarkable career.
The event also carried a charitable connection to Dolly’s legacy.
A portion of the proceeds from the special is being donated to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, the organization’s long-running childhood literacy program.
Vince Gill Helps Open the Tribute
One of the emotional performances came from Vince Gill, who opened the night alongside Ricky Skaggs, Béla Fleck and Molly Tuttle.
The group performed “A Few Old Memories,” setting an emotional tone for the evening.
Gill had a particularly close connection with Dolly. The two artists were longtime friends and collaborators, and they famously recorded “I Will Always Love You” together in 1995.
Following Dolly’s death, Gill shared memories of singing with her and described their final musical moments together as deeply meaningful.
More Country Stars Remember Dolly
The tribute continued with performances from some of the biggest names in country music.
Little Big Town performed Dolly’s “Light of a Clear Blue Morning,” a song originally released in 1977.
The group had a particularly personal connection with Dolly. Little Big Town had performed with her several times, including during the 2019 Grammy Awards tribute celebrating Parton’s career.
Other artists also brought their own personal connections to the stage.
Lainey Wilson, Ella Langley, Zac Brown, Darius Rucker, Brad Paisley, Carrie Underwood and many others each helped celebrate different parts of Dolly’s musical legacy.
Carrie Underwood Delivers the Emotional Finale
But the most powerful moment came at the end.
Carrie Underwood took the stage to perform Dolly Parton’s legendary song “I Will Always Love You.”
The performance quickly became emotional as Underwood struggled to hold back tears while singing the song.
Originally written by Dolly in 1973 as a farewell to her longtime mentor and business partner Porter Wagoner, “I Will Always Love You” eventually became one of the most important songs in her career.
More than five decades later, the song carried an entirely different emotional weight.
As Carrie continued singing, other performers gradually walked onto the stage.
One by one, the artists joined her.
Soon, the stage was filled with country stars singing together in honor of Dolly.
The result was a powerful final tribute that brought the entire evening together.
A Final Goodbye From Country Music
The sight of so many artists standing together was more than simply a performance.
It represented the enormous influence Dolly Parton had across generations of country music.
From legends who worked with her for decades to younger artists who grew up inspired by her music, the performers represented the many different generations touched by Dolly’s career.
And that made the final performance especially meaningful.
Dolly originally wrote “I Will Always Love You” as a goodbye.
On this night, the song became a goodbye from an entire country music community.
Dolly Parton may no longer be here to perform those songs herself, but her music continues to bring artists and fans together.
And as the stars joined Carrie Underwood on stage for the final moments of the tribute, the message was clear:
Country music will always love Dolly Parton.
Her music, generosity and influence will continue to live on for generations.
