Vince Gill Helps Nashville Say Goodbye to the Queen of Country Music During ‘A Celebration of Dolly Parton’

When wanting to honor Dolly Parton with the I Will Always Love You special, the Country Music Association found itself with a unique problem. It wasn’t having to find stars to take the stage. There were more than enough willing participants. It wasn’t finding a network. Disney and ABC jumped at the chance. The main problem was finding enough time. Scheduling nearly two dozen performers, the CMA special only had two hours for a full-blown Dolly celebration. Not wasting a single second, the night featured a special performance from a singer who once shared the spotlight with Dolly – Vince Gill. 

With Belmont University’s Fisher Centre for the Performing Arts in Nashville packed with country singers, stars, and legends, Gill looked out over the audience as he paid tribute to the Queen of Country Music. Again, Gill wasn’t the only singer there who had a personal connection with Dolly. Carrie Underwood, Brad Paisley, Reba McEntire, and Ricky Skaggs all had their own stories of what made Dolly an icon.

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But Gill wasn’t there to tell a story or recount a memory. Instead, he let Dolly’s own discography do the talking when he started to perform “A Few Old Memories.” And with only two hours to celebrate more than six decades of music, Gill made every second of his time on stage count.

[RELATED: Bobby Bones Reveals What Made Dolly Parton Unlike Anyone Else in Country Music]

Vince Gill Deemed Dolly Parton “The Most Beautiful Sound” Ever

Before traveling to Nashville for the I Will Always Love You: A Celebration of Dolly Parton, Gill discussed his own connection to the singer. Appearing on the Off the Record podcast, he recalled what it was like to share the spotlight with Dolly. Considering it nothing short of a lifetime achievement, Gill insisted,  “There are so few people in this life that everybody loves, and that’s her, to a T. She owned every room she ever walked in, and her talent was every bit as good as the person she was.” 

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Gill added to his comments when posting a throwback performance of the two at the CMA Awards. He wrote in the caption, “We are all crushed here at our house. One of the most beautiful sounds I’ve ever heard was when Dolly and I sang that last note of ‘I Will Always Love You’ the year we performed it on the CMA Awards.”  

While Gill had plenty of accomplishments to look back on throughout his own career, singing beside Dolly remained in a category of its own. What was once another unforgettable night at the CMA Awards had become a memory he could hold onto after saying goodbye to a dear friend.

(Photo by Terry Wyatt/Getty Images)