Only Dolly Parton could bring all of country music to one place. And she did it after she sadly passed away at 80 on August 25. When the Queen of Country Music passed away, the Country Music Association planned to celebrate one of the genre’s brightest stars. The only problem – the CMA only had two hours. Kicking off the event tonight, the I Will Always Love You special was packed with practically all of country music. With not a single seat left unattended, Zac Brown highlighted The Smoky Mountain Songbird, which included a familiar voice.
While Belmont University was accustomed to thousands of students in its halls, it found the Fisher Center for the Performing Arts in Nashville to be filled with nearly every star in country music. Kicking off the special tribute, the celebration featured appearances by Kelsea Ballerini, Amy Grant, Ashley McBryde, Carrie Underwood, and over a dozen more. But for a brief moment, Brown got the chance to stand under the spotlight, remembering the love that Dolly spread throughout generations.
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And when he performed “Butterfly,” Dolly’s vocals from the original track echoed throughout the auditorium, allowing the Queen of Country Music to become part of the tribute herself.
And the night was about more than just covering classic hits from Dolly. The CMA and Belmont University collected a portion of the proceeds to donate to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. A program close to the singer’s heart, the Imagination Library has witnessed a mountain of support and donations since Dolly’s passing. Disney also pledged to help the Imagination Library and its mission to encourage children to read.
[RELATED: Dolly Parton Had a Simple One-Word Request Before Her Death, Sister Reveals]
Amy Grant Wonders “What Would Dolly Do?”
Aside from honoring Dolly on stage, Amy Grant shared a touching tribute on Instagram. Thanks to her own career, the singer received the chance to meet Dolly. And according to Grant, “I have been in the presence of two women who radiated a kind of light I’ve never seen matched – Minnie Pearl and Dolly Parton.”
Explaining how both women could make the entire world feel “welcomed,” Grant praised the complete selflessness of Pearl and Dolly. “Wit, charm, down-home wisdom, storytelling that could stop you in your tracks – and they gave all of it away, over and over, like it never once occurred to them to keep any of it for themselves.”
Like countless others, Grant hoped to keep Dolly’s spirit alive through her own actions. “I think I’ll be asking myself for a long time – what would Dolly do?” And with a lifetime of generosity, music, and kindness to look back on, Grant had plenty of examples to choose from.
(Photo by: Weiss Eubanks/NBCUniversal via Getty Images)
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