Bringing out a star-studded cast.
Though it still doesn’t feel real just over a month later, the queen of country music herself, Dolly Parton, passed away on August 25th at 80 years old in Nashville, Tennessee. The “Jolene” singer had been dealing with undisclosed health issues for the last year or so, and she previously shared that she was having issues with severe kidney stones. Aside from that, she understandably didn’t share more, though clearly there were more serious issues going on.
Dolly’s rep confirmed to People that her death sadly followed a “brief battle with cancer,” though the specific kind was not revealed. She had been open about her health struggles over the last several months, though it sounds like the cancer was a more recent development.
Unsurprisingly, the country music world — and the world at large — has been mourning her death over the past month. Online, legends such as George Strait, Reba and Blake Shelton, as well as Alan Jackson, Tim McGraw and Ella Langley (among plenty of others) took to social media to pen tributes, share memories and send condolences to the Parton family. We’ve also seen a plethora beautiful tributes in concert from the likes of Chris Stapleton, Kacey Musgraves, Brad Paisley, the Turnpike Troubadours’ Evan Felker, Charley Crockett and many more.
Last month, the Country Music Association (CMA) announced the largest celebration from a television perspective: a two-hour live special celebrating the life and music of the country icon called “CMA Presents I Will Always Love You: A Celebration of Dolly Parton.” It’s set to air on October 21st on ABC and Disney+, and be available for streaming the following day on Hulu.
This morning, the CMA rolled out the full list of performers, and it is star-studded to say the least.
Unsurprisingly, some of the biggest female stars in the genre today, such as Ella Langley, Lainey Wilson, Ashley McBryde, Carly Pearce, Carrie Underwood, Kelsea Ballerini, Molly Tuttle and Sierra Hull, will appear and perform tributes to the “9 to 5” singer.
Past collaborators throughout her illustrious, six-decade career like Vince Gill, Brad Paisley, Reba McEntire, Zac Brown, Ricky Skaggs, Amy Grant and Béla Fleck will also honor the legend with performances.
Rounding out the star-studded cast are the likes of Darius Rucker, Lady A, Little Big Town and Willie Nelson’s son, Lukas Nelson. Additionally, stars from outside of the genre such as Kristen Bell, Kristin Cehnoweth, Kimberly Williams-Paisley, as well as a Belmont University student ensemble, will make appearances throughout the night.
According to Variety, the special will be a:
“Joyful, emotional celebration of the artist, songwriter, entertainer, humanitarian and entrepreneur whose music and generosity carried her from the mountains of East Tennessee into the hearts of generations around the world, told through performances, archival footage and personal stories that trace her extraordinary journey to becoming one of the most beloved entertainers and philanthropists in American history.”
Sarah Trahern, CMA CEO, says this special is a way of saying “thank you” to Dolly for everything she did for so many people:
“Dolly Parton belonged to the whole world, but she was born of this industry, and this industry owes her a debt of gratitude that words alone cannot repay. As the organization built to serve and celebrate country music, honoring her legacy is not just an opportunity; it is our responsibility.
This special is our way of saying thank you, on behalf of every artist, industry member and fan who found a piece of themselves in her music.”
Robert Deaton, who will serve as the tribute’s executive producer, says their goal is to simply “do right be her story, her music and the people who love her”:
“Dolly gave country music its heart, and giving some of that heart back to her is an incredible honor. My hope is simply that we do right by her story, her music and the people who love her, so that this evening feels like the tribute my friend deserves.”
The live event will be filmed at Belmont University’s Fisher Center for the Performing Arts in Nashville, and in true Dolly fashion, CMA and Belmont University will also donate a portion of the proceeds to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, which was one of Dolly’s greatest passions.
“CMA Presents I Will Always Love You: A Celebration of Dolly Parton” will air live on Wednesday, October 21st at 8 p.m. CT on ABC and Disney+.
Full List of Performers
- Ashley McBryde
- Béla Fleck
- Brad Paisley
- Carly Pearce
- Carrie Underwood
- Darius Rucker
- Ella Langley
- Kelsea Ballerini
- Kristen Bell
- Kristin Chenoweth
- Lady A
- Lainey Wilson
- Little Big Town
- Lukas Nelson
- Molly Tuttle
- Reba McEntire
- Ricky Skaggs
- Sierra Hull
- Vince Gill
- Zac Brown
