Country music is getting an official night to celebrate Dolly Parton. The Country Music Association announcedCMA Presents I Will Always Love You: A Celebration of Dolly Parton, a live two-hour special airing Wednesday, Oct. 21, from 9-11 p.m. ET on ABC. It will stream internationally on Disney+ and land on Hulu the next day.
The special films live at the Fisher Center for the Performing Arts at Belmont University in Nashville, the same campus where Parton’s musical premiered and the DOLLY U program launched. Expect live performances, archival footage and personal stories, with Robert Deaton executive producing. Proceeds will support Parton’s Imagination Library, and Disney is also backing the charity. The broadcast comes about a month before the 60th annual CMA Awards on Nov. 18.
Parton died Aug. 25 at age 80, and the tributes have been rolling in ever since, including heartfelt moments at the Emmys from Sally Field and Reba McEntire. Performers, tickets and additional partners for the special will be announced in the coming weeks.
Which Dolly song do you need to hear performed live on that stage? Tell us in the comments.
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