Nashville gathered at Belmont University on Oct. 21 to celebrate Dolly Parton, who died Aug. 25 at age 80, and the night was everything she deserved.“I Will Always Love You: A Celebration of Dolly Parton”featured Reba McEntire as host and performer alongside Carrie Underwood, Zac Brown, Brad Paisley and Vince Gill. Reba’s gospel rendition of“He’s Alive”with the Belmont choir earned a full standing ovation from the room.
The tribute stretched far beyond the stage. Video messages came in from Oprah Winfrey, Julia Roberts, Sabrina Carpenter, Goldie Hawn and U2’s Bono, a reminder that Dolly’s reach went way past country music. Vince Gill described her as a force of nature who brought people together from all walks of life, a sentiment that echoed through the entire evening.
In classic Dolly fashion, the night also gave back. The CMA, Belmont, Disney and the Nashville Convention&Visitors Corp donated a combined $1 million to Parton’s Imagination Library, the program that mails free books to children around the world. What’s the first Dolly song you ever heard? Tell us in the comments.
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Local Lawton
Local Lawton is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.