Dolly Parton accepted one last honor Wednesday night, and she did it in the most Dolly way possible. At the Americana Honors&Awards, the late icon posthumously received the Lifetime Achievement Award through a video she recorded before her death on Aug. 25 at age 80. In the message, she reflected on her Smoky Mountain upbringing and called roots music, now known as Americana, the sound she grew up playing.
She also gave credit to her 1997 album“Hungry Again,”which she said sparked a bluegrass and acoustic era in her career that she described as a musical renaissance. The tribute that followed matched the moment: Emmylou Harris delivered opening remarks, saying there was nothing Dolly couldn’t do, and Brandi Carlile with I’m with Her closed the ceremony with a performance of“Coat of Many Colors.”
It was a farewell written in Dolly’s own voice, focused on gratitude and where she came from rather than trophies. Her legacy spans decades of music, film, and philanthropy, and this final message reminded everyone why she meant so much to so many.
What’s the Dolly Parton song that means the most to you? Tell us in the comments.
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Local Lawton
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