Dolly

WHEN we mourned the loss of Dolly Parton in August, it was an especially emotional time for Carly Pearce. 

The much-missed Queen of Country — and theme park owner — once referred to Carly as “The Little Dollywood Girl”. 

As I discover, their lives became inextricably linked for more than two decades. 

“I never thought there would be a day without Dolly Parton,” Carly tells me. “I always loved her, right from when I was a kid.” 

Aged just 15, she successfully auditioned for the Country Crossroads show at Dollywood, the sprawling park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, not far from the Great Smoky Mountains where Dolly was raised in a humble log cabin with her 11 siblings. 

“At 16, my parents let me quit high school,” says Carly, picking up her story, “and my mom and I moved to Pigeon Forge, about a four-hour drive from our hometown in Kentucky. 

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“I jumped into six shows a day, five days a week, at Dollywood.” 

“It was then that I first met Dolly, as one of her performers,” she adds, recalling the moment she couldn’t help staring at the singer who gave us Jolene and I Will Always Love You, hardly believing she was real. 

Today, Carly, 36, is forging a stellar career of her own and has just released a career-defining album, Honest Woman. 

She’s on her tour bus in Chicago, where it’s 9am, and I’m in London when we’re connected via video call. 

“For a day on the road, it’s too early for me to be ready yet,” she exclaims with her cloud of blonde curls framing a big smile. 

“Well, you look amazing to me,” I reply, before turning to talk about her life, her album and her beloved dogs, Johnny and June. 

But first let’s hear more about her connection to the incomparable Dolly Parton. 

By a twist of fate, it was up to Carly to lead the Grand Ole Opry’s tribute show for Dolly at The Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, the spiritual home of country music. 

It took place on August 29, just four days after Carly’s guiding light passed away. 

She opened her set with a moving rendition of Those Memories Of You, a song recorded by Dolly, Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris for their 1987 album Trio. Carly says: “It was kind of odd because I was already scheduled to play the Opry to celebrate my album.  

“Then it just so happened that the show to honour Dolly fell on the same day — so I got to run the show. I was everywhere.  

“I think it was meant to be because she had been such a big part of my life and such a part of my origin story.  

“It was a heavy thing for me to be there and realise she’d gone but it was a big honour.” 

Years after her Dollywood stint, Carly and Dolly met again when both were appearing on TV promoting albums at the same time. 

“So I got to remind her of who I was,” says Carly. “After that, I’d see her during my time in Nashville.  

“But then I had the crazy, crazy surprise of my life. I thought I was doing a commercial for Dollywood, which I thought was a cool thing to do.” 

On June 17, 2021, Dolly suddenly appeared backstage at the shoot and told Carly, “You are now an official member of the Grand Ole Opry.”  

It was an invitation to the most exclusive and historic club in country music. Carly says: “There are three moments in my life which I think of as favourite career moments. And that is number one. 

“The other two are winning Female Vocalist Of The Year at the CMAs (2021) and a Grammy (2023, with Ashley McBryde for their duet, Never Wanted To Be That Girl).” 

Before we move on to more about her life story and her new album, I ask Carly what she admired about Dolly. 

“She had a way of telling a story that was unapologetic and honest,” she replies. 

“She was uniquely her own person in a way that freaked people out in the beginning. The way she looked and how she spoke. She was such a pioneer for women.” 

It’s clear that Dolly, along with the likes of Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn and Tammy Wynette, paved the way for female country singers in what could be — and still is to some extent — a male-dominated world. 

Carly says: “Oh my God, I’m not trying to be mean, but there are so many songs on the radio that could be ten different dudes all sounding the same. 

“I have to say, as a female, you can distinctively tell who is who.  

“You have to have backbone and grit to break through — and I think you’re seeing that a lot right now with females in country music.” 

Listen to Carly’s new album, Honest Woman, a vibrant song cycle drawing on country pop, old school country and bluegrass, and you’ll detect some of that fierce determination. 

“I’ve always written from an honest and vulnerable place,” she says. “I don’t really know how to not be myself, which can be great and also a curse.” 

The rousing opener Dream Come True suggests that success doesn’t always bring happiness. 

Reflecting on being a single woman, unlucky in love, she sings: “Bought me a house at the end of a cul-de-sac. Four bedrooms but I only use one.” 

Later, she’s “sittin’ on the couch, cryin’ in the dark. Every plaque on the wall is a broken heart.” 

Carly says: “Dream Come True was the first song I wrote for the album. I was feeling a lot of pressure to write a hit.” 

She considered where her life had taken her, which, she confesses, made her cry — but she came up with a song straight from the heart. 

“I’ve chased this dream from the time I was a kid,” she says. “I think of the sacrifices I’ve made, that it comes with a price.  

“I saw young women my age with husbands and children and a more simple life that wasn’t as isolating as mine — and I wondered if I was missing out.” 

Carly’s dream of being a singer began, she says, “with my McDonald’s microphone when I was five-years-old”. 

“My parents loved music though not country music. But the only thing that would keep me from crying as a baby was (country star) Vince Gill. 

“My mom was so upset because she loved Fleetwood Mac, Heart and Black Sabbath. My dad loved the Grateful Dead and The Doobie Brothers.” 

However, Carly’s maternal grandparents, the Pearces, were into traditional country and bluegrass — artists such as Buck Owens and Ralph Stanley. 

She continues: “When I was six, my mom convinced a vocal coach to take me on. I don’t know why but she believed I had talent. 

“For the rest of my childhood, she supported that side of my dreams, whether it was making costumes for talent shows, driving me to recording studios, buying me karaoke CDs or getting me a guitar.” 

Carly’s move to Dollywood and into Dolly Parton’s orbit at 15 was her first big step into country music but another female pathfinder also inspired her.  

She was Loretta Lynn, the rags-to-riches singer whose turbulent story was told in Coal Miner’s Daughter with Oscar winner Sissy Spacek in the lead role. 

Carly says her new song You Can Have Him, with its trad country vibe, “is Loretta in spirit”. 

“I loved Loretta so much growing up,” she says. “I didn’t get to meet her, but there’s a song on my album 29: Written In Stone called Dear Miss Loretta. She sent me a voice text about it which I still have.” 

As for You Can Have Him, she adds: “Doing that was cool. I felt that traditional country was always such a big part of my story but I’d never honoured it on an album before.  

“So I went old school and wrote this tongue-in-cheek song about a guy with a wandering eye. 

“It takes me back in time. It’s as if I was Loretta Lynn singing at the Opry in the Sixties when she was 30-something.”  

Next, we talk about Carly’s “absolute favourite” song on Honest Woman, He Don’t Like My Dogs. 

It’s about an ex who got the boot because he didn’t take to the two loves of her life — shih tzus Johnny and June, named after the first couple of country music, Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash. 

“Here they are on the back of my phone case,” says Carly, holding up her phone to show me pictures of two fluffy white balls of hair. 

“I love my dogs so much and always wanted to write a song about them, but it felt a bit cheesy. 

“Then I had a situation when someone was not nice to Johnny. So Johnny and I talked and he said, ‘Mom, you know what to do’.  

“So I wrote this song that I think a lot of people can relate to. If you’re a dog person and somebody doesn’t like your dog, get out!” 

Expressing just what Johnny and June mean to her, Carly continues: “I don’t have children, but they fulfil that need for me so much. I mean, I just FaceTimed them before I got on this call. They’re with my dad while I’m on tour.” 

Moving on to other aspects of Carly’s album, I guess you can judge her by the company she keeps. 

There’s a guest appearance by breakthrough star Riley Green on stirring duet If I Don’t Leave I’m Gonna Stay. 

“I always target my duet partners,” says Carly. “Riley’s having a serious moment, especially in the States.  

“I’ve known him for a long time and knew I wanted to do this song with him.” 

Elsewhere, How Long is one of several songs to feature bluegrass powerhouse, guitarist and singer Dan Tyminski, known for his work with Alison Krauss & Union Station. 

Carly says: “I know he’s not in Union Station any more but they were my favourite band growing up. 

“I wore out their live CD from Louisville, Kentucky. My band jokes with me because I play every song on air guitar or air fiddle.  

“For years, I said Dan was my celebrity crush but nobody even knew who he was. I would just say, ‘You know, the guy who was George Clooney’s singing voice on O Brother Where Art Thou?’” 

How Long also features sublime harmony vocals by Morgane Stapleton, wife of big, bearded country superstar Chris and a formidable talent in her own right. 

Carly explains: “When I did my song with Chris, We Don’t Fight Anymore, first I had to figure out how to get the song to him.  

“I thought, ‘OK, I probably have a better chance if I DM his wife on Instagram. 

“That’s what I did. Morgane wrote back and asked me to call her. She was the reason that song got to Chris and we became friends.” 

When it came to the sessions for Honest Woman, Carly called her new pal. 

“No offence to Chris — I love Chris,” she says. “But I wanted his wife on this album so I sent her a message. She came to the studio and crushed it.” 

The record ends with Why God Why Me, a heartfelt acoustic ballad reflecting Carly’s abiding faith.  

“The song is my North Star for this entire project,” she affirms. “Faith has been the one constant in my life in this wild ride through the ever-changing music industry.” 

Why God Why Me is also an example of how this unflinchingly “honest woman” goes about her work. 

Carly says her songs “help me state the way I feel, just like Dolly did”. 

CARLY PEARCE 

Honest Woman 

★★★★★

Friday is Dolly Parton Day and the late country icon remains a gift that keeps on giving.

Just months before her death in August at age 80, Parton had recorded a duet with Bono that will be included in U2’s upcoming album, “Carnaval de Luz,” the band announced Thursday. It is reportedly her final recording.

“When she got ill … she got out of her bed to sing this song. And you can hear that,” Bono told Rolling Stone. “And I can’t even listen to it now.”

The Irish singer told the outlet that he had approached Parton to ask her to collaborate on a different side project inspired by Irish folk music. She ultimately turned down that request for being “a little too Irish” for her, but countered by offering Bono one of her songs, titled “Torn,” to see if he could “take it somewhere else, maybe.”

According to Bono, he and Snow Patrol’s Johnny McDaid rewrote the lyrics and Parton agreed to sing that version. Parton shares writing credits for the track with members of U2 and McDaid.

“She sang her heart out,” Bono said. “And I cannot believe that’s an 80-year-old woman.”

“Torn,” which features lyrics around a mother who is watching her family get torn apart, will be the closing track of “Carnaval de Luz,” which will be released Nov. 13.

Parton was reportedly able to listen to the final mix of the song to give her approval.

“Dolly loved it,” the album’s producer, Garret “Jacknife” Lee, told Rolling Stone. “She was so proud of her vocal and the recording. She was thrilled with it. We were very nervous that she might not approve, or would be uncomfortable with it, but she loved it.”

For fans that can’t wait until November, 20th Century Studios and Disney on Friday announced that a newly restored version of “9 to 5” will hit theaters for a special week-long run in October. Proceeds from ticket sales to see the workplace comedy from Oct. 9 to 15 will be donated to the Dollywood Foundation to support Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.

The announcement was made to commemorate “Give Like Dolly Day,” established by the Dollywood Foundation and also observed on Friday in Parton’s honor.

DOLLY Parton’s nephew threatened to “destroy her entire brand” in shocking texts exposed by the late icon’s manager.

In a trove of messages and emails obtained by The U.S. Sun, Dolly’s nephew and longtime head of security, Bryan Seaver, sent a flurry of messages to her manager, Danny Nozell, before and after her death on August 25 after a brief battle with cancer.

The texts have been revealed as part of a lawsuit filed by Nozell against Seaver alleging that he threatened various Dolly business entities just before and after his iconic aunt died unless his demands were met.

Nozell claimed her nephew’s threats were aimed at causing “fear and chaos to extort money for his personal gain.”

He claimed that he has been tasked with running Dolly’s businesses through She’s Alive LLC, which was created “through her trust and estate plan,” to “protect her professional property and business interests.”

Seaver, whom Nozell fired from his security role this week, texted the manager that was ready to “destroy the entire brand if you don’t get these [REDACTED] out of our bit,” he wrote, adding, “I’ll earn you more money by virtue of their exit,” he wrote.

Seaver then said to Nozell, “I am your ally. This is a long game you need to start doing on them. The Dollywood brand is dying.”

Dolly’s Dollywood theme park is worth an astounding $300 million, of which she had a 50% stake in.

In another text to Nozell, Seaver threatened to “set up a podcast dedicated to ruining Dolly’s brand partnerships.”

Seaver bragged in another text that, as he was the one to announce Dolly’s passing on her social media, he was “the face of the biggest social media post in human history.”

Seaver also said he “just sold $29 million dollars worth of ammo to Haiti,” to which Nozell saw as a statement to “magnify fear and demonstrate that Mr. Seaver could combine public notoriety with his means and stated willingness to inflict serious commercial damage.”

According to the complaint filed on Tuesday, Dolly’s manager claimed Seaver “has individually, and through his associates, made repeated, written threats to Ms. Parton’s staff, partners, legal and business advisors, and others.”

“These were not ordinary workplace disputes or heated words; they were deliberate threats from a self-proclaimed heavily armed, former security operative with a military-contractor background,” Nozell claimed in the complaint.

“Many of these people are now afraid to come to work or have resigned entirely because they do not feel safe.”

Nozell has filed a restraining order against Seaver and his security company, Squadron Augmented Protection Services LLP.

He is asking the court to order Seaver to stay at least 1,000 feet away from any person or entity that may have a business relationship with She’s Alive LLC and to bar him and his company from making any statements that may interfere with the business.

Nozell is asking for damages as well, though the complaint alleges that Seaver’s conduct has caused irreparable harm.

“The loss of safety, goodwill, trusted personnel, counsel, and business relationships cannot be fully remedied by money damages, and [Seaver’s] continuing threats create an ongoing and escalating risk of further harm,” the suit claimed.

The U.S. Sun reached out to Seaver and Nozell for comment.

As The U.S. Sun exclusively reported, Dolly was quietly getting her affairs squared away during her final months.

Just four months before she died, she appeared to lay the ground work in an attempt for an estate fight to be avoided.

Public records show that her expansive Willow Lake Plantation property was transferred from the DP Spousal Trust, which Dolly managed as the trustee, to the DP Dean Trust on April 21 for $0.

Dolly Parton’s estate has reportedly accused the late singer’s nephew of extortion and threats against staff.

On Tuesday, Parton’s estate, She’s Alive, LLC, requested a restraining order against Parton’s nephew Bryan Seaver, court records show. The request came after he was fired from his job as head of security, as TMZ reported.

She’s Alive is run by Parton’s former manager Danny Nozell.

The New York Times reviewed court records containing allegations that Seaver began making demands shortly before Parton died. The demands grew into more serious threats, according to the records the news outlet cited, which the plaintiffs saw as an attempt to obtain money from the Parton estate.

Here’s what to know.

Who is Bryan Seaver?

Parton’s nephew, Bryan Seaver, shared the news of his aunt’s death in a video posted to her Instagram account on Aug. 25.

In the video, Seaver, standing in front of a black background, introduces himself as the the son of Dolly’s sister Cassie Parton and says he is representing the Parton and Owens family in announcing his aunt’s death. The Owens are the maternal side of the country star’s family.

“This video announcement is something Dolly asked of me years ago, before I fully absorbed it as a future reality,” he says in the video.

Seaver adds that he followed in his father Larry’s footsteps in becoming Parton’s head of security, a post he held for more than 20 years.

Seaver and his company, Squadron Augmented Protection Services, LLC, are the defendants in the lawsuit. They were reportedly terminated about three weeks after the country icon’s death.

Seaver did not immediately respond to The Times’ request for comment.

According to the New York Times’ reporting on the court records, the restraining order request, filed in Davidson County Chancery Court in Nashville, sought to keep Seaver away from Parton’s properties and staff.

Who is Danny Nozell?

Nozell was Parton’s longtime manager. He has claimed credit for helping revive Parton’s international touring career.

He told The Times last month that Parton “worked up until the day she died” on multiple projects.

“She loved seeing her dreams come to life, and loved knowing her work brought people joy,” Nozell said in the statement. “Ever the planner, Dolly worked with the team that she handpicked, for the past several years to build a project roadmap that will guide us for decades to come.”

Nozell’s website described his work with Parton as “arguably his most notable achievements.”

What are the allegations?

The court records, according to the New York Times, include allegations that Seaver sent a profane threat to a Dollywood business partner, and that, separately, he referred to himself as a “killer” and “not an entertainment person” while corresponding with one of Parton’s longtime lawyers.

According to TMZ, Seaver and his team said in a statement that they were “dismayed by the … unexplained actions” following Parton’s death and “[w]e remain unshakably resolved to fulfill her final directive to protect her family, and we refuse to be intimidated by those whose actions we believe are being taken in bad faith and with the intent to profit from the life of someone who willingly gave so much.”

Sept. 21, 2026 12:58 PM PT

The Queen of Country is being honored with a special day on Californians’ calendars.

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation Sunday that establishes Sept. 25 as Dolly Parton Day. The date’s significance may be obvious to fans of the late country legend: 9-2-5 references Parton’s hit single “9 to 5” from the soundtrack of the 1980 comedy film of the same name that starred Parton, Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin.

“Dolly Parton was an icon,” Newsom said in a video accompanied by his wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, announcing the bill’s passage. “Dolly was larger than life with big hair and a bigger heart. People around the world have been touched by her music, by her philanthropy, and by her humor.”

Parton died Aug. 25 at 80 years old following a battle with cancer. The beloved songwriter, recording artist, actor and businesswoman was an honored musician, earning 10 Grammy Awards and 10 Country Music Assn. Awards, as well as two Academy Award nominations and a Primetime Emmy. She was the recipient of the National Medal of the Arts in 2005 and the Kennedy Center for the Arts Award in 2006. Parton was also inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1999 and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2022.

“Her legacy goes well beyond her music,” Sen. John Laird (D-Santa Cruz), who co-authored the bill with Sen. Shannon Grove (R-Bakersfield), said in a statement. “Through the Imagination Library, she put books into the hands of millions of children, and throughout her life she led with kindness, acceptance, and a belief that everyone deserves to be treated with dignity and respect. She was also no stranger to the Central Coast, where she performed for packed crowds and spent time over the years. Now, every 9-2-5, California gets to celebrate Dolly and the remarkable legacy she shared with all of us.”

Dolly Parton — the “queen of country,” benevolent ruler of Dollywood and America’s true sweetheart — died at age 80 last month. But she lives on forever at home in our living rooms, in the warm echo of a Tennessee twang from the speaker and, perhaps surprisingly (although that shouldn’t be so), in the flickering glow of our television screens.

Parton got her start on the small screen, appearing on the “Cas Walker Farm and Home Hour” when she was 10. Eleven years later, she had a down-home breakthrough on the widely syndicated “Porter Wagoner Show.” There were multiple interviews with Barbara Walters, “Tonight Show” appearances with Johnny Carson, two successive variety shows and many a guest spot, including on “Hannah Montana,” “Designing Women” and “Reba.”

At the Emmys on Monday, Reba McEntire sang a soulful tribute to Parton with a cover of her 1983 song “Appalachian Mountains,” one of McEntire’s all-time favorites. Before that, though, came a heartfelt speech by Sally Field, Parton’s co-star in “Steel Magnolias.”

“If there are truly angels on Earth, then we just lost one: Dolly Parton,” Field said. “It was my great good fortune to have worked with Dolly in a film called ‘Steel Magnolias.’ And over the years, I never stopped loving her, though we lived very far apart. I adored her from Day One; how could you not? She was genuine and humble, supportive and blisteringly funny, with a bawdy sense of humor that would send any rude guy looking for a place to hide.

“I couldn’t see then what a real giant Dolly was — not just as an artist, but as a human,” she added. “She was a humanitarian whose contributions have made a profound difference in the lives of so many in her home state of Tennessee, and across our country. God bless you, Dolly Parton, my friend. I am not the only one on Earth that will love you forever and ever.”

Then came an archival clip of Parton introducing “Appalachian Mountains” the year it came out. “I’m very, very proud of the fact that I had the kind of parents that I did, and grew up in the Smoky Mountains, the Appalachian Mountains,” she said. “And I have written a song that touches me very deep, and I’m sure that, in your own way, that you certainly will relate to this. This song, like I say, is very important to me, and I hope you like it. And if you don’t like it, well, if you don’t mind, I would rather not hear about it later, OK? It’s a song that I call ‘Appalachian Mountains.’ ”

Several Gogglebox stars were reduced to tears as they tuned into the Dolly Parton tribute at Last Night of the Proms starring Sheridan Smith and Beverley Knight

Emotional Gogglebox stars couldn’t hold back their tears during the latest episode of the Channel 4 show.

The armchair critics returns to screens on Friday (September 18) night as they offered their verdict on the latest programmes on television from Channel 4’s new reality show Apocalypse to ITV thriller Trigger Point.

However, it was Last Night of the Proms which left cast members in tears as they watched performers Sheridan Smith and Beverley Knight pay tribute to country music sensation Dolly Parton, who died on August 25 aged 80 following a brief and undisclosed battle with cancer.

The second half of the BBC concert, which aired on September 12, honoured the songstress with Sheridan singing feminist anthem 9 To 5, Beverley belting out I Will Always Love You and country-pop duo Ward Thomas performing Jolene.

Tuning into the concert from the comfort of their sofas, several Gogglebox stars including Mary Killen, Lee Riley and Jenny Newby were left sobbing as the musical stars paid tribute to Dolly.

Bryan Seaver, Dolly’s head of security and nephew announced the sad news of her passing on social media last month. In the video, he told fans: “Hey everyone. My name is Bryan Seaver, son of Cassie Parton, and I am representing the Parton and Owens family today, announcing the passing of my Aunt Dolly Rebecca Parton Dean. Sister, sis, Aunt Granny to one generation and Gigi to the next.”

Tributes from around the world were shared following the news, with Elton John saying he was: “Shocked and devastated to hear of Dolly’s passing. A giant of an artist – unique and irreplaceable, with the kindest heart.”

Sir Paul McCartney also commented: “The magnificent star Dolly Parton has died and it is so sad. She was such a wonderful woman.” It comes after Dolly was posthumously honoured with the Americana Lifetime Achievement Award at the Americana Awards & Honours Awards last week.

The Grammy winner appeared in a pre-recorded video to accept the award. She beamed in the clip where she accepted the award. “Well, hey, it’s Dolly, and I am so honoured to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Americana Music Association,” she began.

“I mean, roots music, or what is now called Americana music, is what I grew up playing back in the Smoky Mountains. It’s that same music that drew me back to East Tennessee in 1997 to write and record my album, Hungry Again.”

“And that project really opened the door to a series of bluegrass and acoustic albums that changed the course of my career in so many ways,” she continued.

“Now, new fans discovered these albums, new Americana music communities embraced them, and now looking back at it all, I see this era of my career as a musical renaissance of sorts.

“I want to thank everyone at the AMA for recognising me with this award. It’s a great honor truly, and just know that I will always love you.”

Among Dolly’s many honours include a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, along with being inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and Country Music Hall of Fame.

Gogglebox airs Fridays on Channel 4 at 9pm

The Country Music Assn. will put on a two-hour live TV special honoring Dolly Parton, who died last month at the age of 80.

The association said Wednesday that the television tribute — titled “CMA Presents I Will Always Love You: A Celebration of Dolly Parton” — will be recorded live at the Fisher Center for the Performing Arts, on the campus of Belmont University in Nashville.

The tribute will air Oct. 21 at 6 p.m. Pacific on ABC and Disney+, and will stream on Hulu a day later.

In a news release, CMA described the special as a “joyful, emotional celebration” dedicated to Parton, the rhinestone-studded singer whose life began humbly, in a one-room cabin at the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains.

Robert Deaton, veteran executive producer of the Country Music Awards and Billboard Music Awards, will fill that role on the Parton project.

“Dolly gave Country Music its heart, and giving some of that heart back to her is an incredible honor,” said Deaton in a news release Wednesday. “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.”

Sarah Trahern, CMA chief executive, added that the tribute is the association’s “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.”

The tribute is in partnership with Belmont University, which hosted the 2025 world premiere of “Dolly: A True Original Musical,” a biographical production about the “9 to 5” singer that is scheduled for its Broadway debut on Jan. 19, what would have been the Parton’s 81st birthday.

The university also previously launched “Dolly U,” an immersive educational partnership designed to connect students with hands-on opportunities in entertainment, media and creative industries.

Greg Jones, president of Belmont University, welcomed the special with a statement of his own: “It is a privilege to welcome artists, friends and fans from around the world to celebrate her extraordinary life and legacy from this stage in Nashville, honoring a woman whose love for Tennessee was woven into everything she did.”

Both the CMA and Belmont University will make a donation from the proceeds to Parton’s Imagination Library, which was launched by the Dollywood Foundation in 1995 to address childhood literacy by giving millions of children the gift of a free book each month. Disney will also support the program.

News of the television tribute follows an announcement last month by Parton’s estate that revealed plans for Dollyfest, a two-day celebration in Nashville and London next year across two consecutive weekends to honor her legacy.

Additional details for the CMA special, including performers and tickets, will be announced at a later date.

A GIANT glittery guitar hangs next to bright pink awnings and a huge sign that reads: “Dolly Parton’s SongTeller Hotel”.

The 12-storey building was one of the music icon’s final projects — and while she won’t get to see it open following her death at the age of 80 last month, it will ensure her legacy lives on in Nashville.

Parton was heavily involved in the creation of the 240-room hotel, which is a glittering addition to the Tennessee skyline and an absolute must-visit for fans.

It opens to the public on September 29, and I was one of the lucky few granted a first look.

A number of Parton’s costumes will be exhibited in the lobby in a nod to Dolly’s Life of Many Colors Museum on the third floor, where interconnected digital screens tell a 15-minute story of her life.

General manager Shannon Foster says: “We are expecting ­people to walk in even when they’re not staying here. We want everyone to feel welcome.”

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Hotel guests will encounter more moments of magical discovery as they move through the elegant building, where song lyrics are etched on to doorframes.

Guests can choose from four room categories — even the most basic of which has the wow factor. But those with cash to splash can spoil themselves with a night in the Acoustic Suite, which is completely geared up for songwriters.

Its living area comes with a keyboard, while drawer liners adorned with Parton’s famous quotes add a personal touch.

The most heartwarming element of the hotel, however, are the Six Sisters rooms on every floor.

“When the designers asked Dolly what she wanted most in the hotel, she replied that she’d always wanted to share a room with her five ­sisters,” Foster explained.

The result is a touching tribute to the Parton family bond — a suite with three double beds separated by candy-stripe curtains and a washroom with two showers and toilets.

The rooms are connected by a ­living area in the middle with a curved sofa, a side table painted with each sister’s favourite flower and a chandelier decorated with the siblings’ birthstones.

Foster considers the second floor to be the heart of the operation, though, with guests taking a lift up to a gold sparkling desk to check in.

Parton’s Live — cosy seating around a stage, and bar space ­created to showcase upcoming talent — sits opposite.

But the jewel in the hotel’s crown looks likely to be the late-night lounge Jolene’s, on the top floor.

It will open daily from 5pm and serve punchy cocktails, and a food menu to suit.

A spectacular view over Second Avenue and the Cumberland River — where the famous 4th of July fireworks take place — means Jolene’s will, arguably, have the best seat in the house for the celebration.

The hotel may be opening a month after the singer’s tragic death but her touch is everywhere.

It’s in the diamante trim on bottle-green barstools, in the corset lacing on the back of a pink ­velvet chair and in the words etched into the corner of a mirror.

“Dolly approved every single rendering that became a reality,” Foster said.

“The hotel is Dolly’s gift to Nashville.”

Parton’s influence on her spiritual home is undeniable and if you plan to visit, it’s well worth exploring beyond the hotel.

Her star in the Music City Walk of Fame Park, near the hotel, remains encircled with floral tributes.

The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, opposite the park, has been running a special exhibition about the music legend for the past 17 months.

Dolly Parton — Journey of a Seeker is due to end in October but the singer is honoured throughout for her music and activism.

Parton, whose Imagination Library has gifted over three million books to children worldwide — unwittingly entwined her identity into Nashville when she debuted at the Ryman auditorium at the age of 13.

She would not have known she would return to that very stage bigger and brighter each time.

And she definitely would not have dreamed that some day, she would own a hotel just three minutes away from the auditorium.

This is Dolly’s parting gift to Nashville. And it’s worth working 9 to 5 to bag yourself a room.

The finale of the world’s biggest classical music festival aired this evening complete with a special tribute to the late Dolly Parton

A tribute to the late Dolly Parton has left BBC viewers saying the same thing.

Last Night of the Proms: The Finale aired on the channel this evening (September 12), showing the culmination of the world’s biggest classical music festival, all beamed live from London’s Royal Albert Hall.

A last-minute addition to the event’s finale was a tribute to country music icon Dolly Parton who died at the age of 80 just two weeks ago after a brief battle with cancer.

The second half opened with actress Sheridan Smith performing the star’s hit song 9 to 5 dressed in a suitably glittery jumpsuit with bouffant blonde hair in the style of the singer. The medley then moved to the Ward Thomas Duo singing Jolene, before Beverley Knight took to the stage with a powerful rendition of I Will Always Love You.

“Are you expecting me to speak after that?” choir master and TV personality Gareth Malone later said during a chat with the BBC Proms co-hosts, Nick Mohammed and Katie Derham.

He continued: “It was so emotional, it was beautiful, I love Dolly that was a wonderful rendition. The way the choir came up it really got me.”

Many fans at home were equally moved by the tribute, with many completely blown away by Beverly Knight’s performance in particular. “Loving the #DollyParton tribute on #LastNightOfTheProms,” said one fan. Meanwhile another remarked: “Thank goodness for Beverly Knight #lastnightoftheproms.”

“Beverley Knight. Take a bow. Brilliant performance. Fitting tribute to Dolly Parton,” one gushed. “Wow. Tribute to Dolly Parton at #LastNightoftheProms Beverley Knight knocked it out of the park.”

“Wasn’t expecting a tribute to #Dolly at #LastNightoftheProms -wonderful!” said another viewer. “Sheridan Smith can SING, good lord #lastnightoftheproms this is amazing. @DollyParton would love it! Jolene really lends itself to orchestra, doesn’t it?” added one fan.

However, one BBC viewer was less than impressed with Sheridan Smith’s vocals, venting: “Surely they could have found an actual professional singer to kick off the second half, rather than some celeb who gets drafted into west end shows to fill seats.”

Last Night of the Proms: The Finale is available to watch on BBC One and iPlayer.