Tribute specials are always a bit macabre. They exist, and are sometimes quickly thrown together, to honor and celebrate an artist who impacted so many. They are also ratings and advertising cash grabs that air on major TV and streaming platforms.
“CMA Presents I Will Always Love You: A Celebration of Dolly Parton,” which aired Wednesday on ABC and Disney+, was a lovely tribute to the music and cultural icon who died from cancer in August. It also was a missed opportunity. As music superstar Vince Gill said toward the end of the two-hour program, “this is not a memorial; but a celebration of an undeniable force of nature. Dolly was somebody that everyone loved: City, country, young, old.”
But most likely because the event was put on by the Country Music Assn. — which naturally wanted to showcase its own talent — it lacked a chance to really celebrate that she and her music could not be contained by one genre.
This isn’t just ironic because Parton’s most-known song — a song that was both the title of the special and the end performance of it — was made all the more famous by Whitney Houston, another iconic performer and also one who happens to have been a woman a color and who did not have any other direct ties to the Nashville scene. Dolly herself, famously, appreciated so many other kinds of music. After her passing, Eminem shared on social media a letter she’d written to him to congratulate him on his 2022 induction to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
“She definitely didn’t have to take the time to do it,” he said as part of the post. “Even for a kid who mostly listened to rap music, she was an icon. A superstar in every sense.”
That said, from Reba McEntire opening the show with stories of just how kind her friend was in real life to a pre-recorded tribute from Bono where his Irish accent briefly attempts to slip into a Southern one while emulating her conversations with him, there were some touching and memorable moments. We’ve rounded up five of them here:
Reba McEntire, “He’s Alive”
Technically, the song is meant to be the apostle Peter singing about Jesus Christ’s resurrection. But McEntire’s take on Parton’s take of the Don Francisco gospel brought in the very modern-day sense of fear that so many parents and partners feel when their loved ones go out to dangerous jobs or even just leave the house for school or concerts.
Carrie Underwood, “I Will Always Love You”
There’s no denying that this is a perfect song and that Underwood is a once-in-a-lifetime voice. And credit must be due to Underwood for pulling off an undertaking where any little slip would be pounced on by critics. But staging her to stand in front of one of the many animatronic butterflies that lined the stage in such a way that it looked like she had angel wings was … a choice.
Carly Pearce and Kristin Chenoweth, “9 to 5”
Both of these women, especially Tony winner Chenoweth, are masters of stage presence. Their banter with each other before singing, not to mention their duet itself, embraced the liveliness and feminine feminist-ness of that song.
Ella Langley, “Jolene”
This was not the most powerful performance of the night, as Langley seemed happier to dance on the stage than belt out the music. And it didn’t boil with the grief and seething rage of a scorned woman the way that Beyonce’s 2024 cover did. But it was nice to see a symbolic baton be passed to the “Choosin’ Texas” singer.
Zac Brown, “Butterfly”
Brown’s backstory of writing, and then recording, what would become his 2025 duet with Parton came off as sweet and genuine. It also helped it not feel awkward or gratuitous when he and the producers opted not to recast the Parton half of the song and instead let her voice carry through the speakers.
MILEY Cyrus broke down in tears on stage at the Hollywood Bowl as she paid an emotional tribute to her late “aunt” Dolly Parton.
The Wrecking Ball hitmaker, 33, halted proceedings at the Los Angeles venue for a heart-wrenching monologue in which she said she and the country music icon are “eternal”.
Miley Cyrus broke down in tears on stage as she halted her Los Angeles concert to pay an emotional tribute to the late Dolly PartonCredit: tiktok/@unholylozThe country singer, affectionately known as ‘aunt Dolly’ was Miley’s godmotherCredit: Getty Images – Getty
Miley said she ‘can’t f**king wait’ to see Dolly again before performing Jolene in tributeCredit: tiktok/@unholylozShe told how the pair’s bond was ‘eternal’Credit: AFP
Disney Channel alum Miley added: “Some of the greatest music that we have today was written, produced, performed by my aunt Dolly.
“This is one of those songs,” before the band started to play Jolene as the sixth song in her set.
One fan confessed on TikTok: “Now I’m crying”.
Another put: “Miley was the first person I thought of when I heard about Dolly”.
A third added: “And now I’m bawling over Dolly Parton again”.
Miley kicked off her 18-track show with song Orbit, and wrapped with Flowers.
Fan favourites The Climb, We Can’t Stop and Party In The USA also featured.
After dolly’s passing, she said she no longer wants fans to call her by her full moniker and revealed the change on social media.
She now appears to have dropped “Cyrus” completely from her stage name.
Miley later penned a heartfelt tribute to her “Aunt Dolly” on Instagram, saying that the late singer “would want me to feel it, write a song about it, and then continue on and be strong.”
Dolly had first gotten close to Miley’s father, Billy Ray Cyrus, 65, after the success of his 1992 country hit, Achy Breaky Heart.
The pair toured together that same year, and Billy asked the I Will Always Love You hitmaker to be Miley’s godmother.
Rumors have circulated that Dolly, who did not have children of her own, left behind the rights and royalties of her hit track, Jolene, to Miley.
However, The U.S. Sun confirmed that no court filings related to Dolly’s will or official plans for what will happen to her $650 million fortune have been made yet.
Dolly Parton’s estate is alleging that Bryan Seaver, the country icon’s nephew and former head of security, used a “no trespassing” sign and barbed wire to avoid being served legal documents.
There is an active restraining order and lawsuit against Seaver by Parton’s company, She’s Alive LLC, which is run by Parton’s former manager, Danny Nozell, for allegedly threatening and extorting her estate.
Seaver served as Parton’s head of security for more than 20 years and, on Aug. 25, delivered the news of his aunt’s death via a video on her Instagram account.
Legal troubles for Seaver first came to light on Sept. 22 when a case was filed by She’s Alive in Davidson County Chancery Court in Nashville on the heels of Seaver’s termination as head of security. Both Seaver and his company, Squadron Augmented Protection Services LLC, are the defendants in the lawsuit.
In documents reviewed by the New York Times, Seaver is accused of mounting “an obscene, deliberate and escalating campaign of threats” to acquire money from the Parton estate, including a profane threat made toward at least one Dollywood business partner.
Seaver filed a motion last week to delay a hearing scheduled for Friday, saying he needed time to meet with his preferred legal counsel.
The following day, lawyers for She’s Alive asked the court to deny this motion, arguing that Seaver “attempted to evade service of process” and that the “court should not reward that behavior.”
According to court filings obtained by ABC News, a process server tried to issue court documents to Seaver for the third time but encountered a “no-trespassing sign in the front yard and barbed wire draped across the handrails leading to the front door.”
The new hearing date is set for Oct. 20.
The legal complaint includes text messages in which Seaver wrote that he would become “the hand of retribution for my entire family.” According to the complaint, in other text exchanges between him and a longtime lawyer of Parton, he described himself as a “killer,” a term he would later argue was taken out of context.
There are also claims that Seaver began making financial demands before Parton’s death, including in a text to Nozell where he said he would launch a podcast “dedicated to ruining Dolly’s brand partnerships and telling the violations these people have done on us” if demands were not met, the New York Times reported.
Nozell was Parton’s longtime manager and is credited with reviving the “I Will Always Love You” singer’s international touring career.
The Times reached out to Seaver, Nozelle and She’s Alive LLC but did not hear back.
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”.
Dolly Parton once referred to Carly Pearce as ‘The Little Dollywood Girl’Credit: Dove ShoreCarly and Dolly pictured in 2021 when the Queen of Country invited the formerDollywood singer to join the Grand Ole OpryCredit: Supplied
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.”
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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.
“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.
Carly is set to play in the UK in DecemberCredit: Dove ShoreCarly on stage at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena in 2024Credit: Getty
“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.
Carly’s dream of being a singer began, she says, ‘with my McDonald’s microphone when I was five-years-old’Credit: GettyCarly performs at a tribute to the late DollyCredit: Reuters
“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 is out nowCredit: supplied
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.
