Dolly Parton, the iconic singer-songwriter behind songs like “9 To 5” and “I Will Always Love You”, passed away at the age of 80 on August 25. Considering the Queen of Country performed often at the Grand Ole Opry and was inducted into the institution in 1969, the Opry will dedicate a show tonight, August 29, to Parton and her legacy.
Dan Rogers, who serves as the Opry’s senior vice president, notes in a statement via News Channel 6 Nashville that Parton was an icon but also an incredibly warm person who often responded to fan mail every week.
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“Dolly Parton, for them personally, was exactly what they would have expected,” said Rogers. “And if she could have been better than they expected, somehow, then she was. […] The night will be filled with a lot of great Dolly music, I’m sure, a lot of stories. We’ll see some great Dolly video clips between performances.”
She was a true icon and an incredible (and charitable) human being. And Parton herself historically had a few sweet words to say about the Opry as well.
“For me, the Opry is like the song ‘New York, New York’,” Parton once said, per the Opry’s website. “If you can make it there, you can make it anywhere.”
So, what can we expect from her tribute show? According to the Opry, a ton of big names will be in attendance to pay respect to Parton.
Who Is Performing at Dolly Parton’s Tribute Show at the Grand Ole Opry?
The upcoming Dolly Parton tribute show at the Opry will feature a laundry list of performers. Fellow Opry members Carly Pearce, Kathy Mattea, and T. Graham Brown have been confirmed. Additional performers include Channing Wilson, Molly Tuttle, Dan Tyminski, and the Opry Square Dancers. Belle Frantz will also be making her Opry debut tonight. It’s unclear if there will be additional performers during tonight’s episode.
The Grand Ole Opry’s Dolly Parton tribute show will begin at 7:00 pm local tonight. Fans can tune into WSM Radio in Nashville or view the livestream of the event at the Opry’s website. A portion of ticket sales will be donated to the Imagination Library, Parton’s famed nonprofit project.
(Photo by Scott Gries/Getty Images)
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