Dolly Parton’s Grand Ole Opry Tribute Saves Its Most Emotional Moment for Last
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The Grand Ole Opry in Nashville hosted a tribute concert on 29 August in memory of Dolly Parton, closing the show with an unexpectedly poignant surprise. After Carly Pearce and Jelly Roll led a full-cast rendition of "9 To 5" that appeared to be the finale, every performer turned to face a screen showing archive footage of Parton herself singing "I Will Always Love You" at the Opry in 2020, leaving the audience in tears.
The evening opened with a speech from Opry executive producer Dan Rogers, who paid tribute to Parton's deep bond with the venue and its performers, and pledged that the Opry would keep her music alive, continue championing songwriters and always be kind and generous in her memory. Performers throughout the night either covered one of Parton's songs, played tracks she had covered, or performed their own material in tribute, including Bella Frantz's debut performance of "Where No One Stands Alone," Kathy Mattea's rendition of "Jolene," and a performance of "The Orchard" by Parton's niece, Jada Star. The full concert is available to stream on YouTube.
- Grand Ole Opry held a tribute concert for Dolly Parton on 29 August.
- Show closed with archive footage of Parton singing "I Will Always Love You".
- Performers including Jelly Roll, Kathy Mattea and Parton's niece paid tribute.
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Nashville's Grand Ole Opry, the long-running country music venue and radio show, held a special concert on 29 August to honour Dolly Parton, one of country music's most celebrated singer-songwriters and a performer with deep ties to the Opry over many decades. The tribute brought together a range of country artists, including Carly Pearce, Jelly Roll and Kathy Mattea, who performed Parton's own songs or material connected to her.
Dan Rogers, the Opry's executive producer, opened the evening with remarks about Parton's close relationship with the venue and its performers, and about the Opry's commitment to preserving her musical legacy. Other performers on the night included newer names such as Bella Frantz and Jada Star, who is Parton's niece, reflecting how her influence spans both established stars and the next generation of country musicians.
The concert matters because it shows how the country music community is publicly marking Parton's legacy at a venue central to the genre's history, and because the full show has been made available to a wider audience online rather than only to those in attendance.
Full account
The Grand Ole Opry dedicated its 29 August show to Dolly Parton, bringing together country performers for an evening of songs associated with her career and influence. The programme concluded with a collective rendition of Parton’s working-life anthem, “9 To 5”, led by Carly Pearce and joined by Jelly Roll and, eventually, the other artists who had appeared during the night. Pearce invited the audience to take part, prompting a standing singalong and dancing in the auditorium.
Pearce’s selection carried a personal connection. She told the audience that, as a teenager, she left conventional schooling to take a performing job at Dollywood, Parton’s Tennessee theme park, and said she had genuinely worked “nine to five” for Parton. Earlier in the concert, which also marked Pearce’s fifth anniversary as an Opry member, she opened with “Those Memories of You”, a song linked to Parton, Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt. Her later set also included material from her album Honest Woman and collaborations with Molly Tuttle and Dan Tyminski.
After the ensemble number, the performers remained on stage but turned towards a screen for the actual closing moment: archive footage of Parton at the Opry in 2020 performing “I Will Always Love You”. In the clip, Parton thanked her fans and introduced the song as an expression of her feelings towards them. Reports describe a subdued, emotional response in the venue as audience members watched the recording, with tears and silence giving way to reflection on her long relationship with the institution.
The tribute also included a speech from Opry executive producer Dan Rogers, who described Parton’s ties to the venue and its artists as deeply personal. He pledged that the Opry would preserve her music, encourage songwriters and aspiring performers, and uphold the kindness and generosity for which she was known. Other contributions included Kathy Mattea’s version of “Jolene”, Jada Star performing “The Orchard”, which she recorded with her aunt in 2024, and an Opry debut by Bella Frantz. The concert has been made available to watch online.
Where outlets differ
Source 1 gives greater weight to the institutional tribute, quoting Dan Rogers’s promises on behalf of the Opry and highlighting performances by Bella Frantz, Kathy Mattea and Parton’s niece Jada Star. Source 2 concentrates more closely on Carly Pearce’s personal Dollywood connection, her anniversary as an Opry member and the songs from her own set. Both reports identify the 2020 video of “I Will Always Love You” as the final, emotional closing moment after “9 To 5”.
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