CMA’s Dolly Parton Tribute: All the Performances, Ranked

When Dolly Parton died on Aug. 25 at age 80, the world mourned the loss of not only a music superstar, but also one of country music’s best global ambassadors, a singular vocal stylist, a vivid songcrafter, a multi-faceted entertainer, a limitless dreamer–and, for many, a moral compass.

On Oct. 21, country music artists gathered at Belmont University in Nashville to honor Parton’s life and career, as part of CMA Presents I Will Always Love You: A Celebration of Dolly Parton. As much as the evening’s performances honored Parton’s enduring music, the speeches and heartfelt words from various artists honored the East Tennessee native’s fearless brand of love for humanity.

Reba McEntire welcomed the audience to what she called a “celebration of one of the greatest people I’ve ever been blessed to know.” She also called the evening a “celebration of her heart, kindness, generosity, faith and humor.”

“The greatest thing  you can be in this world is exactly who God made you to be…she showed up as Dolly completely, joyfully… unapologetically,” McEntire said, adding, “She became hope, possibility to the little girl growing up with nothing… to the person who felt different and wondered if there was a place in the world for them… she made people believe there was room for them… she made you feel welcome, she made them feel seen.”

“This was a celebration of an undeniable force of nature,” Vince Gill would say of Parton later on in the evening. “Her ability to bring people together from all walks of life is so needed these days.”

A cavalcade of artists, including McEntire, Gill, Ella Langley, Brad Paisley, Carly Pearce, Kristin Chenoweth, Carrie Underwood, Lady A, Darius Rucker, and more joined forces to honor the life, career and philanthropic impact Parton’s career has had. Videos chronicled her career journey, from her early work with Porter Wagoner, to her breakthrough solo hits such as “Here You Come Again” and defining musical works such as “I Will Always Love You” and “Jolene,” to her starring roles in films such as 9 to 5 and Steel Magnolias.

Throughout the evening, the stage overflowed with imagery that paid tribute to Parton, including videos and photos of her work with artists including Kenny Rogers, Porter Wagoner, George Jones, Zac Brown, and many others. The stage was filled with flowers, and lit with Parton’s signature butterfly imagery.

Beyond the evening’s performers and presenters, video tributes poured in from Oprah Winfrey, Julia Roberts, Sabrina Carpenter, Goldie Hawn, and U2’s Bono.

Following the star-studded tribute, the Country Music Association, in collaboration with Belmont University, The Walt Disney Company and the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp revealed that its previously-announced commitment to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library has resulted in a combined donation of $1 million.

Here, Billboard ranks each of the night’s performances, from good to great.

• Lady A

  Lady A performed the Kenny Rogers/ Dolly Parton classic “Islands in the Stream.” The trio admirably captured the song’s cool, laid-back romantic vibe, while Kelley in particular seemed to instantly take to the song’s country-R&B flavor. Still, it is hard for anyone to come close to the musical chemistry Rogers and Parton had that made the original work so well.
  

• Carly Pearce and Kristin Chenoweth

  Pearce and Chenoweth teamed up for Parton’s “9 to 5.” Chenoweth brought her dazzling, cinematic charm to the performance, while Pearce brought her own strong country vocals. The performance was bright, but like many performances throughout the evening, it also shone a light on just how singular of a charismatic vocalist Parton was.
  

• Darius Rucker

  Darius Rucker performed Parton’s effervescent heartbreaker “Two Doors Down.” Though his strong voice at moments sounded a bit gruff for the song’s ebullient groove, he matched the song’s energy effortlessly.

• Lainey Wilson feat. Béla Fleck, Ricky Skaggs & Molly Tuttle

  Early in the evening, Wilson continued paying homage to Parton’s bluegrass leanings, performing “Train, Train” from Parton’s 1999 album The Grass Is Blue, joined by Molly Tuttle, Ricky Skaggs and Béla Fleck. While Wilson’s voice leaned into more gritty, bluesy tones than Parton’s original, but still felt powerful, especially when paired with the musicians’ ace playing.

• Kelsea Ballerini

  Ballerini performed Parton’s solo breakthrough 1977 hit “Here You Come Again,” making the most of the song’s pop-leaning shine and turning in a sincere, polished performance. 
  

• Ella Langley

  Langley performed a sultry but angst-filled rendition of Parton’s iconic “Jolene.” Langley’s smoky Alabama drawl proved a perfect fit for the song’s passionate pleas, and the crossover star brought her own freewheeling performance style to the song.
  

• Ashley McBryde

  Ashley McBryde performed Parton’s classic song of a family poor in money but rich in love, “Coat of Many Colors.” McBryde’s delivered the song with an earnest, straightforward vocal texture that heightened the song’s tender storyline.

• A Bluegrass Tribute

  The evening launched by honoring Parton’s bluegrass music and East Tennessee roots, with a performance of “A Few Old Memories” by Vince Gill, Molly Tuttle, Ricky Skaggs and Bela Fleck — making for a pleasant and unexpected opening number when most tribute shows kick off with a more well-known hit.

• Lainey Wilson and Lukas Nelson

  Lukas Nelson and Lainey Wilson teamed up for “You Can’t Make Old Friends,” a song Parton had recorded with Kenny Rogers. The song’s story of trying to continue performing and going on without a loved one was the focus, while Nelson and Wilson’s unique vocal styles infused the performance with a sincere and understated charisma.
  

• Carrie Underwood

  As a photo of Dolly shone on the screen behind her, Underwood stood center stage to perform what is perhaps Parton’s most iconic song, “I Will Always Love You.” Wearing a shimmering white gown, Underwood offered up a crisp performance of Parton’s classic and was soon joined by the rest of the evening’s musical cast, wrapping up the show with the traditional “all-sing” that has become a staple of such tribute shows.

• Zac Brown

  Brown performed “Butterfly,” a song he had recorded and released with Parton just over a year ago. He sang along with Parton’s recorded vocal, as walls of flowers with butterfly imagery flanked either side of the stage. Hearing Parton’s recorded vocal during the evening made this performance all the more moving.
  

• Brad Paisley and Sierra Hull

  Sierra Hull joined Brad Paisley for a rendition of Paisley and Parton’s 2005 collaboration “When I Get Where I’m Going.” With Paisley on guitar and Hull on mandolin, they offered a tender version of the song that contemplates life after death. Hull’s feather-light soprano was a solid choice to join Paisley during the performance.
  

• Little Big Town

  One of country music’s most revered vocal groups, Little Big Town lent their stellar voices to Parton’s hopeful anthem “Light of a Clear Blue Morning,” trading off solo lines and intertwining their buttery smooth harmonies as the song’s steady rhythm swelled into a joyous anthem.
  

• Reba McEntire

  Joined by a group of Belmont University choral students, Reba McEntire had the night’s most memorable performance, with the gospel song “He’s Alive.” McEntire’s rendition nodded heavily to Parton’s iconic 1989 CMA Awards performance of the song, with McEntire wearing a white gown and backed by the choir. The powerful performance of this faith-based song deservedly earned a standing ovation from the crowd. Though it would have been nice to hear McEntire put even more of her own spin on the song, it was still the highlight of the evening, as McEntire possesses the powerful, charismatic vocal dexterity required to play into and emphasize the nuances of this inspirational, dramatic song.