ABC’s ‘Celebration’ of Dolly Parton and Her ‘Eternal’ Contributions

When Dolly Parton decided against having a memorial at her death, it meant the world had to find other ways to remember her.

Dolly Parton Day on Sept. 25, in honor of “9 to 5”; a parade of artists covering her songs in concert; and an expected run on Parton costumes for Halloween all accomplish that, as did ABC’s Oct. 21 special, CMA Presents I Will Always Love You: A Celebration of Dolly Parton.

With her trademark butterfly imagery weaved into the set and graphics, it provided viewers — and her fellow artists — an opportunity to embrace Parton in all her glory: 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.

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“Somewhere along the way, Dolly became more than a singer or a songwriter or an entertainer,” Reba McEntire said. “She became hope. She became possibility — to the little girl growing up with nothing, who dared to dream about something bigger; to the person who felt different and wondered if there was a place in this world for them; to the dreamer who was told their dreams were too big. She made people believe there was room for them. She just made you feel welcome. She made you feel seen.”

A cavalcade of artists, including McEntire, Vince 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. The 14-song set list provided a nifty overview of the breadth of her musical influences, veering from mountain music to her key country efforts to her crossover material and to the spiritual themes that invariably informed her work.

“This was a celebration of an undeniable force of nature,” Gill said. “Her ability to bring people together from all walks of life is so needed these days.”

Beyond the evening’s performers and presenters, video tributes poured in from Oprah Winfrey, Julia Roberts, Sabrina Carpenter, Goldie Hawn and U2’s Bono, who recalled hearing her performance of “Torn,” a track that appears on the band’s Carnaval de Luz, due Nov. 13. It proved to be the final recording of her career.

“When I heard her vocal, I was speechless, which is rare for an Irishman,” Bono said. “It was like she was singing herself to somewhere else. She once told me when our schedules didn’t align, ‘Unfortunately, Bono, I have more love than time.’ More love than time — isn’t that what eternal means? That’s Dolly.”