Carrie Underwood Breaks Down While Singing “I Will Always Love You” During Dolly Parton Tribute
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After Dolly Parton died on August 25, the CMA got to work planning a tribute special in her honor. Country stars such as Carrie Underwood, Reba McEntire, Vince Gill, and Ella Langley eventually attached their names to the program.
I Will Always Love You: A Celebration of Dolly Parton aired on ABC and Disney+ at 9/8c on October 21. In addition to the above-mentioned artists, other performers included Lainey Wilson, Darius Rucker, Zac Brown, Carly Pearce, and more.
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Because of her beautiful voice, Carrie Underwood’s performance was one of the most anticipated. When she finally appeared onstage to deliver the closing performance of the night, she took everyone’s breath away.
Wearing a glittery gown and standing in front of a screen-projected pair of pink butterfly wings, Underwood delivered an angelic cover of “I Will Always Love You.”
Her voice soared throughout the room, moving everyone to tears, including Underwood herself. She broke down at one point near the end and got so choked up that she struggled to form some of the words.
The performance reached an extra-emotional conclusion when all of the artists and special guests joined her onstage at the end. They sang in unison, and it was a touching sight. One that we’re sure would have made Parton extremely proud and honored to witness if she had been here to see it…
Watch Underwood’s performance below.
Carrie Underwood Previously Shared Some Stunning Tributes To Dolly Parton
Carrie Underwood had the opportunity to sing, work with, and pay tribute to Dolly Parton several times over the years. In 2006, she recognized Parton at the Kennedy Center Honors by singing “Islands in the Stream” with Kenny Rogers.
Three years later (in 2009), Parton joined Underwood to sing “I Will Always Love You” during her holiday special. They revisited the song when they (and many other artists) recorded it for the 2016 “Forever Country” mashup.
Another collaboration came in 2019, though not exactly in a straightforward musical form. That was the year that Underwood co-hosted the CMA Awards with Parton and Reba McEntire.
After making so many memories with Parton, Underwood shared a stunning tribute to her after she passed away:
“She’s not gone. I know exactly where she is,” Underwood wrote. “She was the epitome of faith, grace, talent, beauty and humor. She had a humble heart for Jesus and made everyone around her feel special.”
Underwood paired her message with several photos that capture some of her happiest moments with Parton. She ended her note by writing:
“It’s alright to be sad that this world lost a legend, but heaven gained an angel. Well done, good and faithful Dolly. Welcome home.”
A few days later, Underwood dedicated a powerful performance of “See You Again” to Parton at one of her shows.
After seeing how much respect Carrie Underwood has always had for Dolly Parton, it was no surprise that her performance during the CMA tribute special was among the most meaningful. Fans will surely remember it for years to come…
