Dolly Parton’s Niece Tells Fans They Belong To The Family
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One of the most highly anticipated tributes for the late Dolly Parton was put on by the famed Grand Ole Opry over the weekend.
On Saturday, Aug. 29, country artists stepped into the Circle of the Opry stage to honor the life and legacy of the “Queen of Country.”
Among those artists were some of Dolly’s family members, with one of her nieces kicking off the tribute through words of gratitude as well as song.
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Watch Dolly’s Niece, Jada Star, Honor Her Aunt At The Grand Ole Opry
While Dolly Parton is beloved by millions of fans, and is a fixture within country music culture, there are some who knew Dolly as a family member.
One of these people who grew up with Dolly as part of her life was Jada Star, who is 47 and is the daughter of Dolly’s younger sister Freida Parton.
Notably, Jada competed on Season 2 of the ABC reality game show Claim To Fame in 2023, and she collaborated with her Aunt Dolly in 2024 on the artist’s final album to be released within her lifetime, Smoky Mountain DNA: Family, Faith and Fables.
During the Grand Ole Opry’s tribute to Dolly on Aug. 29, Jada introduced the event, leading off with a statement about Dolly’s passing before singing a song she recorded with the country icon just a couple years ago.
“My family and I, we have all received your messages, and we’ve seen your tributes, and we want you to know how much it means to us,” Jada told the crowd at the Opry.
Recalling what someone told her that day, Jada quoted, “‘I just want to thank your family for sharing her with us.'”
Opening up about that sentiment, Jada said, “I want you guys to know, truly, we couldn’t share Dolly with you anymore than you could share the sun or the moon with somebody.”
Speaking on being a member of Dolly’s family, Jada said, “We were lucky enough to call her aunt, or sister, or a cousin, but she was y’all’s, too. She opened herself up to you, and so you’re ours as well.”
Then, Jada said:
“I think that the weight of grief is lighter when we can bear it together, isn’t it? … You guys have helped us bear ours. We hope so much to help you bear yours.”
Near the end of her remarks, Jada noted, “Nothing that she did is over — people aren’t done being nice.”
From there, she then sang a solo rendition of “The Orchard,” which she had previously recorded as a duet with Dolly on her 2024 album Smoky Mountain DNA: Family, Faith and Fables.
Ahead of her performance at the Opry, Jada Star wrote on social media, “I am walking around in a fog of sadness, like all of you have … I do not take this honor lightly. I will stand on that stage tonight, the stage she loved so much, and share my song I wrote for her and for my whole family.”
Watch some of that performance, here.
Watch Jada Star speak about her Aunt Dolly at the Grand Ole Opry, here:
Listen to Jada Star and Dolly Parton sing “The Orchard,” here:
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