Lainey Wilson Delivers Spunky Dolly Parton Tribute At CMA Special
on • Updated
Lainey Wilson was one of the many country artists to pay tribute to Dolly Parton at the CMA’s tribute to the late legend.
Titled CMA Presents I Will Always Love You: A Celebration Of Dolly Parton, the event took place on Wednesday, October 21 and featured performances by Ashley McBryde, Brad Paisley, Carly Pearce, Carrie Underwood, Lukas Nelson, Reba McEntire, Lainey Wilson, and more.
Lainey Wilson Considers Dolly Parton One Of Her Musical Heroes
Lainey Wilson has never been shy about her admiration for Dolly Parton, and that admiration eventually blossomed into a genuine friendship between two generations of country music stars.
Long before they met, Wilson looked to Parton as a role model, even writing her 2020 song “WWDD” (“What Would Dolly Do”) as a tribute to the country legend’s confidence, kindness, and unmistakable style.
The two artists later collaborated on “Mama He’s Crazy” for A Tribute to The Judds, giving Wilson the opportunity to work alongside one of her musical heroes. Parton also returned the admiration, praising Wilson’s talent, work ethic, and kind heart.
Lainey was included in the last song Dolly released in her lifetime, which was a re-recording of her song “Light Of A Clear Blue Morning.”
When Dolly passed away on August 25, Lainey took to social media to mourn the loss of her idol and friend.
Now, Wilson is honoring the woman who helped inspire her journey, celebrating not only Parton’s extraordinary musical legacy but also the friendship and wisdom she shared with her.
Lainey’s Performance Resonated With Fans Everywhere
On October 5, Molly Tuttle gave an insight, revealing that she will be performing with Lainey Wilson, Béla Fleck, and Ricky Skaggs.
When the time came, Wilson and the other musicians performed one of the most energetic songs in Parton’s catalog, 1999’s “Train, Train.” As a happy surprise, Vince Gill also joined them onstage
Their spunky performance came early in the evening and was the perfect chance for a little levity on a night packed with tear-jerking moments. Anyone who knew Parton would always describe her as a bright, lively light, so this song seemed like the perfect choice to honor her, coming from the perfect set of performers.
The CMA has not shared a video of this performance yet, but we’ll be sure to include it here when they do. Did you get the chance to see it live?
Wilson took to the stage a little later in the evening to sing “You Can’t Make Old Friends” with Lukas Nelson. That song was originally a duet between Parton and Kenny Rogers. Stay tuned for a video of that as well.
