30+ Opry Family Join “9 to 5” Grand Finale In Honor Of Dolly Parton
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Dolly Parton Remembered In Beautiful Night At The Grand Ole Opry
The Grand Ole Opry honored the life and legacy of country music icon Dolly Parton on Saturday night. The Opry family came together onstage to deliver a heartfelt tribute following her tragic death earlier this week.
Carly Pearce opened the emotional evening with a performance of “Those Memories of You.” Pearce, who once worked as a performer at Dollywood, officially became an Opry member in 2021 after receiving an invitation from Dolly herself.
“It only feels right that I get to honor the queen tonight. Dolly, we love you,” Carly said.
The tribute was part of the Grand Ole Opry’s customary first-Saturday tribute following the death of an Opry member. A larger, more official tribute dedicated to Dolly is expected to be forthcoming.
The tribute included a series of beautiful performances celebrating some of Dolly’s most beloved songs. Kathy Mattea took on the iconic “Jolene,” while Ketch Secor and Molly Tuttle performed “Just Someone I Used to Know.”
Channing Wilson followed with “My Tennessee Mountain Home,” and Dolly’s niece, Jada Star, honored her aunt with a performance of “The Orchard.”
The emotional evening concluded with the Opry members joining together onstage for a powerful rendition of “9 to 5.” The performance featured a surprise appearance by Jelly Roll.
Throughout the evening, the Opry also celebrated Dolly’s incredible legacy by showing clips from her memorable performances at the historic venue on the video screen.
The tribute came to a close as all of the night’s performers gathered onstage to watch Dolly perform her timeless classic, “I Will Always Love You.”
Dolly Parton was first inducted into the Opry on January 4, 1969, when she was just 23 years old. She was invited to become a member by country music legend Gene Autry.
Proceeds from Saturday night’s sold-out show were donated to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.
“Dolly Parton was first introduced to the Grand Ole Opry audience, and to the world, in 1959. Johnny Cash welcomed out ‘A little girl from East Tennessee,’ and 13-year-old Dolly took the stage. She performed George Jones’ ‘You Gotta Be My Baby’ and earned three encores that night—an early sign of what was to come. The crowds loved her from the first note. And they never stopped,” the Opry wrote on its website this week.
You can watch the full tribute for Dolly Parton at the Grand Ole Opry below.
