Last night many stars came together to celebrate, honour and remember the legendary Dolly Parton who died in August.
I loved every minute of it. It was a beautiful celebration. Reba McEntire started the night by sharing how the night was a celebration of Dolly for who she was – not about the music, the awards etc – but her heart.
“We could be here all night talking about the songs she’s written,” Reba started. “The award she’s won, and all the things she’s accomplished. But tonight is not about that… tonight is a celebration of Dolly’s heart, her kindness, her generosity, her faith, her humor, and the way she has always seemed to understand that the greatest thing you can be in this world is exactly who God made you to be.”
So many people came together to remember Dolly. Artists sang, and others shared stories of how she impacted them and what she meant to them and how she inspired them or changed their lives for the better.
We heard from so many people last night – from Oprah Winfrey to Julia Roberts.
I think my favourite performance of the night was the final song.
I Will Always Love You – performed by Carrie Underwood – who did such an incredible job. Then, the other artists who were part of the night came out and sang along. Little Big Town, Vince Gill, Darius Rucker, Ella Langely, Kelsea Ballerini, and so many others.
Tears were flowing in my house last night watching this. When Brad Paisley sang “When I Get Where I’m Going” the song he first recorded with Dolly, it was hard to hold back tears. That songs meaning is different now. And to hear Dolly’s voice – it was a reminder of what we lost.
What a legacy. What an impact.
Dolly Parton was an inspiration in so many ways. She was a legend, but she was authentic. She was generous. She loved people with no judgement.
So much of what the show was about was celebrating her heart, her kindness, her generosity.
I think of the Mayo Angelou quote ““I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
That cannot be more true than with Dolly. Her spirit lives on and we’re so lucky to have the music.
Did you watch? Was there a favourite performance? What did you love about Dolly?
