Grand Ole Opry Honors Dolly Parton with Full Tribute Performance

The Grand Ole Opry honored Dolly Parton on Saturday with a full‑length performance devoted to the country icon’s catalog, following her passing at age 80.

Carly Pearce, who once performed at Dollywood and was inducted into the Opry family in 2021 at Parton’s invitation, opened the tribute with a rendition of “Those Memories of You.” She said, “It only feels right to honor the queen tonight. Dolly, we love you.”

The evening also featured Kathy Mattea performing “Jolene,” Ketch Secor and Molly Tuttle delivering “Just Someone I Used To Know,” Channing Wilson singing “My Tennessee Mountain Home,” and Parton’s niece Jada Star playing “The Orchard.”

The night concluded with all Opry musicians joining onstage for a rendition of “9 to 5,” highlighted by a surprise cameo from Jelly Roll.

Throughout the show, video clips of Parton’s earlier Opry appearances played on the screen, culminating in the artists gathering onstage to watch Dolly perform “I Will Always Love You.”

All proceeds from the sold‑out Opry concert were donated to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.

The Opry recalled on its website that Dolly Parton first appeared before its audience—and the world—in 1959, when a young Johnny Cash introduced her as “a little girl from East Tennessee.” At just 13, she performed George Jones’s “You Gotta Be My Baby,” earning three encores and hinting at the legendary career to follow.

The Opry’s statement continued, “It is difficult to capture what Dolly Parton has meant to the world and to the Grand Ole Opry. Her legacy and the lessons she imparted have left an indelible mark. Her songs reflect a deep belief in the goodness of others and a spirited, witty insistence on staying true to herself. By turning her personal experiences into universal music, she has made us wiser, kinder, and more willing to be ourselves.”

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