Julia Roberts, Sabrina Carpenter, Katy Perry, and Oprah were among the big names who paid tribute to legendary singer-songwriter Dolly Parton at a Country Music Awards (CMAs) event on 21 October.
Dolly had been nominated for a staggering 44 CMA awards across her lifetime. She died earlier this year from cancer, aged 80.
Julia Roberts, who worked with Dolly in the film Steel Magnolias, spoke about her experience with the star in a pre-recorded video aired at the I Will Always Love You: A Celebration of Dolly Parton event.
“Dolly came into my life when I was in my early 20s, and it was magical to see someone so alive, so present… She really was a shining example of remembering who you are, where you came from, and what it means to be kind. We love her,” she said.
Sabrina Carpenter, who worked with the country music icon on a remix of her hit Please, Please, Please, added: “[Dolly] meant kindness, joy, quick comebacks, rhinestones, big hair, family, radiance, and love.
“I think Dolly was one of the only people on planet Earth that everyone could universally agree on, which I think is very special in any artist. But there’s nobody like Dolly.”
Bono, the U2 frontman who’d recorded the track Torn with Dolly earlier this year, said: “We were just blessed to record a song with her this spring. I had no idea it would be her last. I wonder if she knew.”
He also said her vocals had rendered him speechless, “which is rare for an Irishman”, adding: “She once told me, when our schedules didn’t align, ‘Unfortunately, Bono I have more love than time.’ More love than time. Isn’t that what eternal means? That’s Dolly.”
Carol Burnett, who first worked with the 9 to 5 singer in Dolly And Carol in Nashville in 1979, brought up a touching memory with the star.
“When I talk about thoughtful, I remember there was one night I was in my hotel room getting ready to go out to dinner to a restaurant, and there was a knock at the door, and I opened it, and there was Dolly with a home-cooked meal for me, so that I wouldn’t have to go out to a restaurant – and to top it off, that home-cooked meal was home-cooked by Dolly herself,” she recalled.
Oprah, who worked with the philanthropist and actor for the first time in a 1989 episode of Dolly, stated: “We’re both Tennessee girls, and she represented to me the essence of being 100% who you see yourself to be. Authentic all the time, and I just loved her for it.
“I love that she had such grace and such tenacity. I mean, listen, if she put her mind to something, that was it. And I love that she was so generous of heart and generous of spirit, and her presence here on Earth will be felt for forever because the spirit that is so strong that was hers is actually everlasting.”
And Katy Perry, who performed a rendition of Coat of Many Colours alongside its songwriter during the 51st Academy of Country Music Awards, said the beloved singer “masterfully toyed with the power of her femininity”.
She continued: “Devastatingly sharp and equally as sweet, she could read you for filth with a wink and a smile, and then make sure that your children learn to read too. That’s a mother.
“Beneath the decades of dazzle was an extraordinary generosity of spirit. Some called her the Great Unifier because she had this ability to bring people together from all walks of life, political perspectives and sexual orientations. She saw beyond those labels because she saw the humanity in everyone. For me, Dolly is the blueprint.”
Other celebrities, including Goldie Hawn, whose 1972 album Goldie featured Dolly on some tracks, paid touching tributes to the star on the night.
The event, which aired on Wednesday, 21 October, was broadcast on Disney+ and ABC and was filmed live at Belmont University’s Fisher Center for the Performing Arts in Nashville.
The two-hour special “celebrated Dolly as the beloved artist, songwriter, entertainer, humanitarian and entrepreneur through unforgettable performances, archival footage and personal stories,” CMA’s site reads.
Performers included Ashley McBryde, Béla Fleck, Belmont Singers, Brad Paisley, Carly Pearce, Carrie Underwood, Darius Rucker, Ella Langley, Kelsea Ballerini, Kristin Chenoweth, Lady A, Lainey Wilson, Little Big Town, Lukas Nelson, Molly Tuttle, Reba McEntire, Ricky Skaggs, Sierra Hull, Vince Gill and Zac Brown.
