In 1959, a 13-year-old Dolly Parton walked onto the Grand Ole Opry stage after being introduced by Johnny Cash. Sixty-seven years later, the institution where she earned three encores that night is preparing to honor her one more time.
The Grand Ole Opry announced Thursday, Aug. 27, that its Saturday, Aug. 29 show at 7 p.m. CT will be dedicated to Parton, celebrating the country legend’s “extraordinary life, legacy, and contributions to country music.”
“This Saturday night, we honor a true icon,” the Opry shared in an email announcing the tribute.
Confirmed performers include Carly Pearce, Channing Wilson, Kathy Mattea, Molly Tuttle, Dan Tyminski, T. Graham Brown, the Opry Square Dancers and Belle Frantz making her Opry debut, which is so apropos because Frantz is a rising country star who has major Dolly vibes. And considering the occasion, it wouldn’t be a huge surprise if the Opry has a few unannounced guests waiting in the wings for Saturday night’s tribute.
A portion of ticket sales from Saturday night’s show will also be donated to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, the children’s literacy program that became one of the most important pieces of Parton’s philanthropic legacy.
The Opry will also make the tribute available to fans who can’t be in Nashville. Saturday’s show will stream live on the Opry’s Facebook and YouTube channels and through digital streaming partners Circle Country and RFD-TV.
Dolly Parton Earned 3 Encores at the Grand Ole Opry at Just 13
Parton’s history with the Opry stretched back nearly seven decades.
The future superstar was only 13 when Cash introduced her to the audience in 1959 as “a little girl from East Tennessee.” Parton performed George Jones’ “You Gotta Be My Baby,” and the response was extraordinary: She was called back for three encores.
“The crowds loved her from the first note,” the Opry recalled in its Aug. 27 tribute to Parton. “And they never stopped.”
It would be another decade before Parton officially joined the institution she’d dreamed about since childhood. She became a Grand Ole Opry member in 1969 and remained one for the next 57 years.
When the Opry moved from Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium to the newly built Grand Ole Opry House in the 1970s, Parton made clear that her attachment wasn’t to a building.
“It’s sacred to me, wherever it goes—the church of my heart,” she once said.
Parton ultimately performed on the Opry more than 100 times, and in 2019, the institution celebrated her 50th anniversary as a member with a star-studded celebration.
The Grand Ole Opry Will Give Back to Dolly Parton’s Beloved Imagination Library
Saturday’s decision to donate a portion of ticket sales to the Imagination Library is especially fitting given how important the program remained to Parton throughout her life.
Founded by Parton in 1995, the program grew from a local effort in her native East Tennessee into an international literacy initiative. According to the Opry, the Imagination Library has distributed more than 300 million free books to children.
Parton left those children with an especially poignant message before her death. In a final note to Imagination Library families, the country icon asked her young readers to make her a promise as they continued growing up: “Keep dreaming, keep learning, and keep reading!”
The message has taken on new meaning in the days since her death, as tributes to Parton’s generosity have poured in alongside remembrances of her music.
Related: Dolly Parton’s Final Message to Millions of Children Is Breaking Hearts After Her Death: ‘Promise Me’
Dolly Parton’s Legacy Continues After Her Death
Those tributes have come from some of the biggest names who knew and worked with Parton.
Linda Ronstadt, who recorded with Parton and Emmylou Harris as the celebrated trio behind Trio and Trio II, remembered her longtime friend as “the most extraordinary” after news of Parton’s death.
Meanwhile, Parton’s team has revealed that the famously tireless entertainer was still working on new projects near the end of her life. She left behind not only unfinished work but a roadmap designed to guide projects bearing her name for “decades to come.”
Even an unusual coincidence involving Tropical Storm Dolly became part of the extraordinary wave of attention surrounding the singer’s death, adding another unexpected chapter to the days of remembrance.
The Opry’s tribute now brings that remembrance back to one of the places where Parton’s story began.
Over the decades, Parton’s relationship with the institution expanded beyond her own performances. She invited Carly Pearce, who began her career performing at Dollywood, to become an Opry member, while the Opry continued celebrating Parton’s music through its annual “Opry Goes Dolly” shows. Her presence also remains inside the Opry House through a mural and displays featuring some of her famous stage outfits.
Saturday night, however, will carry a different meaning.
“Dolly’s love is like a butterfly—a rare and gentle thing—one whose effect will be felt for generations,” the Opry wrote.
“We invite you to tune in as we say goodbye to a true icon: gifted musician, Opry member, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and friend.”
The Grand Ole Opry’s Dolly Parton tribute takes place Saturday, Aug. 29. The show will be available via livestream for fans who want to join the celebration from home.
Related: Hours After Dolly Parton’s Death, Tropical Storm Dolly Began Forming in the Atlantic
