The Country Music Association is staging a live televised tribute to Dolly Parton tonight, two months after the icon’s death at age 80.
“I Will Always Love You: A Celebration of Dolly Parton” will be filmed before a live audience at Nashville’s Belmont University and broadcast on ABC at 9 p.m. ET. The event brings together performers from across generations and genres to honor the Country Music Hall of Famer.
Reba McEntire, 69, a close friend of Parton, will be among the headliners. The “Fancy” singer is joined by Carrie Underwood, 41, Brad Paisley, 52, Darius Rucker, 58, and Vince Gill, 67, in a lineup that spans country music’s established stars.
Ella Langley, the “Choosin’ Texas” singer, will also take the stage, representing a newer wave of country talent. Kelsea Ballerini, 31, Lainey Wilson, 32, and Ashley McBryde, 41, round out the contemporary country contingent.
The tribute extends beyond Nashville’s usual circles. Kristen Bell, 44, Kristin Chenoweth, 56, and Lukas Nelson, 36, will appear alongside roots musicians including Béla Fleck, 66, Molly Tuttle, 31, Sierra Hull, 33, and Ricky Skaggs, 70. Zac Brown, 46, and his band, Little Big Town, and Lady A complete the performing roster.
Amy Grant, 64, and Kimberly Williams-Paisley, 53, are set to appear as special guests rather than performers.
A Belmont University student ensemble will participate in one performance, tied to the school’s ongoing “Dolly U” programming designed to engage students with Parton’s legacy and work.
Viewers without cable can access the broadcast through live TV streaming services. DIRECTV offers a five-day free trial, with its Choice plan carrying ABC among 125-plus channels. The service’s MyEntertainment genre pack, priced at $42.99 monthly, includes both live ABC access and Hulu, where the special will become available for streaming beginning tomorrow.
The Oct. 21 timing places the tribute in the final stretch of a year that has seen renewed attention to Parton’s cultural impact following her August passing. The CMA, the genre’s leading trade organization, has previously staged similar televised honors for its most consequential figures.
The Belmont University filming location connects to Parton’s documented interest in education and youth outreach, a thread the “Dolly U” programming has continued since before her death.
The special’s title references Parton’s most widely recorded composition, a song she wrote and first released in 1973 that became a pop standard through Whitney Houston’s 1992 version.