Nashville got here out in full power to honor Dolly Parton on the Opry 100 celebration.
NBC aired the reside particular on Wednesday, March 19. It featured a rousing efficiency of the Parton hit “I Will All the time Love You” by Reba McEntire, Carrie Underwood, Woman A and round 50 members of the Opry’s choir.
Earlier this month, Parton’s husband of almost 60 years, Carl Dean, died on the age of 82.
“Everyone right here on the Opry and all over the world needs to ship you our ideas and prayers,” McEntire, 69, stated from the stage. “And also you gotta know, we are going to at all times love you.”
Along with the star-studded group tribute, Carly Pearce carried out “Jolene” in homage to Parton, telling the group, “Dolly Parton is my hero, and it means a lot to me that she invited me to affix the Opry. Dolly, I simply need you to know that my coronary heart goes out to you and your loved ones, and it’s my nice honor to sing my favourite Dolly track tonight.”
In the meantime, Parton appeared in a taped message.
“Properly good day, I’m Dolly Parton and I’m a proud member of the Grand Ole Opry,” she stated. “And I’m so sorry that I can’t be there with everyone in individual, however after all my coronary heart is with you and my spirit is with you.”
Us Weekly caught up with Pearce, 34, forward of the occasion, the place she solely recalled the day that Parton invited her to turn into an Opry member.
“That was most likely probably the most stunned I’ve ever been in my life,” the nation singer informed Us. “While you consider the Opry and also you consider invites to be a member, they often occur on stage on the Opry.”
On June 17, 2021, Pearce thought she was collaborating in a industrial for Dollywood after beforehand working on the theme park. When Parton walked across the nook and launched herself, all the things modified for Pearce.
“I used to be, after all, shocked, however I assumed that we have been doing this Dollywood industrial collectively,” she joked. “And I heard her say the phrase ‘Opry’ a number of instances in 30 seconds. I can solely equate it to how a lady feels when she thinks she’s getting engaged — of similar to, ‘Are you able to simply say it? Is that this what’s taking place?’”
“I had this second of simply, ‘Oh, my goodness,’” Pearce continued. “And when she stated it, I simply fell to the ground, actually.”
