Dolly Parton was honored with an emotional tribute at the 78th Emmy Awards, where Reba McEntire performed one of the late country icon’s most personal songs.
Sally Field, who starred alongside Parton in the 1989 classic Steel Magnolias, introduced the tribute by reflecting on her longtime friendship with the singer.
“I adored her from day one. How could you not?” Field said, remembering Parton as genuine, humble, supportive and incredibly funny.
Field also highlighted Parton’s impact beyond music and acting, praising her as a humanitarian whose work touched countless lives in Tennessee and across the country.
“God bless you Dolly Parton, my friend,” Field said. “I am not the only one on Earth that will love you forever and ever.”
McEntire then took the stage with an orchestra for a moving performance of Parton’s Appalachian Memories. Parton wrote and recorded the song for her 1983 album Burlap & Satin, and she performed it herself at the 1983 Emmy Awards.
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Before McEntire’s performance, the ceremony showed a clip from Parton’s appearance that year. In the footage, Parton spoke about growing up in the Appalachian Mountains and explained why the song held such a special place in her heart.
The tribute was especially meaningful for McEntire, who shared a close friendship with Parton for decades. After Parton’s death, McEntire remembered her friend in an emotional social media post.
“There will never ever be another you,” McEntire wrote. “We will remember and cherish every memory and every note you ever played and sang.”
Their friendship began in 1977, when McEntire was still a rising country singer. The two first met at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville after Parton unexpectedly arrived at the venue and was given time to perform.
McEntire later recalled being stunned by Parton’s appearance and presence.
“She came walking in and I kind of backed up against the wall,” McEntire said in a MasterClass interview. “I thought, ‘My gosh, that’s probably what an angel looks just like right there.’”
Their friendship became even more meaningful years later. After eight members of McEntire’s band were killed in a plane crash following a 1991 concert in San Diego, Parton stepped in to help McEntire rebuild her band.
“Dolly Parton said, ‘Here, take my band,’” McEntire recalled in a March interview with Garden & Gun. She described the gesture as an incredible gift during one of the darkest moments of her life.
Parton died in Nashville on August 25 at age 80 following a brief battle with cancer. Her sister, Stella, recently revealed that Parton chose to keep the seriousness of her illness private because she did not want her family and fans to worry.
Parton had previously spoken about some health struggles but never publicly revealed the full extent of her condition. Shortly before her death, she appeared in a video promoting a new Dollywood roller coaster after canceling an in-person appearance because of dizziness and dehydration.
Throughout her career, Parton earned 11 Grammy Awards and received major honors from the Country Music Hall of Fame, Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, Songwriters Hall of Fame and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. She was also honored with the National Medal of Arts and Kennedy Center Honors.
Her legacy also extends far beyond entertainment. In 1995, Parton founded the Imagination Library, a program that provides free books to children under age 5. The organization has since distributed more than 300 million books worldwide.