Dolly Parton Honored at the Emmy Awards With Reba McEntire Performance

The Emmy Awards paid tribute to Dolly Parton with a performance by Reba McEntire, who performed the late artist’s song “Appalachian Memories.” The 1983 country song was written and recorded by Parton for her twenty-fifth solo studio album, “Burlap & Satin.”

Sally Field, who starred with Parton in the 1989 film “Steel Magnolias,” introduced the tribute. (Field was also on hand at this year’s Emmys because she’s nominated, in the lead actress in a limited/anthology series or movie category, for Netflix’s “Remarkably Bright Creatures.”)

“Over the years, I never stopped loving her though we lived very far apart,” Field said. “I adored her from day one. How could you not?”

“She was genuine and humble, supportive and blisteringly funny with a bawdy sense of humor that would send any rude guy looking for a place to hide,” she continued. “I couldn’t see then what a real giant Dolly was — not just as an artist, but as a human. She was a humanitarian whose contributions have made a profound difference in the lives of so many in her home state of Tennessee and across our country.”

“God bless you Dolly Parton, my friend,” she concluded. “I am not the only one on Earth that will love you forever and ever.”

McEntire then took the stage for an orchestral performance of “Appalachian Memories,” which Parton performed at the 1983 Emmys ceremony. A clip from that broadcast played before McEntire’s version, with Parton saying “I grew up in the smoky mountains, the Appalachian Mountains. I have written a song that touches me very deep. I’m sure in your own way, you will to this. This song, like I say, is very important to me. And I hope you don’t like it. If you don’t like it, if you don’t mind, I would rather not hear about it later.”

The country music icon died in Nashville on Aug. 25 at 80 years old following a brief battle with cancer. Her sister, Stella, recently revealed Parton hid her diagnosis from fans and several family members to ensure their final memories of her weren’t filled with sadness. 

“Dolly did not want anybody to tell that because Dolly could not bear negative things,” Stella said on “CBS Mornings.” “She would not have wanted her fans worried about it… She didn’t want a lot of the family worried about it.”

Parton publicly hinted at health struggles but never revealed the extent. A week prior to her death, Parton appeared in a video to promote a new roller coaster at her Dollywood theme park after canceling an in-person appearance due to dizziness and dehydration. She also canceled her Las Vegas residency last year due to “health challenges,” later canceling the rescheduled dates as well.

In 2022, Parton was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and subsequently released her final album, “Rockstar,” one year later. She was also inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame and Songwriters Hall of Fame. Parton later became a National Medal of Arts honoree and a Kennedy Center Honors recipient.

“Jolene” and “I Will Always Love You” are among Parton’s most famed songs, solidifying her status as a country music icon. Parton received 11 Grammys throughout her career and starred in films such as “9 to 5,” “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas” and “Steel Magnolias.”

Parton founded The Imagination Library in 1995, which gives free books to children under 5 years old. Last year, the charity announced it had gifted over 300 million books since its creation.