Reba McEntire's delivers emotional speech during Dolly Parton tribute
Reba McEntire's delivers emotional speech during Dolly Parton tribute
Audrey Gibbs, Nashville TennesseanThu, October 22, 2026 at 1:43 AM UTC
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Reba McEntire got emotional while paying tribute to her friend of many decades: Dolly Parton.
McEntire was the first star to deliver a speech during the star-studded Oct. 21 tribute event in Nashville, “CMA Presents I Will Always Love You: A Celebration of Dolly Parton."
The two-hour show, which began airing live across the nation at 8 p.m. CT via ABC and Disney+, took place before a live audience at Belmont University’s Fisher Center.
"Good evening and welcome to our celebration of one of the greatest people I have ever been blessed to know, my friend, our friend, Dolly Parton," McEntire said.
"We could be here all night talking about the songs she's written, the award she's won, and all the things she's accomplished. But tonight is not about that... tonight is a celebration of Dolly's heart, her kindness, her generosity, her faith, her humor, and the way she has always seemed to understand that the greatest thing you can be in this world is exactly who God made you to be."
McEntire said that she first encountered Parton on Sept. 17, 1977, when the "Fancy" singer was scheduled to make her Grand Ole Opry debut.
"I was supposed to sing two songs that night, but when I got there, they told me they needed to cut one of my songs because Dolly's bus just pulled up in the parking lot," McEntire said.
Though one of her songs got cut, McEntire didn't mind. She was starstruck.
"When she walked past me backstage, I thought, 'Oh, my gosh, she looks just like an angel.'"
In the years to come, McEntire's career exploded, and Parton's continued to grow. Over time, the two singers became close friends and an example of mutual support rather than country music rivalry.
"As we got to know each other, I learned the secret of why she endured, why she is timeless, and why so many people loved and will always love her. It's because what we all saw on stage was who Dolly was."
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McEntire then recalled the time Parton appeared on her sitcom "Reba" in 2005, and how the "Jolene" singer's character was "pretty ruthless."
"But what we saw the minute the director yelled cut was the real Dolly. Someone who made you feel like she was your lifelong friend, whether you knew her for 10 minutes or 10 years."
On set, McEntire remembered that Parton even handed out Valentine candy hearts to every crew member. "That gesture sums up why we all miss her so much," she said.
McEntire began to get misty-eyed, talking about how her friend of nearly five decades "didn't have a fake bone in her body."
The two also worked together on a duet version of McEntire's 1993 classic hit "Does He Love You," which was featured on McEntire's project "Revived Remixed Revisited" in 2021.
"She reached the very top, but on that journey, from a one-room mountain cabin to the summit of the entertainment world, she never forgot the people still climbing," McEntire said.
"And she never forgot where she came from."
During the tribute, other stars to hit the stage include Carly Pearce, Carrie Underwood, Darius Rucker, Ella Langley, Kelsea Ballerini, Kristen Bell, Kristin Chenoweth, Lady A, Lainey Wilson, Ricky Skaggs, Sierra Hull, Vince Gill and Zac Brown, with Amy Grant and Kimberly Williams-Paisley joining as special guests.
To learn more, head to disneyplus.com.
Audrey Gibbs is a music and culture reporter at The Tennessean. You can reach her at agibbs@tennessean.com or on Instagram at @audreyraegibbs.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Reba McEntire's delivers emotional speech during Dolly Parton tribute
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
