Nashville is bringing country music icon Dolly Parton home for one more night of songs, stories and gratitude.
“Dolly Parton belonged to the whole world, but she was born of this industry, and this industry owes her a debt of gratitude that words alone cannot repay,” Country Music Association Chief Executive Officer Sarah Trahern said.
CMA PRESENTS I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU: A CELEBRATION OF DOLLY PARTON will air live Wednesday, Oct. 21, from 9-11 p.m. EDT on ABC and Disney+. Hulu will carry the two-hour special the following day.
The show will gather Parton’s friends, fellow artists and fans at Belmont University’s Fisher Center for the Performing Arts in Nashville. Through performances, archival footage and personal stories, the production aims to trace how a girl from East Tennessee became one of American music’s most beloved artists and generous public figures.
ABC’s official announcement promised a joyful, emotional celebration of Parton as an artist, songwriter, entertainer, humanitarian and entrepreneur. That is a lot of life to fit into two hours, but the live format should keep the evening from feeling like a museum display.
Parton died Aug. 25 at age 80. CMA announced the tribute less than a month later, while fans and artists were still finding words for the loss.
Related: Dolly Parton, Faith-Filled Country Icon and Movieguide® Award Winner, Dies at 80
“Dolly gave Country Music its heart, and giving some of that heart back to her is an incredible honor,” executive producer Robert Deaton said. He hopes the special does right by Parton’s story, music and the people who love her.
The location carries its own history. Belmont and Parton partnered on the 2025 world premiere of DOLLY: A TRUE ORIGINAL MUSICAL and launched Dolly U, an educational program that let students work alongside entertainment professionals on real projects tied to her music, business and charitable work.
The tribute will also continue one of Parton’s most practical acts of love. CMA and Belmont plan to donate a portion of the event’s proceeds to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, while Disney will lend additional support to the book-gifting program.
Parton started the Imagination Library in 1995 because her father could not read or write. CMA says the program has mailed more than 300 million free books to children in five countries and now sends more than 3 million age-appropriate books to young readers each month.
That choice makes the evening more than a remembrance. It turns applause into another book arriving at a child’s door — the kind of concrete generosity that made Parton’s influence stretch far beyond a stage.
Parton also spoke openly about the faith beneath her work. Movieguide® previously highlighted DOLLY PARTON’S MOUNTAIN MAGIC CHRISTMAS for placing Christ at the center of Christmas and presenting faith as the common thread through the singer’s life.
CMA has not yet announced the performers, ticket details or additional partners, so the full guest list remains under wraps. But the purpose is already clear: celebrate Parton’s music, remember the warmth she gave away so freely and carry that generosity into another generation of children.
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