The Emmy Awards paid tribute to Dolly Parton with a performance by Reba McEntire and a heartfelt speech by Sally Field, following Parton’s recent death after a battle with cancer.
Sally Field, also nominated for an Emmy for her role in Netflix’s “Remarkably Bright Creatures,” introduced the tribute, sharing her admiration for Parton. “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?” Field described Parton as “genuine and humble, supportive and blisteringly funny with a bawdy sense of humor,” adding, “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.” She concluded with, “God bless you Dolly Parton, my friend. I am not the only one on Earth that will love you forever and ever.”
Reba McEntire then performed Parton’s 1983 song “Appalachian Memories,” which Parton originally performed at the 1983 Emmys ceremony. A clip from that performance preceded McEntire’s, showing Parton stating, “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.”
Dolly Parton died in Nashville on Aug. 25 at 80 years old after a brief battle with cancer. Her sister, Stella, revealed Parton hid her diagnosis from fans and some family members to avoid causing 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 hinted at health struggles before her death, canceling appearances due to dizziness and dehydration and a Las Vegas residency due to “health challenges.”
In recent years, Parton was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and released her final album, “Rockstar.” She also held memberships in the Country Music Hall of Fame, Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, and Songwriters Hall of Fame, and was a National Medal of Arts honoree and Kennedy Center Honors recipient.
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