Béla Fleck, Ricky Skaggs, Molly Tuttle, Vince Gill and Lainey Wilson Honor Dolly Parton’s Bluegrass Roots in Tribute Special

Béla Fleck, Ricky Skaggs, Molly Tuttle, Vince Gill and Lainey Wilson joined forces to celebrate Dolly Parton’s bluegrass roots during “CMA Presents I Will Always Love You: A Celebration of Dolly Parton.”

Prior to Wilson taking the stage, the four acclaimed musicians had the honor of opening the star-studded tribute, coming together for a heartfelt rendition of “A Few Old Memories,” written by Hazel Dickens and featured on Parton’s 1999 bluegrass album, The Grass Is Blue.

As highlights from Parton’s life and career played across the screen behind them, the artists offered a beautiful reminder of the Appalachian roots that remained an important part of her musical journey from start to finish. With each artist bringing their own distinctive talent to the stage, the rendition marked the perfect way to kick off such a special evening.

Reba McEntire then took the stage to share a few heartfelt words about her friend before Wilson was welcomed to the stage, joining the quartet of renowned acts in performing another track off Parton’s bluegrass project, “Train, Train.” The lively delivery brought the energy up a notch and gave the audience another taste of the bluegrass sound that Parton had such an appreciation for.

For Skaggs, the opportunity to honor such an iconic figure by performing a song dedicated to her roots in traditional mountain music held such a special meaning. Having grown up surrounded by old-time music himself, he tapped into his personal connection between their upbringings in order to deliver a performance to remember.

“I love getting to share Dolly’s roots because she was a bit older than me, but she grew up in the mountains around old time music. I grew up in the mountains around old time music. My dad would have old time fiddlers and banjo players come to my house and I would sit at their feet and just watch what they were doing,” he recalled. “Getting to do a special to honor her for her roots music influence is a big thing because I share that as well.”

He went on to express his hope that the tribute would encourage viewers to embrace their uniqueness and discover their own talents, just as Parton did throughout her career.

“I hope the viewers will take away the fact that God makes originals. He doesn’t make copies. And I have always encouraged young people to be an original…the gift Dolly had, he’s not going to give that same gift to other people. She had it and she did well with it, but find your gift,” Skaggs added.

Meanwhile, Fleck reflected on how Parton helped share the bluegrass sound with audiences who might not otherwise have discovered the genre on their own. Although he was never close to the icon, the acclaimed banjo player also admitted that Parton’s passing affected him more deeply than he expected, despite only having met her a few times. He revealed he was “shocked” by how deeply the news impacted him.

“She reaches outside of that world and shows how beautiful and special it is to folks that don’t know anything about it.”

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This opportunity to perform at the tribute was equally as meaningful to Tuttle. The bluegrass musician described the experience as an opportunity to celebrate someone whose influence reaches far beyond music, while sharing the stage with artists she has always admired.

“It’s a huge honor to be part of this tribute, honoring Dolly and her legacy because she’s someone who just means so much to all of us and I feel so much love in the room. And I get to play music with some of my heroes, Vince Gill, Ricky Skaggs, Béla Fleck. It’s so cool to get to be on the stage with them,” Tuttle shared. “It’s one of the biggest honors of my career and life.”

“CMA Presents I Will Always Love You: A Celebration of Dolly Parton” set out to unite artists from multiple generations and genres with a star-powered list of performers. The lineup included a mix of fellow Country Music Hall of Fame members, country music superstars, and celebrated bluegrass acts, Broadway and beyond.

Among those who took the stage were Ashley McBryde, Brad Paisley, Carly Pearce, Carrie Underwood, Darius Rucker, Ella Langley, Kelsea Ballerini, Kristen Bell, Kristin Chenoweth, Lady A, Lainey Wilson, Little Big Town, Lukas Nelson, Reba McEntire, Sierra Hull, and Zac Brown. Additionally, Amy Grant and Kimberly Williams-Paisley joined as special guests.

Along with the unforgettable performances, the night featured special tributes from some of Dolly’s friends and longtime connections throughout the entertainment industry, like Bono, Carol Burnett, Goldie Hawn, Julia Roberts and Oprah Winfrey.

The two-hour special was broadcast live from Belmont University on ABC and Disney+ in the U.S. and internationally. Filmed before a live audience at Belmont University’s Fisher Center for the Performing Arts in Nashville, the special will also be available to stream the next day on Hulu.

The CMA and Belmont University will donate a portion of the proceeds from tonight’s event to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.