Dolly Parton Makes Surprise Appearance At Newport Folk Festival
The Queen of country music, Dolly Parton, made a surprise appearance the Newport Folk Festival on Saturday (July 27). Shocking…
The Queen of country music, Dolly Parton, made a surprise appearance the Newport Folk Festival on Saturday (July 27).
Shocking fans during a headlining set that was billed as “♀♀♀♀: The Collaboration,” Parton took the stage alongside a bevy of female performers, including Linda Perry, Sheryl Crow and Judy Collins. “♀♀♀♀: The Collaboration” was led by Grammy-winner Brandi Carlile and her supergroup The Highwomen, consisting of Carlile, Maren Morris, Amanda Shires and Natalie Hemby.
“Ladies and gentleman of the Newport Folk Festival,” Carlile addressed the crowd. “On its 60th anniversary, I bring you one of the greatest surprises ever: the incomparable, unicorn legend that is….Dolly Parton!”
According to Rolling Stone, Parton shared the stage with The Highwomen for performances of “Eagle When She Flies,” “Just Because I’m a Woman” and “Jolene.” She also sang “I Will Always Love You” with Carlile and joined closed the set with an all-star performance of “9 to 5.”
The evening was a memorable one for country superstar Maren Morris for many reasons. She not only got to share the stage with one of her heroes, she also celebrated her latest single reaching the top of the charts.
“My first @newportfolkfest was one of my favorite experiences of my career,” Morris shared on Instagram. “@thehighwomen played our first gig, a song called “GIRL” made it to the top of the country radio chart, and we closed this momentous weekend out with the queen @dollyparton . I don’t know how I got here but I got here.”
Watch Parton perform with The Highwomen in the video above.
Lauren Jo Black, a University of Central Florida graduate, has immersed herself in the world of country music for over 15 years. In 2008, she co-founded CountryMusicIsLove, eventually selling it to a major record label in 2015. Following the rebranding of the website to Sounds Like Nashville, Black served as Editor-in-Chief for two and a half years. Currently, she assumes the role of Editor-in-Chief at Country Now and oversees Country Now’s content and digital footprint. Her extensive experience also encompasses her previous role as a Country Music Expert Writer for Answers.com and her work being featured on Forbes.com. She’s been spotlighted among Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. Black also spent time in front of the camera as host of Country Now Live, which brought live music directly to fans in 2021 when the majority of concerts were halted due to the pandemic. During this time, she hosted 24 weeks of live concerts via Country Now Live on Twitch with special guests such as Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Jordan Davis, Brett Young, and Jon Pardi. Over the course of her career, she has had the privilege of conducting interviews with some of the industry’s most prominent stars, including Reba McEntire, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert, Lainey Wilson, and many others. Lauren Jo Black is a longtime member of the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music.
You may also like
Country Next
Playlist
On Repeat
Get the latest country music news delivered straight to your inbox.
