The Country Music Association (CMA) announced a two-hour television event, CMA Presents I Will Always Love You: A Celebration of Dolly Parton, in tribute to Dolly Parton, who died on August 25 at age 80. The special will air live on Wednesday, October 21 (9:00–11:00 p.m. ET) on ABC and Disney+ internationally, with next-day availability on Hulu.
The special will be filmed live at the Fisher Center for the Performing Arts at Belmont University in Nashville. Robert Deaton serves as executive producer. “Dolly gave Country Music its heart, and giving some of that heart back to her is an incredible honor,” Deaton said. “My hope is simply that we do right by her story, her music and the people who love her.”
CMA CEO Sarah Trahern said: “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.” She added that the special is meant “to say thank you, on behalf of every artist, industry member and fan who found a piece of themselves in her music.”
The special will feature performances, archival footage and personal stories celebrating Parton’s career as an artist, songwriter, entertainer, humanitarian and entrepreneur. Additional details, including performers and ticket information, will be announced in the coming weeks.
CMA and Belmont University will donate proceeds from the special to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, which provides free books monthly to children. Disney is also supporting the initiative.
Source: Billboard
