Reba McEntire and Sally Field honor Dolly Parton with Emmy Awards musical tribute

Tribute performance at the Emmy Awards

At the 2026 Emmy Awards ceremony on Monday, country music singer Reba McEntire and actor Sally Field led a memorial tribute to Dolly Parton. Parton died on 25 August at the age of 80 in Nashville following a brief battle with cancer. McEntire took the stage in a sparkly white gown accompanied by an orchestral ensemble and a full band to perform Parton's 1983 song Appalachian Memories. Background projections displayed archival images of Parton alongside landscapes of the Appalachian Mountains throughout the performance. The segment opened with an archival clip from the 1983 Emmy broadcast, in which Parton spoke about her mountain heritage before performing the track. McEntire concluded the song by speaking directly to the late singer from the stage.

“I love you, Dolly.”

Reflections from Sally Field

Sally Field, who starred with Parton in the 1989 film Steel Magnolias, opened the tribute segment. Field attended the 2026 ceremony as a nominee in the limited or anthology series category for her role in the Netflix production Remarkably Bright Creatures. In her introductory remarks, Field described Parton as a rare presence who combined humility, generosity, and sharp comedic timing. She also addressed Parton's humanitarian contributions across her home state of Tennessee and the wider country. Field concluded her address by speaking to the enduring affection felt by audiences and friends worldwide.

“She was genuine and humble, supportive and blisteringly funny with a bawdy sense of humor that would send any rude guy looking for a place to hide. I couldn't see then what a real giant Dolly was, not just as an artist, but as a human.”

Decades of mutual support and collaboration

The tribute reflected a personal and professional relationship between Parton and McEntire that lasted nearly fifty years. The two artists first met in 1977 at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville when McEntire had her stage time shortened following Parton's surprise arrival. In 1991, after eight members of McEntire's band were killed in a San Diego plane crash, Parton offered her own band members to help McEntire recover and resume touring. Over the following decades, the performers maintained regular contact through fax communications while occasionally appearing together in television and recording studios. Parton guest-starred in 2005 on McEntire's sitcom Reba as real estate rival Dolly Majors, and the duo later released a collaborative version of Does He Love You in 2021.

Final months and legacy

Parton died in Nashville on 25 August 2026, ending a career that spanned music, television, and film. Her sister, Stella Parton, stated on CBS Mornings that the singer chose to keep her cancer diagnosis private to prevent fans and family members from worrying. A week before her death, Parton recorded a promotional video for a roller coaster at her Dollywood theme park after canceling an in-person appearance due to dizziness. Beyond her recording catalogue, which included her twenty-fifth solo studio album Burlap & Satin in 1983, Parton hosted two eponymous variety programs and made guest appearances on series such as Hannah Montana. McEntire previously honored the late singer on social media, writing that Parton's kindness, music, and memories would remain cherished.