Before Dolly Parton passed away on August 25, she recorded a video accepting the Lifetime Achievement Award, which was played at the recent Americana Music Honors & Awards.

”Well, hey, it’s Dolly, and I am so honored to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Americana Music Association,” Parton says in the video. “I mean, roots music, or what is now called Americana music, is what I grew up playing back in the Smoky Mountains. It’s that same music that drew me back to East Tennessee back in 1997 to write and record my album Hungry Again.

“And that project really opened the door to a series of bluegrass and acoustic albums that changed the course of my career in so many ways,” she continues. “Now new fans discovered these albums, new Americana music communities embraced them, and now, looking back at it all, I see this era of my career as a musical renaissance of sorts. And I want to thank everybody at the AMA for recognizing me with this award. It’s a great honor, truly. And just know that I will always love you.”

Dolly Parton To Be Honored With TV Special

Parton’s extraordinary life and career are being honored with a two-hour TV special. CMA Presents I Will Always Love You: A Celebration of Dolly Parton will take place on Wednesday, October 21, at the Fisher Center in Nashville, Tennessee. The two-hour show will air live on ABC and Disney+ on October 21 at 9:00 PM ET. It will stream the next day on Hulu.

“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,” the Country Music Association’s CEO, Sarah Trahern, says. “As the organization built to serve and celebrate Country Music, honoring her legacy is not just an opportunity, it is our responsibility. This special is our way of saying thank you, on behalf of every artist, industry member and fan who found a piece of themselves in her music.”

According to a press release, CMA Presents I Will Always Love You: A Celebration of Dolly Parton will be a “joyful, emotional celebration of the artist, songwriter, entertainer, humanitarian and entrepreneur whose music and generosity carried her from the mountains of east Tennessee into the hearts of generations around the world, told through performances, archival footage and personal stories that trace her extraordinary journey to becoming one of the most beloved entertainers and philanthropists in American history.”

Dolly Parton’s Memorial Service

Parton passed away on August 25, 2026, from cancer, an illness she did not disclose while she was alive. Although Parton lived her life very much in the public eye, she chose to have just a private memorial service, attended by only a few close family members.

“She wanted to keep it very quiet. The word keeps getting brought up, ‘funeral,’ and I don’t believe that was really the case in this situation. It was a burial, to be buried beside her husband,” her cousin, Richie Owens, shared on the Today Show, referring to Carl Dean, who passed away in 2025.

“And she wanted it very small, and a few family members were there,” he continued. “Other people that I’m sure would’ve liked to have been there were either out doing other things and stuff. It was very quiet, very quickly done, and not for any bad reasons whatsoever. It’s just that’s what she wanted. She wanted to keep it very, very private.”