Reba McEntire honored her close friend, Dolly Parton, by performing Parton’s gospel song, “He’s Alive” at CMA Presents I Will Always Love You: A Celebration of Dolly Parton.  McEntire was backed for the performance by a student choir from Belmont University, where the star-studded TV special was held.

Parton included “He’s Alive” on her 1989 White Limozeen album. The song was written by Don Francisco.

McEntire not only counted Parton among her dearest friends, but Parton was also someone she learned from as well.

“I loved the way Dolly carried herself with confidence and poise,” McEntire recently shared on The Jennifer Hudson Show. “She could cut a joke in a heartbeat, and she would make sure that everybody felt comfortable in her presence.”

While speaking to Hudson, McEntire also recounted a time when Parton was on the set of her Reba show, and the impact she left on everyone.

“When she came out to California and did the Reba TV show with me for a week, she treated everyone equally,” McEntire shares. “Everybody.”

Reba McEntire’s Friendship With Dolly Parton

McEntire also got to honor Parton at the recent Emmy Awards, where McEntire performed Parton’s “Appalachian Memories” in tribute to the country legend. Later, McEntire opened up about what it was like to be friends with Parton.

“We didn’t talk as much as I would have liked to—it was hard to stay in touch like that when we were both always working so hard!” McEntire tells Vogue. “Dolly communicated mostly via fax. I asked Kenny Rogers one time if he had Dolly’s phone number, and even he didn’t have it. Our catch-ups usually happened when we worked together, which thankfully was a lot over the years. We’d talk about our families and friends that we shared. I cherish those memories.”

McEntire was on the set of her Happy’s Place TV show when she found out that Parton had passed away.

“The day she passed, we were working on Happy’s Place,” McEntire tells Hudson. “And everybody was like, ‘Reba, we’re so sorry.’ I said, ‘Don’t say you’re sorry. This gal’s going home. She knows where she’s going. It’s a huge celebration.’ But I felt her with me the whole day.”

What to Know About ‘I Will Always Love You: A Celebration of Dolly Parton’

I Will Always Love You: A Celebration of Dolly Parton is streaming now on Hulu. The live two-hour broadcast included performances by Ashley McBryde, Brad Paisley, Little Big Town, Lainey Wilson, and more. The evening concluded with Underwood singing Parton’s iconic “I Will Always Love You,” joined by all of the guests of the evening.

The TV special, along with contributions from CMA, Belmont University, The Walt Disney Company, and the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp., led to an incredible $1,000,000 donation to Parton’s Imagination Library.

Photo Credit: CMA / Kayla Schoen