Reba McEntire, Carrie Underwood, Lainey Wilson and Kelsea Ballerini are among the country music heavyweights coming together to honor Dolly Parton in a two-hour special celebrating the late singer’s life and legacy. The Country Music Association’s “CMA Presents I Will Always Love You: A Celebration of Dolly Parton” will air Wednesday, Oct. 21, at 9 p.m. ET on ABC and Disney+, nearly two months after the country legend died on Aug. 25 at age 80.
For viewers without cable, Disney+ is the easiest way to tune in live, with the special streaming simultaneously with its ABC broadcast. It will also be available on demand on Hulu and Disney+ beginning Thursday, Oct. 22. Those without cable can also stream the special live through a variety of live TV streamers such as DirecTV, Sling TV and Fubo TV.
DirecTV offers ABC through eligible streaming packages, including its MyNews plan, which currently starts at $39.99 per month for the first two months and includes a five-day free trial. The tribute will broadcast from Belmont University’s Fisher Center for the Performing Arts in Nashville, where an impressive lineup of country veterans and younger stars will revisit Parton’s catalog, alongside archival footage and personal stories about her six-decade career. The venue also has its own history with Parton, having hosted the 2025 world premiere of her autobiographical stage production, “Dolly: A True Original Musical.” McEntire, Underwood, Wilson and Ballerini will be joined by Brad Paisley, Carly Pearce, Darius Rucker, Ella Langley, Ashley McBryde, Little Big Town, Lady A, Vince Gill, Ricky Skaggs, Lukas Nelson, Zac Brown, Molly Tuttle, Sierra Hull and Béla Fleck.
The lineup also extends beyond country music, with appearances from Kristen Bell and Broadway star Kristin Chenoweth. Amy Grant and Kimberly Williams-Paisley are confirmed as special guests, while additional surprise tributes from Parton’s friends across the entertainment industry are expected throughout the evening. A student ensemble from Belmont University will also take part in the broadcast.
The organization and Belmont University will also donate a portion of the event’s proceeds to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, the book-gifting initiative she founded in 1995, which has distributed hundreds of millions of free books to children worldwide.
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