Sevier County and Gatlinburg-Pittman football will honor East Tennessee icon and country music superstar Dolly Parton with a commemorative helmet sticker, both schools announced on Sept. 9.
The sticker is shaped like a guitar pick with Parton's signature and a butterfly. Both teams will wear the decal for the rest of the 2026 TSSAA football season.
We are proud to honor Dolly Parton and her incredible legacy with a commemorative helmet decal for the remainder of the season.
— Gatlinburg-Pittman Athletics (@GPHSSports) September 9, 2026
The decal features a guitar pick with Dolly’s signature and a butterfly, honoring her incredible legacy and the lasting impact she made on our schools… pic.twitter.com/UWKxUppX2a
Parton died on Aug. 25 in Nashville at 80 years old. She graduated from Sevier County High School
in 1964 and immediately pursued a career in country music.
Parton released 49 solo studio albums and earned 25 No. 1 hits on the Billboard’s U.S. Hot Country Songs chart, the most of any female country artist. Her first album “Hello, I’m Dolly,” was released in 1967. “Rockstar,” her latest album, was released in 2023 and went No. 1.
The "Queen of Country Music" was also a significant philanthropist, giving primarily through the Dollywood Foundation and the Imagination Library.
In 2024, Parton congratulated her alma mater on their undefeated run through the TSSAA football season and Class 5A playoffs, culminating in a championship in their 100th season. Her great nephew, Nolan Parton, was an lineman on the team.
"Hey Nolan and the entire Sevier County High School football team," she said in the video. "And Coach Loveday, I understand congratulations are in order for the 5A football state champions. Go Bears!"
Wynton Jackson covers high school sports for Knox News. Email: wynton.jackson@knoxnews.com
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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Sevier County, Gatlinburg-Pittman football to honor Dolly Parton with helmet sticker
