While Dolly Parton got her start in East Tennessee, she dreamed of performing on the Grand Ole Opry stage. She fulfilled that dream many times.
The Opry member, who died Aug. 25 after a brief battle with cancer, will be honored Aug. 29 with a tribute in Nashville. Parton was 80.
The tribute will include archival footage of the "Queen of Country," whose connection to the genre's biggest stage and longest-running radio show began when she was a teenager.
Here's what to know.
When did Dolly Parton become a member of the Grand Ole Opry?
The "Better Get to Livin'" singer became a member of the Opry on Jan. 4, 1969. She was 23 years old.
Parton had an expansive discography at the time of her death, but when she became an Opry member, she had released just three albums. "Just Between Me and You" and "Just the Two
of Us," were duet albums recorded with Porter Wagoner and released in 1968. Her first solo album, "Just Because I'm a Woman," also was released in 1968.
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When Parton became an Opry member, the show was still held in the iconic Ryman Auditorium in downtown Nashville. Parton said it was a dream of hers to play the show.
"It was always my dream to be on the Opry," Parton said, according to the Opry. "They call it the 'Mother Church' because the old Ryman was a church, but it's sacred to me, wherever it goes - the church of my heart. For me, the Opry is like the song 'New York, New York' - if you can make it there, you can make it anywhere."
Although Dolly became a member in 1969, her Opry debut came 10 years earlier when the "Love is like a Butterfly" singer was just 13 years old. In 1959, Dolly and her uncle Bill Owens stepped in for Jimmy C. Newman. The two were introduced by another pillar of country music, Johnny Cash.
"We've got a little girl here from up in East Tennessee. Her daddy's listening to the radio at home, and she's gonna be in real trouble if she doesn't sing tonight, so let's bring her out here," Cash said when he introduced the pair.
Dolly and her Uncle Bill sang George Jones' "You Gotta Be My Baby," and reportedly sang three encores.
How to watch or listen to the Grand Ole Opry tribute to Dolly Parton?
The Grand Ole Opry's tribute show honoring Parton will be held Aug. 29 at 7 p.m. CT. The event will feature performances by Opry members Carly Pearce, Kathy Mattea and T. Graham Brown.
The show will include archival footage in between sets and a poignant moment at the end, an Opry representative said. "It will be a beautiful night remembering and honoring Dolly at the Saturday night Opry!"Fans can purchase a ticket online, with prices currently ranging from $232 to $2,405, or listen on the show's flagship radio station, WSM AM.
People may also tune in via livestream at 7 p.m. CT on the Opry's Facebook and YouTube channels, as well as through its streaming partners, Circle Country and RFD-TV. You can watch Circle Country on Fubo TV with a free trial.
Watch Dolly Parton Opry tribute on Fubo TV with a free trial
How many times did Dolly Parton perform at the Opry?
With Parton's history at the Opry spanning 67 years, it is hard to pin down the exact number of time's she has performed there, but she had some remarkable moments with the show.
Parton only appeared once in between her debut and her induction as a member of the Opry. It was on Oct. 7, 1967, according to the Dolly Parton Discography. During this appearance she performed "Dumb Blonde" and a cover of "Ode to Billie Joe" by Bobbie Gentry.
OnJan. 13, 1993, Parton performed at "A Country Music Celebration," a concert-TV special honoring the 35th anniversary of the Country Music Association. She performed "Islands in the Stream" alongside Kenny Rogers.
Parton's final appearance at the Opry was on Oct. 12, 2019. It was a 50th anniversary celebration of her first appearance, marked by a whole week of festivities and named "Dolly Week 2019," Parton was 73 at the time.
At the celebration, Parton sang some of her biggest hits. "Jolene," "Coat of Many Colors," "Here You Come Again," "9 to 5" and "I Will Always Love You" all made the setlist.
“It’s been a great honor to be a part of the Grand Ole Opry all these years,” Parton said during the performance. “It was always my dream."
What is the Grand Ole Opry?
"Country's biggest stage" began as a radio show in 1925. It first aired on WSM-AM, and now broadcasts on WSM Radio, Sirius XM, Circle Country and RFD-TV, according to the Grand Ole Opry.
The urge to see the show in-person skyrocketed in 1943, when icons including Patsy Cline and Hank Williams took to the Ryman stage. The show moved to the Grand Ole Opry House in 1974, where it still plays. When the Grand Ole Opry moved, an eight-foot square piece of wood was taken from the Ryman stage. it was carved into a circular piece of wood, six feet in diameter, and put into the new stage.
Artists still considered it one of the biggest honors in the country music industry to "step inside the circle" and play the Opry or become a member.
Afton Pratt covers trending news for The Knoxville News Sentinel and Tennessee. She can be reached at ampratt@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Dolly Parton became and Opry member in 1969 but her debut came a decade earlier
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