The NFL was a small part of the Queen of Country Music's legacy three years before she died.
In 2023, Dolly Parton performed at halftime for the Dallas Cowboys' Thanksgiving game
against the Washington Commanders at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Sporting a crop-topped Cowboys cheerleader uniform, white vest, white short shorts and a star sticker over her belly button, Parton sang a medley of her greatest hits in front of a crowd 93,000 strong.The performance, which was sponsored by the Salvation Army as part of a kickoff for the organization's annual fundraiser, featured performances of Parton's smash hits "Jolene" and "9 to 5." It also included Parton's covers of Queen's "We Are The Champions" and "We Will Rock You," which were part of her
49th and final solo studio album, "Rockstar."
The Cowboys went on to win the game 45-10 as quarterback Dak Prescott threw for 331 yards and four touchdowns.
In a 2024 interview with USA TODAY, Parton said she was nervous to take the stage and sing in the outfit at 77 years old.
"I thought, 'Well at my age, if I can pull it off, it's going to be good. And if I don't, I can just pass it off as an old woman doing a stupid ass thing,'" she said. "I've always said my desire to do something is greater than my fear of it."
Parton's family announced her death with a video posted to her social media channels on Tuesday, Aug. 25.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Revisiting Dolly Parton's 2023 Thanksgiving halftime performance
