Dolly Parton is celebrating a half-century of being an official Grand Ole Opry member with “Dolly Parton: 50 Years at the Opry,” a two-hour special that airs tonight on NBC. But if you …
: 50 Years at the Opry,” a two-hour special that airs tonight on NBC. But if you want to talk about how long she’s really been associated with the Opry, she’s not bashful about noting that you can actually tag another 10 years onto that number.. It’s actually been 60, because the first time I got to sing on the Opry, I was 13 years old,” Parton explained at a press event before going into the auditorium to film the new special.
While Parton was officially inducted into the Grand Ole Opry in 1969 at the Opry’s original home of the Ryman Auditorium, her journey with the Opry dates back to childhood. Parton shared that growing up in the Great Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee, her father was a loyal listener of the beloved country music-themed show that’s aired on WSM radio since 1925. She recalled memories of her and her uncle Bill Owens making the three-hour drive from her native Sevierville, Tenn.
That dream became reality when she made her Opry debut as a teen in 1959, with Jimmy C. Newman giving up his spot one night so she could perform, with Johnny Cash introducing her on stage. Parton’s own performances shine in between the musical homages, joking backstage that she chose to sing the classics “that people would kill me if I didn’t sing.” Her mere presence brought the packed Opry house to its feet as she made her way to the stage, opening her 30-minute set with the spirited feminist anthem “9 to 5.” Her eight-song set digs deep into her vast music vault, as she performs her first No.
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