What an absolutely tragic day for country music and beyond.
The iconic queen of country music, Dolly Parton, sadly passed away today, August 25, at the age of 80. Her nephew officially announced the heart-wrenching news to the “Jolene” singer’s social media accounts today, noting, “Dolly is in the arms of Jesus, surely met by Carl, her parents, and countless others who have watched her and longed for her to meet them in heaven.”
Her fellow female icon and duet partner, Reba McEntire, also took to social media today as well to express her condolences, stating, “There will never be another you. We will remember and cherish every memory and every note you ever played and sang.”
Reba McEntire took to the Opry Stage earlier this year to help induct artist Suzy Bogguss. While on the legendary platform, she recalled her own Opry debut back on September 17th, 1977. At just 22-years-old, McEntire was in the budding stages of her career with the release of her debut album emerging earlier that year in January 1977. For any artist at that time, an Opry Stage debut was one of the ultimate ‘I’ve made it’ moments that was filled with equal parts gratitude and nervousness.
The young, fiery-haired starlet was prepared with two songs to sing for the night before receiving the jaw-dropping news that her debut had an impromptu special guest. With now over 85 awards amassed throughout her career and considered to be a country music legend herself, McEntire recounted a hilarious memory of that September night.
“I walk in, I’m just so proud to be here, as many would say, and they came up to me, and I was going to do two songs, and they said, ‘Reba we’re gonna have to take one of your songs’ and I said ‘well how come?’ and they said, ‘because Dolly Parton just pulled into the parking lot. She’s gonna take one of your songs.’”
Now, normally, anyone would be a little taken aback and offended at the suggestion of their set getting cut down on such a monumental occasion. However, at the shock of this turn of events and the sheer fact that Reba would be singing on the same night as THE Dolly Parton, she graciously offered her song spot. McEntire enthusiastically describes, “I said, ‘She can have both of them, can I meet her?’ And she walked in in this beautiful chiffon outfit with these rhinestone butterflies all over them and beautiful hair. I thought, ‘Now that’s what an angel looks like right there.’ Most beautiful woman I ever saw in my life.”
In case you need a better visual of what Reba witnessed as her Opry debut got hijacked, this is what Dolly looked like in 1977. Fluffy, glamorous hair, piercing eyes, and all. The woman basically invented ‘aura.’
Despite being understandably star-struck, Reba noted that she still got to sing her one song for the audience, Roger Mills ‘ “Invitation to the Blues,” before being followed by Dolly’s performance. “I did get to sing one song, and the four guys carried me on stage cause my feet just wouldn’t go. And I sang up a storm, I sang my little heart out.”
Nine years later, in January 1986, McEntire would officially be inducted into the Grand Ole Opry as a member, and of course, the two leading ladies sparked a lifelong friendship following their first meeting. Their first duet, a reimagining of Reba’s hit, “Does He Love You,” dropped back in 2021, and the two reunited once more in January for their joint reimagining of Dolly’s “Light of a Clear Blue Morning.”
Listen to Reba’s Opry debut below: