We will always love you, Dolly! The Emmys paid tribute to Dolly Parton with a moving performance by Reba McEntire and a speech by Sally Field.
“If there are angels on Earth, we just lost one with Dolly,” Field said. “It was my great good fortune to work with Dolly in a film called Steel Magnolias. I never stopped loving her.” She went on to say how she adored her from the moment she met her, despite them living far apart. “How could you not?”
“She was genuine and humble, supportive and blistering funnywith a body sense of humor that would send any rude guy looking for a place to hide. I couldn’t see then what a giant Dolly was, not just as an artist, but as a human,” she said.
“God bless you, Dolly Parton, my friend. I am not the only one on Earth who will love you forever and forever.”
The actress then introduced McEntire to sing a rendition of Parton’s song “Appalachian Memories” while photos of Parton flashed on the screen.“I love you Dolly, so much,” McEntire said at the end of her performance.
Sally Field introduces tribute to her late Steel Magnolias co-star Dolly Parton #Emmys pic.twitter.com/CdlOurY4ft
— Deadline (@DEADLINE) September 15, 2026
The country singer paid tribute to Parton on the day of her death. “Dolly, thank you for all the wonderful things you did for us here on earth. Your love, your music, and you gave so much with your huge, huge heart,” she wrote on Instagram. “There will never ever be another you. We will remember and cherish every memory and every note you ever played and sang.”
The two women were good friends and country music legends. Parton also made a guest appearance on McEntire’s show, Reba.
Field wrote a touching tribute on Instagram the day the country singer died, saying there would “never be another like her.” McEntire had the same sentiments.
Reba McEntire pays tribute to Dolly Parton singing “Appalachian Memories” #Emmys pic.twitter.com/qygDX44XTB
— Deadline (@DEADLINE) September 15, 2026
Parton made her film debut in 9 to 5 with Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin, in which her title song won an Oscar and two Grammys. She also starred in The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, where Whitney Houston covered her hit, “I Will Always Love You.”
The humaniarian also co-hosted several television specials at this time, including 1978’s Fifty Years of Country Music for CBS, 1979’s The Seventies: An Explosion of Country Music for NBC. In 1979, the “Jolene” singer was nominated for an Emmy for her guest spot on a Cher special. She also produced a few films as well as the show Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
Parton died at the age of 80 on August 25 after a brief battle with cancer. She kept the diagnosis private from the public and some family members and friends. She was preceded in death by her husband, Carl Dean, who passed away in March 2025. Parton was laid to rest on August 30 in Nashville, Tennessee.
Primetime Emmy Awards 2026, Monday, September 14, 8/7c, NBC and Peacock