All articles tagged with #grand ole opry
Dolly Parton died at 80 after a brief, undisclosed cancer. Her niece, Jada Star, says Parton kept the illness private to avoid worrying fans, with family tributes and a private Nashville funeral following her passing, including a Grand Ole Opry moment honoring the country icon.
Dolly Parton’s niece says the country icon’s cancer battle was kept private to avoid causing fans worry; Parton, who died Aug. 25 at 80 after a brief cancer illness, was publicly celebrated with tributes and a Grand Ole Opry remembrance. The family asked for donations to Parton’s Imagination Library in lieu of flowers, and her loved ones emphasized she wouldn’t want fans to grieve for long as they returned to life and work.
Following Dolly Parton’s death, a yellow butterfly fluttered across the Grand Ole Opry stage during a star-studded tribute, seen as a sign of Parton’s enduring legacy. Mae Estes had earlier performed a Parton favorite, while Carly Pearce, Jelly Roll and others paid homage with Parton songs; the Opry also featured butterfly imagery in the set design and pledged a portion of ticket sales to Parton’s Imagination Library.
The Grand Ole Opry staged an all-Dolly Parton tribute after Parton’s death at 80, with Carly Pearce opening and other artists performing hits like Jolene, My Tennessee Mountain Home, and 9 to 5; clips of Parton’s Opry appearances aired, and proceeds from the sold-out show were donated to Parton’s Imagination Library.
Following Dolly Parton’s death, Carly Pearce, Jelly Roll and Parton’s niece Jada Star led a sold-out Grand Ole Opry tribute that mixed stories and Parton classics in a joyful, emotional farewell, ending with a video of Parton singing “I Will Always Love You” as the crowd joined in arm-in-arm.
Dolly Parton died on Aug. 25 at 80 after a brief cancer battle and will be buried beside her husband, Carl Dean, in a private service, while public tributes and legacy projects continue: the Grand Ole Opry will dedicate a memorial show, Dollywood will mourn but remain open, and officials are pursuing renaming Nashville International Airport in her honor. Her Imagination Library will carry on, and a musical time capsule she created in 2015 is not to be opened until 2046; she also approved multiple posthumous projects (a biopic, docuseries, Broadway musical, and more) before her death.
Dolly Parton died at age 80 after a brief cancer battle, surrounded by loved ones at Nashville’s Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center. The news prompted a worldwide outpouring of tributes from peers across music, film and politics—Taylor Swift, Eminem, Jane Fonda and many others—along with formal remembrances from the Grand Ole Opry. Flags were ordered to be lowered for a week, pink lights lit landmarks in her honor, and Dollywood pledged to carry on her legacy. Parton’s influence was celebrated not only for her music but also for her philanthropy, notably the Imagination Library, which gifts books to children.
Following Hayden Panettiere's death at 36, Charles Esten dedicated a song to her during a Grand Ole Opry appearance in Nashville, recalling their first meeting on Nashville and calling her a bright, shining light as he paid tribute with a performance he had previously dedicated to her.
Charles Esten paid an emotional tribute to Hayden Panettiere at the Grand Ole Opry, performing 'Somewhere In the Sunshine' days after her death and recalling their first scene together in the Opry building.
Violet Hensley, the renowned Whittlin’ Fiddler from Arkansas who debuted on the Grand Ole Opry at 99, died at 109. A mother of nine and a celebrated keeper of Ozark musical traditions, she was inducted into the National Fiddler’s Hall of Fame and penned a 2014 memoir about her life and craft.
GRAMMY-winning artist Jelly Roll says he will pause touring for a year or two after his July 30 Colorado Springs show to focus on healing, with no upcoming dates listed; the move follows publicized divorce from wife Bunnie XO and coincides with his Grand Ole Opry induction, as he releases a new single (Hands Up) and hints at a forthcoming album.
Waylon Wyatt, a 19-year-old rising country singer, is recovering after a life-threatening sepsis diagnosis forced him to cancel his big milestones—including the Dustpiles release show and his Grand Ole Opry debut—which dropped on the same day. He was hospitalized in Montana, discharged, and is now in Nashville receiving ongoing treatment with family, thanking fans for support while planning to reschedule the Opry date as he recovers.
Aaron Lewis says the music industry has turned its back on him because “everything’s too political now,” citing being uninvited to the Grand Ole Opry and promoting his upcoming sixth album Give My Country Back, due July 17, which he suggests may be hard to find.
Bill Cody, the longtime Opry announcer and WSM morning host whose voice defined decades of Nashville radio, died at 67 after a serious illness including kidney and heart failure. A five-decade career on Coffee, Country & Cody and as a Grand Ole Opry announcer earned him induction into the Country Radio Hall of Fame, a Music City Walk of Fame star, and a Tennessee Radio Hall of Fame honor, with tributes pouring in from peers like Garth Brooks.
Country star Jelly Roll was inducted into Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry on March 10, where he humbled himself in accepting the honor—telling the audience, and himself, that he didn’t deserve it—before Lainey Wilson welcomed him into the Opry family. The pair also performed their collaboration, “Save Me,” underscoring themes of redemption, truth-telling and faith that connect with fans.