As tributes to Dolly Parton continue pouring in from across the country music world, few have struck as personal a chord as Carrie Underwood's. Parton was more than a legend to Underwood - she was someone the American Idol alum had long admired both for her artistry and the way she carried herself off stage.
The two shared the stage on several memorable occasions over the years. Underwood joined Reba McEntire, Shania Twain, and Alison Krauss to honor Parton at the 2006 Kennedy Center Honors, and the pair later co-hosted the 53rd Annual CMA Awards together alongside McEntire in 2019. One of Underwood's most emotional tributes came just last year, when she joined Reba, Lady Antebellum, and dozens of Opry choir members during Opry 100: A Live Celebration to perform Parton's classic "I Will Always Love You" - a performance that came just weeks after Parton lost her husband, Carl Dean.
Underwood's history with the Opry stage runs deep, and faith has often been woven into her tributes there. During an earlier Opry tribute honoring Randy Travis, Underwood closed her performance with his hymn-like classic "Forever and Ever, Amen," reflecting the gospel roots that run through so much of country music's biggest stage - often called, as Underwood herself once put it, "the mother church of country music."
As the music world continues to grieve Parton's passing, Underwood's words captured what so many fans have felt this week: that Parton's influence and spirit remain very much alive. "She's not gone," Underwood said. "I know exactly where she is."
Related article: Dolly Parton Dies at 80, Nephew Says She's "In the Arms of Jesus"
