NBCUniversalDolly Parton’s Grand Ole Opry anniversary show, Dolly Parton: 50 Years at the Opry, was broadcast on NBC Tuesday night, pulling in an average of seven million viewers, according to the Hollywood Reporter. Over the course of her set, the country icon highlighted her biggest hits as well as a couple deep cuts, and several high-profile friends also took the stage in her honor.
Lady Antebellum kicked off the two-hour special with a rendition of Dolly’s 1982 duet with Kenny Rogers, “Islands in the Stream.” After that, several talented artists did their best Dolly covers during the show, which included appearances from Margo Price, Candi Carpenter, Chris Janson and more.
Of course, the highlight of the evening was Dolly’s own performance. She shared several of the back stories behind her iconic songs, shining a light on the writing process that created them.
Dolly’s TV special was filmed at the culmination of a week-long celebration of her 50th anniversary of becoming a member of the Grand Ole Opry.
The country legend’s also keeping busy with other projects as well, including her new eight-episode Netflix series, Dolly Parton’s Heartstrings.
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