Only Kenny Rogers could steal the show without saying a word. Big names like Carrie Underwood, Shania Twain, and Reba McEntire all appeared at the Kennedy Center Honors to pay tribute to Dolly Parton. Carrie opened the performance, but it was Kenny’s big entrance that got Dolly hyped, smiling from ear to ear and up out of her seat celebrating. Kenny really can steal the show with just one roguish grin.
There was only one song for that moment, and Kenny delivered a gorgeous version of “Islands in the Stream” with Carrie singing Dolly’s parts. The warmth and love with which Kenny and Carrie performed the song, and the way they looked straight at Dolly as they sang, were just too sweet. This was such a beautiful moment. The Music Man has to say that Shania Twain also hit it out of the park at 13:21 with her intimate acoustic rendition of “Coat of Many Colors,” which really pulled on the heartstrings.
Reba McEntire opened the tribute with a story about Dolly, and the show also featured Alison Krauss and Vince Gill singing “Jolene” and “I Will Always Love You,” respectively. Many fans returned to the video after the passing of Dolly and added comments such as “So glad she got the best tribute imaginable while she was alive” and “I can honestly say I’ve never shed a tear for the passing of any celebrity be they writer, musician or actor. Till now.”
One of our favourite Dolly performances came when she sang “Islands in the Stream” with Kenny Rogers for one last time. The pair hit the stage together for the Kenny Rogers: All In for the Gambler farewell concert in Nashville, which took place on October 25, 2017, as part of his final tour. There’s something about Kenny and Dolly’s friendship that is just too pure. It’s so joyful to watch them together. And those voices singing together will always be so special.
Dolly Parton passed away on August 25, 2026, at the age of 80 after a brief battle with cancer. The Queen of Country left behind a legacy as big as the mountains of Tennessee. She sold 100 million records and is one of the highest-selling musical artists of all time. The Music Man readers may recall that Dolly was the sole songwriter of many of her hits, including three tunes that featured in her Kennedy Center Honors: “Jolene,” “I Will Always Love You,” and “Coat of Many Colors.”