Ashley McBryde brought one of Dolly Parton’s most personal and beloved songs to life during the two-hour tribute special, “CMA Presents I Will Always Love You: A Celebration of Dolly Parton.” The country star paid tribute to the late icon with an emotional performance of her 1971 release, “Coat of Many Colors.”
Standing on the Belmont University stage in front of a live audience and tons of viewers watching the broadcast from home, McBryde proudly delivered the track, depicting a memorable moment in Parton’s childhood growing up in rural Tennessee.
“Coat of Many Colors” was inspired by the winter jacket Parton’s mother sewed her from fabric scraps as they couldn’t afford to buy a new coat. To make her feel proud of the attire, her mom also told her the biblical story of Joseph and his coat of many colors. Although Parton was teased by her classmates for wearing a coat made from rags, the experience taught her the important lesson that true wealth is measured not by money, but instead by the love that surrounded her. Even though they were poor, she felt rich with the love she was given.
With her guitar in hand, McBryde poured her heart into every lyric, capturing the true sincerity in the performance. Having previously shared how deeply moved she was to be chosen to celebrate Parton’s life, the Arkansas native appeared fully immersed in her delivery, even looking up toward the sky almost as if she was singing directly to the late legend herself.
An image of the iconic coat that inspired the song appeared on the screen as McBryde tenderly delivered the song, bringing its heartfelt story to life with a beautiful instrumental arrangement that added to the already emotional performance.
“To be selected to be one of the voices that gets to honor her tonight is truly an honorable thing to get to do. To be chosen to sing ‘Coat of Many Colors,’ all I got to do is make her proud,” said McBryde.
“CMA Presents I Will Always Love You: A Celebration of Dolly Parton”
“CMA Presents I Will Always Love You: A Celebration of Dolly Parton” set out to unite artists from multiple generations and genres with a star-powered list of performers. The lineup included a mix of fellow Country Music Hall of Fame members, country music superstars, and celebrated bluegrass acts, Broadway and beyond.
Among those who took the stage were Béla Fleck, Brad Paisley, Carly Pearce, Carrie Underwood, Darius Rucker, Ella Langley, Kelsea Ballerini, Kristen Bell, Kristin Chenoweth, Lady A, Lainey Wilson, Little Big Town, Lukas Nelson, Molly Tuttle, Reba McEntire, Ricky Skaggs, Sierra Hull, Vince Gill and Zac Brown. Additionally, Amy Grant and Kimberly Williams-Paisley joined as special guests.
Along with the unforgettable performances, the night featured special tributes from some of Dolly’s friends and longtime connections throughout the entertainment industry, like Bono, Carol Burnett, Goldie Hawn, Julia Roberts and Oprah Winfrey.
The two-hour special was broadcast live from Belmont University on ABC and Disney+ in the U.S. and internationally. Filmed before a live audience at Belmont University’s Fisher Center for the Performing Arts in Nashville, the special will also be available to stream the next day on Hulu.
The CMA and Belmont University will donate a portion of the proceeds from tonight’s event to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.
