ABC and Disney+ to air live Dolly Parton tribute on 21 October
Lainey Wilson, Reba McEntire and Carrie Underwood are among 20 performers booked for a two-hour live tribute to Dolly Parton on 21 October.
The show, titled CMA Presents I Will Always Love You: A Celebration of Dolly Parton, will air live at 9/8c, meaning 9pm Eastern and 8pm Central, on ABC and Disney+, according to Variety. It will come from the Fisher Center for the Performing Arts at Belmont University in Nashville.
The line-up spans generations of country and roots music. Ella Langley and Lainey Wilson are both confirmed as part of the 20-strong cast of performers. They are joined by Reba McEntire, Carrie Underwood, Carly Pearce, Molly Tuttle, Ashley McBryde, Kelsea Ballerini, Brad Paisley and Darius Rucker, plus banjo player Béla Fleck, the Country Music Association (CMA) said.
Two other famous names will appear without performing. Amy Grant and Kimberly Williams-Paisley were announced as guest presenters for the night.
Robert Deaton will serve as executive producer, the senior role in charge of the production. The special will be available to stream on Hulu from the day after the live broadcast, giving viewers who miss the live slot a catch-up window.
Tickets to watch the taping in person are now on sale. They went on sale on Wednesday, 30 September, with starting prices set at $95 as a nod to Parton's hit "9 to 5", according to CMA.
For fans, this means two ways to watch. Tune in live, or stream it the next day.
The night will also support Parton's charity work. The CMA and Belmont have pledged a donation from the show's proceeds to Dolly Parton's Imagination Library.
