NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — The cold weather didn't keep fans from heading to downtown Nashville to celebrate Dolly Parton's 78th Birthday.
The Grand Ole Opry honored the country music legend with a special show on Jan. 19 at the Ryman Auditorium. It was the second straight year the show has celebrated her birthday.
Watch Dolly's celebration in the player above.
"We got our tickets as soon as they were announced," said Beverly Brown, who was visiting from Virginia with a group of her friends. "We are big Dolly fans."
While Parton did not appear in person, there were plenty of tributes. Special guest artists including Ashley Monroe, Tigirlily Gold, Dailey & Vincent, Elle King and Terri Clark performed their favorite Dolly hits.
"I don’t think there is a female singer or any kind of songwriter who hasn’t been influenced by Dolly," said Terri Clark before she performed Dolly's hit "9 to 5."
There was also a large birthday card for fans to sign and a Dolly impersonator who posed for photos with fans.
In addition, $5 from every ticket sold to the show was donated to the Opry Trust Fund in Dolly’s honor. For more than 50 years, the fund has assisted members of the country music community in need.
Dolly celebrated her birthday by giving a gift to her fans. She released a deluxe version of her newest album “ROCKSTAR” that featured nine additional tracks. It is available on all digital streaming platforms.
This year, Americans are expected to spend around 12 billion dollars on candy, costumes, and decorations. Over the last few years, it seems many more people are going all out on decorating their homes. Forrest Sanders had the chance to visit several mid-state communities to check out some of those Halloween decorations.
-Lelan Statom
