Country music doesn't get much better than the queen herself, Dolly Parton [1]. The iconic singer, who was honoured at the 2019 Grammy Awards [2] for her years of work and albums full of hits, has performed on stages far and wide and with countless other artists, including her goddaughter Miley Cyrus [3].
Check out 10 of our favourite performances Dolly has ever done in the gallery ahead, and then brush up on what Dolly has coming down the pipeline later this year: she's creating a Netflix miniseries [4] called Dolly Parton's Heartstrings based on her music that we absolutely can't wait to check out!
Dolly Parton Sings "Joshua" at the Grand Ole Opry in 1972
In another of her Grand Ole Opry performances, Parton performed "Joshua" while dressed to the nines. She sailed through the upbeat song and proved why she's been a member of the Grand Ole Opry since the '60s.
Dolly Parton Sings "Jolene" on The Porter Wagoner Show in 1973
This first performance of "Jolene" in 1973 on The Porter Wagoner Show shows exactly why it's still Parton's biggest hit to date. It's a song everyone can relate to and a young Dolly poured everything into this and still made it sound effortless.
Dolly Parton Sings "Do I Ever Cross Your Mind" on Live Der Musikladen in 1977
In what might be the most adorably endearing performance Parton has ever done, she starts by performing her song "Do I Ever Cross Your Mind" in its normal speed. She then speeds it up as if it's a 78 RPM record to sing a piece of it again and flies right through it before saying "thank you." We love it.
Dolly Parton Sings "9 to 5" on Dolly Parton Live in 1980
This fun song never gets old and we can't get enough of Dolly's glam look in this performance. The song, which was written for Parton's film debut in the movie of the same name, earned Dolly an Oscar nomination and four Grammy nominations.
Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers Sing "We Got Tonight" on the Real Live Tour in 1985
How much do you love when Parton comes through the crowd and up on stage to meet Rogers so their voices can join together in this beautiful song? Are you crying? We might be. We just can't get enough.
Dolly Parton Sings "After the Gold Rush" on the Late Show With David Letterman in 1999
Parton joined Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt to sing Neil Young's "After the Gold Rush" to promote their album Trio II. Their voices complemented each other in the most perfect way for a beautiful performance that you won't soon forget.
Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers Sing "Islands in the Stream" For CMT's 100 Greatest Duets in 2005
OK, we couldn't leave you without giving you another duet between Rogers and Parton. You can't go wrong with these two coming back together on stage to bring back their duet "Islands in the Stream," especially after CMT just named it the best duet of all time.
Dolly Parton Sings "Jolene" Live at the Grand Ole Opry in 2007
Country music just always sounds better at the Grand Ole Opry, and this 2007 performance of "Jolene" is no exception. Thirty-four years after Parton first performed this song and she still sounds as flawless as ever.
Dolly Parton Sings "I Will Always Love You" For Unplugged at Studio 330 in 2009
When Parton performed "I Will Always Love You" on Unplugged at Studio 330, she started by telling the story behind this iconic song. A song made so iconic by Whitney Houston that most people don't even realise it was originally a Dolly song.
Dolly Parton and More Perform a Medley at the Grammy Awards in 2019
Miley Cyrus [6], Kacey Musgraves, Katy Perry [7], Maren Morris, and Little Big Town came together with Dolly to perform a medley of her songs at the 2019 Grammy Awards [8].