Dolly Parton’s legacy will be celebrated in a live, two-hour television event bringing together performers from across music and entertainment.
CMA Presents I Will Always Love You: A Celebration of Dolly Parton will air Wednesday, Oct. 21, at 9 p.m. PT/ET on ABC. The Country Music Association special will also be simulcast live on Disney+.
The confirmed lineup stretches across multiple generations and genres, with Carrie Underwood, Reba McEntire, Brad Paisley, Kelsea Ballerini, Lainey Wilson and Vince Gill among the performers set to participate.
A packed lineup for Parton’s celebration
Alongside those stars, the performance roster includes Ashley McBryde, Béla Fleck, Carly Pearce, Darius Rucker, Ella Langley, Kristen Bell, Kristin Chenoweth, Lady A, Little Big Town, Lukas Nelson, Molly Tuttle, Ricky Skaggs, Sierra Hull and Zac Brown.
Amy Grant and Kimberly Williams-Paisley are joining the televised event as special guests.
The range of confirmed participants gives the salute a deliberately broad scope. Established names will share the bill with newer performers, while artists associated with different styles will come together for an evening centered on Parton.
How to watch the Dolly Parton tribute live
Viewers with access to ABC can watch the special as it airs. The network is also carried by live television streaming services including DirecTV, Fubo, Sling and Hulu + Live TV, although availability and subscription terms vary.
DirecTV offers a five-day free trial for new streaming subscribers. ABC and Disney+ are included in its Signature packages—Entertainment, Choice, Ultimate and Premier—and its channel-lineup options start at $20.99 per month.
Fubo also carries ABC and offers new subscribers a five-day free trial. Its plans start at $54.99 for the first month and rise to $64.99 per month afterward.
Sling carries ABC in select markets. Its Select plan starts at $19.99 per month, while the Blue plan begins at $45.99 per month and the Orange & Blue plan starts at $60.99 per month. Prospective viewers will need to check whether ABC is available in their area.
Hulu + Live TV subscriptions start at $89.99 per month and include a bundle with Disney+ and ESPN+. Because the tribute is also streaming directly on Disney+, viewers can watch the simulcast there without using a live-TV service that carries ABC.
Disney+ does not offer its own free trial. However, it is included with DirecTV’s Signature packages, which offer a five-day trial and include a Disney+ and Hulu bundle.
ShowBiz Take
This is more than a compact awards-show segment or a single performance in Parton’s honor. The CMA is devoting two live hours to the celebration, with a sizable roster assembled around her enduring musical legacy.
The lineup is also central to why the special stands out. By placing performers including Underwood, McEntire, Wilson, Chenoweth, Fleck, Rucker and Little Big Town on the same bill, the program is framing Parton’s impact through artists from different generations and corners of entertainment.
Its distribution gives the event a similarly wide reach. The combination of a live ABC broadcast, multiple live-TV streaming options and a simultaneous Disney+ stream means the celebration is being presented as both a traditional network special and a live streaming event.
What Happens Next?
CMA Presents I Will Always Love You: A Celebration of Dolly Parton airs live Wednesday, Oct. 21, at 9 p.m. PT/ET on ABC and Disney+. DirecTV, Fubo, Sling and Hulu + Live TV provide additional ways to watch ABC’s broadcast, subject to their respective plans and local network availability.